| Notable Spanish Britons: Catherine of Aragon · Michael Portillo · Patricia Medina · Alfred Molina · Natalia Tena · Richard Daniel Roman |
| Total population |
|---|
| Total population of Spanish ancestry Unknown 54,482 Spanish-born (2001 Census)[1] |
| Regions with significant populations |
| West London |
| Languages |
| Religion |
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Predominantly Roman Catholic |
| Related ethnic groups |
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Spaniards in the United Kingdom are citizens of ethnic-Spanish descent. They may be British citizens or non-citizen immigrants.
Contents |
Spaniards have migrated to Britain since the Middle Ages. Spanish and English nobility and royalty intermarried on numerous occasions, being a notable example King Edward I and Eleanor of Castile, parents to King Edward II. In 1501, Catherine of Aragon came to London aged 15. After the early death of her first husband, she became Henry VIII’s first wife. Their daughter, Mary Tudor attempted to re-introduce Catholicism as the state religion during her own reign and married Philip II of Spain. Both women at that time brought the influence of Spanish culture to the royal court.[2]
The 2001 UK Census recorded 54,482 Spanish-born people.[1] 54,105 of these were resident in Great Britain (that is, the UK excluding Northern Ireland).[3] The equivalent figure in the 1991 Census was 38,606.[3] The census tracts with the highest numbers of Spanish-born residents in 2001 were Kensington, Regent's Park and Chelsea, all in west London.[3] The regional spread within Great Britain is given in the table.
| Region | Spanish-born population (2001) |
|---|---|
| East Midlands | 1,824 |
| East of England | 4,439 |
| London | 22,479 |
| North East | 738 |
| North West | 3,465 |
| Scotland | 2,555 |
| South East | 9,786 |
| South West | 3,352 |
| Wales | 1,155 |
| West Midlands | 2,184 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 2,128 |
According to analysis by the Institute for Public Policy Research, 71.22 per cent of recent Spanish immigrants to the UK of working age are employed as opposed to unemployed or inactive (which includes students), compared to 73.49 per cent of British-born people. 15.05 per cent of recent Spanish-born immigrants are low earners, defined as having an income of less than £149.20 per week (compared to 21.08 per cent of British-born people), and 2.15 per cent are high earners, earning more than £750 per week (compared to 6.98 per cent of British-born people). Amongst settled Spanish-born immigrants, 71.48 per cent are employed, with 23.44 per cent being low earners and 7.81 per cent high earners.[4]
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