Muslims Are Already More Than 8% in Catalonia: Is There Demographic Replacement?

Former CUP deputy Antonio Baños has reopened the debate on demographic replacement with a controversial post on X. He shares a map according to which Muslims are 3% in Spain, still far from 8% in countries like Germany, France, and Austria.

In his message, he refers to Aliança Catalana, whom he calls "fools."

Aliança Catalana denounces the Islamization in Catalonia, but Antonio Baños only refers to the figures of Muslims in Spain. The debate, therefore, forces us to focus on the figures of Muslims in Catalonia.

Then the situation changes.

8.2% of the Population in Catalonia

According to the Islamic Commission of Spain, there are about 617,000 Muslims in Catalonia, representing around 8.2% of the 8 million inhabitants of this community.

Catalonia remains the community with the largest Islamic population in all of Spain. Even more than Andalusia, despite being the main gateway for immigration.

But there is another even more significant fact. Muslims in Catalonia are 27% of all of Spain (one in four), even though Catalonia represents 16% of the total Spanish population.

The majority of Muslims in Catalonia are of Spanish nationality due to the acceleration of naturalizations in recent years. If we look at the origin, the vast majority of Muslims in Catalonia are Moroccans (235,278) followed by Pakistanis (55,771).

Almost 3 Children on Average

There are other aspects to consider, such as the religious aspect: Islam is already the third major religion in Catalonia after Catholics and Evangelicals.

Another factor is birth rate, as the average number of children for Moroccan women is 2.9, while that of the native population barely reaches 1. Proponents of the demographic replacement theory precisely appeal to this. It is not just about the current percentage of Muslims in Catalonia, but also about the different reproduction rates compared to the native population.

Failure of Integration

Returning to the chart shared by Antonio Baños, the percentage of Muslims shows that Catalonia is already at the levels of France (8%) and Austria (8.4%). This brings the Catalan region closer to these countries than to the Spanish reality.

This also implies all the problems derived from immigration, which are becoming evident lately and explain the growth of parties like Aliança Catalana.

An interesting fact is the perception, which in countries like France is far from reality. The French believe that Muslims represent a much higher percentage than they actually do (80% versus 8%). This shows a failure in integration policies and the existence of closed communities.

There is increasing consensus in these societies about the challenges that immigration poses for the near future. The issue allows for debate between different positions but also demands rigor. Only data allows for a real analysis of the situation, and these say that in Catalonia, Muslims are 8% and not 3%.