Dynamics, Characteristics and Demographic Behaviour of Immigrants in Some South-European Countries

This study firstly attempts to reconstruct the recent migratory history in Italy, Spain, Greece and Portugal starting from the 1990s and up until the early years of the 21st century. The aim is to underscore the rapid increase in the number and share of the foreign population. The analysis of the principal demographic characteristics indicates the specific impact of the phenomena on the total population. By focusing on the two countries with the greatest number of foreigners (Italy and Spain), this paper highlights that the foreign population is highly heterogeneous in terms of nationality and that the main immigrant communities display different demographic features. The analysis of marriages with at least one foreign spouse and of births from at least one foreign parent points to the major role played by the immigrant component with reference to demographic behaviours and to the importance of mixed marriages. A decomposition model for the variation of the Total Fertility Rate is proposed to show the contribution of foreign women to the recent recovery of fertility recorded in Spain and Italy over the last decade. Finally, the heterogeneity of marriage and reproductive behaviours is analysed for the largest nationality groups to show the complexity of ongoing processes.