Empty Spain. How expats and entrepreneurs are working together to revive rural Spain

TECH-mogul Elon Musk recently chimed in on the ‘Empty Spain’ debate, as he does on most things. 

He’s absolutely right. The rural depopulation issue has left large parts of the rural interior of the country almost unpopulated.

In fact, only 20% of Spain is occupied by the 90% of its population. 

This evacuation, while appealing to many urban tourists and expats who want to escape the crowds in a peaceful environment is not without its problems. 

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Illan de Vacas, a village near Toledo, has only one resident. It has only one resident – living in an abandoned pueblo with no neighbours, no public services, shops or schools. 

It’s a familiar tale – around 3000 Spanish pueblos have been abandoned in recent decades as young people migrate to the cities or coastal resorts to find work. 

Musk’s solution? No investment in these areas to encourage inward investments. No. No. 

In his speech at the World Economic Forum he emphasized that low-density areas have both the land and the sunlight necessary for large solar projects.

What are the solutions that Spain can come up with to its rural depopulation problem? 

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Galera, a town in Granada that has a population of 1,139, successfully appealed for expats to help solve the problem. Now, 3% of them are from other nationalities. 

It started from a clever campaign called ‘Move to Galera’ which promoted the village’s affordable housing, tranquil lifestyle and proximity to nature.

It also highlights the welcoming attitude towards immigrants in the city.

There are other similar schemes to counteract the effects of rural population decline. 

Holapueblo, a national campaign that connects entrepreneurs from abroad with pueblos looking for new residents. 

Investors must fill out an application detailing their plans for launching a business in the interior on the Holapueblo official website.

Led by AlmaNatura and backed by Ikea, between 2021 and 2023 alone some €788 million was invested in 262 rural destinations, much of it with help from the EU’s post-pandemic Next Generation fund, which is expected to close at the end of this year.

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In the past few years, there are hundreds of examples of this. Pueblos such as Paymogo and La Bobadilla have seen a variety of new businesses arrive from hotels to bakeries to bodegas.

Young families (about 50% of total) are often seen relocating to the other side. Some of these families even pay for relocation.

Women run 58% of new businesses, while 67% of them are aged between 35 and 50.

In Castilla-La Mancha’s Almadrones, where the population had plunged to just 50 people, the authorities launched a scheme offering jobs with salaries up to €1,600 per month and allegedly free housing, garnering headlines nationally.

The latest census shows that 67 people are living there.

Financial aid to move inland in Spain was offered by the government since 2022 with €10,800 for individuals under the age of 35 who purchase a property in a town of under 10,000 residents.

To avoid fraud, it is important that the property be the main residence of the buyer for at least five years.

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The project will often provide local contacts and guidance to assist with the search for a property once a participant has been matched with a particular village. 

A family from Argentina settled in Pradena village in Segovia. There, the husband opened a much needed carpentry shop and the woman now teaches music.

A couple decided to move to Villa del Rey, Caceres, to run the bar and shop in the village. They did this to improve their son’s quality of life.

Then there are entrepreneurs like American Jason Lee Beckwith who bought Salto de Castro, on the Portuguese border for €310,000.

The CEO of Rocking Hospitality has plans to turn the village into an exclusive tourist destination, and create 35 jobs locally.

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