The International Invasion of Torrevieja
January 17th, 2008
Torrevieja town hall It is fair to say that the traditional fishing village that was once Torrevieja is very much an image of the past, as the town has given way to commerce, tourism, and indeed, the influence of foreign investment. Torrevieja welcomed in the new year with a total of 103,154 officially registered inhabitants. This is quite an alarming increase from that recorded in July, when figures reached the 100,000 mark. Current trends have now made Torrevieja the third most significant population in the Alicante Province, and the fifth in the entire Valencian Community, behind the three Provincial cities, Valencia, Alicante and Castellón, and Elche. As one might expect, the international community of Torrevieja is now a prominent factor in this phenomenon, and has encouraged the rapid growth of the area during the ten year property boom. However, the latest statistics have revealed the true extent to the international presence now felt within the locality, with alarming results. A staggering 53.6 per cent, or 55,284 people, living in Torrevieja are of foreign nationality, while comparatively, there are only 46.7 per cent, 47,870, Spaniards. This is not to say that the Spanish have evacuated the area, but have been joined by their neighbours from overseas, who have been responsible for the massive urban growth and densely populated urbanisations which surround the original municipality. British residents encompass the vast majority of the foreign population, with 12,675 residents now registered on the Municipal Padrón. There is a margin of 8,925 residents between them and the next largest population, those of German origin, who account for 3,750 people. Also registering a significant presence were Moroccan nationals, at 3,116, Russians at 2,985, Swedish at 2,720 and Colombian nationals with 2,563 inhabitants.
Of the 47,870 Spanish citizens included on the Padrón, every province of Spain was represented, with those born within the province of Alicante accounting for the largest proportion, at 19,861 inhabitants. Although a considerable number, this was still only 7,186 in excess of the British contingent, and a relatively slight margin in the scale of things. Following this, the largest Spanish community favouring Torrevieja as their new home are the Madrilènes, at 7,164, many of whom own a second property within the town, which is occupied mainly during the summer and main fiestas. Many natives of the Murcia Region were also found to have relocated to Torrevieja, accounting for 2,452 inhabitants, Vizcaya at 1,289 and Asturias at 1,232. When taken as a whole, in excess of 25,000 inhabitants were nationals of the European Union, with the majority hailing from the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Scandinavian countries. On consideration of the entire Municipal register for Torrevieja, over 120 countries worldwide were represented, including those as distant as Australia, and exotic as Mauritius. Incidentally, the Padrón also revealed that at the end of 2007, fourteen people had celebrated their 100th birthday, two males and twelve females. This might be regarded as a reflection of the relaxed lifestyle and healthy Mediterranean diet, which continue to lure foreign house buyers to Spanish shores. Also with reference to age, it is interesting to note that the majority of residents living in the town are between 30 and 34 years, with 8, 917 people registering in this age bracket. This is followed by those of 25 to 29 years at 8 139, 35 to 39 years at 8 087 and 40 to 44 years at 7 252. And who said that Torrevieja had an aging population? In essence, the Municipal Padrón of Torrevieja is evidence of the truly multicultural nature of the town, and a prime example of how people from very different backgrounds and cultures can live together in harmony.
Full story from roundtownnews.co.uk
