Afro-Spaniards are Spanish citizens of direct or indirect African descent namely Black or Black of mixed ancestry. The term may include Spaniards of any African background who are considered to be Black or of Black mixed ancestry mainly those of Afro-Caribbean, African American or Afro Latin American descent. The specific number of Afro-Spaniards is unknown due to the fact that the Spanish government does not collect data on ethnicity or racial self-identification.

In 2008, the largest numbers of African immigrants came from Morocco (71,141), Senegal (10,568), Algeria (5,592), Nigeria (4,855), Mali (3,502), Gambia (2,512), Equatorial Guinea (2,213), Ghana (1,922), Guinea (1,729), and Mauritania (1,577).^[1]

Defining Afro-Spaniards

Despite the fact that there is official census that includes racial or ethnic self-identification in Spain, some attempts have been made to quantify the number of Afro-Spaniards. Crossing the data of two official studies,^[2][3] there are at least 1,029,944 Afro-Spaniards, of whom a 47% were born in Spain and a 71% are Spanish nationals.^[4]

There are currently 1,301,296 Spanish residents who were born in countries in the African continent, excluding the 1,802,810 born in Ceuta, Melilla, and the Canary Islands, which are Spanish provinces, and, in the case of Ceuta and Melilla, part of Andalusia. They are geographically located in Africa.

Out of these, 294,343 are Spanish citizens and 1,006,953 are foreign residents. The large majority of these originate in Morocco. There are 934,046 Moroccan born residents in Spain of which 223,590 are Spaniards and 710,457 are foreign residents. However, Moroccans being North Africans, they are usually not considered as Afro-Spaniards unless they are Black Moroccans, or have visible physical features usually associated with Black peoples. Non-Moroccan African-born residents in Spain thus number 367,250 of which 70,753 are Spanish citizens and 296,497 are foreign residents.^[5][6]

According to the national statistics agency, in 2019 there were 361,000 residents in Spain whose mother was born in an African country excluding Morocco. Out of these 91,000 were Spanish citizens.^[7]

History

African populations have known to exist continuously in what is now Spain since pre-Roman times,^[8] with a major influx of Africans occurring during the Islamic period. African admixture – primarily Berber and Arab admixture from North Africa – is dated to the Muslim period of the Middle Age, and averages from 10 to 12% in the south and west to ~3% in the northeast, dropping to close to 0% in a cluster found in the Basque region.^[9] Canary Islander Spaniards have significantly higher levels of both North African and Sub-Saharan ancestry, ranging from averages of 14% to 35% and which originates both in the indigenous Guanche people and the subsequent slave trade.^[10]

Notable people

Academics and scientists

• Antumi Toasije, historian and activist
• Justo Bolekia Boleka, philologist and writer

Artists and writers

• Elvira Dyangani, art curator
• Juan Latino, poet and Renaissance humanist
• Juan de Pareja, painter of Morisco origin born in Antequera.

Explorers and conquistadores

• Juan Valiente
• Juan Garrido
• Beatriz de Palacios

In entertainment and media

Philanthropists

• Bisila Bokoko

Politicians

• Rita Bosaho
• Basha Changue
• Luc André Diouf
• Ignacio Garriga
• Dolores Johnson Sastre

In sports