Charlie Smith
THE number of Brits registered on the Costa del Sol has grown for the first time since before Brexit.
At the end of 2018 there were 47,193 British nationals registered in Malaga province, the first growth since 2013.
That number is an increase of 600, compared to 2017, but total numbers are lower than previous levels.
In 2013 there were 76,931 Britons in Malaga – the highest of any year – while 10 years ago 62,871 Brits were accounted for in the area.
Almeria is the Andalucian province with the second-largest British population, after Malaga, with a total of 15,000.
On March 1 a royal decree was passed giving Brits living in Spain until December 31 2020 to apply for a Foreigner Identity Card, granting them legal status in the country after Brexit.
In 2013, former British Prime Minister David Cameron promised that his Conservative Party would hold an in-out referendum on membership of the EU.
