PROPERTY SEARCH
Alicante tops Spain's foreign property charts again with Brits still going strong
The Dutch are closing in on British buyers as Alicante cements its place at the top of Spain's international property market
Alicante province has once again topped the national rankings for international home purchases, with foreign buyers accounting for 42.91% of all property sales there in the fourth quarter of 2025.
That means more than four in every ten homes sold in the province went to an international buyer, a figure that stands out sharply against the national average of 13.52%. Across Spain as a whole, 178,270 sales were recorded in the fourth quarter, up 3.31% year on year, but Alicante's international share remains in a league of its own. The total number of foreign purchases in the province for the quarter came in at 5,672.
Málaga is the only other province that comes close. It recorded 2,831 international transactions over the same period, representing 31.11% of its market. Together, Alicante and Málaga accounted for more than 35% of all foreign property purchases across the whole of Spain during the quarter, confirming their status as the two dominant markets for international buyers.
The contrast with Spain's big cities is striking. Barcelona saw a modest 2.01% year-on-year rise in sales with a slight uptick in its foreign buyer share, but Madrid went in the other direction, with total transactions falling by 8.48% and an international share of just 6.43%. To put that in perspective, Alicante's foreign buyer share is more than six times that of Madrid over the same period.
On the nationalities front, British buyers are still out in front overall but their numbers dropped by 10.74% year on year, though there was a small improvement quarter on quarter. The more interesting story is what's happening with Dutch buyers, who have now firmly established themselves in second place. Dutch nationals completed 1,632 transactions in the fourth quarter, representing 6.77% of all foreign purchases, and recorded growth of 15.22% compared to the previous quarter and 10.50% year on year. They are currently the only major nationality showing growth across both measures.
France and Germany both saw moderate declines, described in the report as part of an adjustment phase after several years of unusually high activity. Poland dropped more sharply, down 11.85% on the quarter and 13.07% year on year, and Russian buyers continued a longer-term retreat with a year-on-year fall of more than 32%.
Within Alicante province itself, the picture is fairly consistent with what's been seen throughout 2025. Industry sources have pointed to the Costa Blanca South, particularly Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa and Guardamar, as the main focus for investment, while the Costa Blanca North, covering areas like Xàbia, Calpe, Altea and Benissa, tends to attract more buyers from northern and central Europe.
With the fourth quarter data now in, Alicante's position at the top of Spain's international property market looks as solid as ever.
Image: Ximonic via Wikimedia Commons
