Madrid - Spain's vast economic crisis is pushing growing numbers of citizens to leave the country, figures published by the statistics body INE showed Monday.
Nearly 55 000 Spaniards emigrated in the first nine months of this year, 21.6 per cent more than during the corresponding period in 2011.
About 365 000 foreign residents also left Spain.
Nearly 928 000 people emigrated between January 2011 and September 2012. They included about 810 000 foreign nationals.
The crisis has made many immigrants return to their home countries, while Spaniards are seeking better lives elsewhere in Europe, in the Americas, and as far as Asia.
Spain's economy is expected to shrink by about 1.5 per cent this year, while nearly a quarter of the workforce is unemployed. - Sapa-dpa