Who’s Buying Property on the Costa Blanca?

2025 European Buyer Nationality Breakdown by Region

Eelco Dijkstra, PropertyVisibles – March 2026

At a Glance: 2025 Top Property Buyer Groups by Region

The table below reflects the largest buyer groups by transaction volume across Alicante province. For detailed figures and sourcing, refer to the full data table further in this report.

Region	Top European Buyers by Volume — 2025
North Costa Blanca	Dutch · British · Belgian · German
South Costa Blanca	British · Dutch · Belgian / German · Polish
Central – Alicante City & Elche	Spanish domestic (dominant), then British, Dutch, Belgian, German
Inland Costa Blanca	British · Dutch · Belgian · German

Note: ‘Central’ covers Alicante city and Elche – both year-round urban economies, not resort markets. Their buyer profiles differ significantly from the coastal sub-regions and from each other.

Province-Wide: A Market in Transition

The headline story of 2025 is the rise of Dutch buyers to the top of the Alicante market. With 1,879 transactions in H1 2025 alone – an 18% year-on-year increase – Dutch nationals have overtaken the British to lead province-wide for two consecutive reporting periods. This is best understood as a structural shift, driven in part by Dutch government restrictions on domestic property investment that have pushed investors towards Spain. British buyer volumes reached 1,684 in H1 2025, a decline of 7.3%, reflecting ongoing post-Brexit friction and weaker purchasing power relative to the euro.

Ukrainian buyers have emerged as a significant participant at the premium end of the market, recording high average transaction values despite lower overall volumes. Their activity is expected to remain a sustained feature of the luxury segment.

North Costa Blanca

Jávea • Moraira • Altea • Calpe • Teulada – Top buyers: Dutch, British, Belgian, German

The north is the premium heartland of the Costa Blanca – a market defined by low-density villas, panoramic sea views, and consistently high price points. Moraira has established itself as the leading municipality for transactions above one million euros, with average values of around €1.37 million; Benitachell, Benissa, and Altea operate in the same bracket. The Dénia corridor has a notable concentration of German and Swiss buyers, reflecting long-standing ties to the area.

All four dominant nationalities share a common profile: high budgets, preference for quality over volume, and deep-rooted connections to the region through established communities. This market is sustained by reputation and repeat investment, not advertising.

South Costa Blanca

Torrevieja • Orihuela Costa • Guardamar • Rojales / Ciudad Quesada – Top buyers: British, Dutch, Belgian/German, Polish

The south is the province’s highest-volume market and its most internationally diverse. British buyers retain the largest share across Orihuela Costa, underpinned by decades of community infrastructure. Dutch buyers dominate in Rojales and Ciudad Quesada specifically, which has become one of the most Dutch-concentrated residential areas in Spain. Belgian and German buyers are consistently active throughout across both new-build and resale.

The most significant development in the south is the emergence of Polish buyers as a major force. Now the leading foreign nationality by volume in Torrevieja, operating firmly at the mid-to-upper price segment, any serious analysis of the southern market that omits Polish buyers is working with an incomplete picture.

Central Costa Blanca – Alicante City

Top property buyers: Spanish domestic (dominant), then British, Dutch, Belgian, German

Alicante city is a working provincial capital, the key regional employment and medical hub, education, and primary residences. Spanish domestic buyers are by a considerable margin the largest purchasing group. Among European foreign buyers, British, Dutch, Belgian, and German nationals maintain a consistent presence in the city’s resale market, broadly in line with their province-wide footprint.

Within the city, distinct premium micro-markets have emerged of direct relevance to international investors. The historic Port district and Casco Antiguo built a strong following for short-term rental investment, attracting European buyers drawn to character properties and tourism licence potential. That dynamic has been materially disrupted by Alicante’s two-year moratorium on new tourist rental licences introduced in January 2025, effectively closing this entry point for new investors and redirecting capital toward long-term residential and new-build.

The primary focus of that redirected investment is Playa de San Juan and Vistahermosa, which now account for the majority of new-build development activity in the city. At the upper end, Cabo de las Huertas remains the definitive prestige enclave, with villa values at €5,000 per square metre and above.

Central Costa Blanca – Elche

Elche operates with different dynamics and warrants separate consideration. As a predominantly industrial and commercial city – home to Spain’s footwear manufacturing industry – it generates little of the lifestyle or tourism-driven foreign demand that characterises the rest of the province. The market is overwhelmingly domestic but none the less dynamic.

For well-informed European buyers, Elche presents a genuine opportunity. Entry prices are considerably lower than in Alicante city or the coastal municipalities, infrastructure is strong, and Alicante-Elche international airport is on the doorstep. It represents a credible base for buyers seeking a permanent or semi-permanent residence in the province without paying coastal premiums.

The wider Elche municipal area extends to both coast and countryside, offering a fuller range of lifestyle options. Gran Alacant has matured into a well-established residential community with solid amenities and convenient airport access. Santa Pola, a working fishing town with a beach and marina, retains genuine local character increasingly rare on the Costa Blanca. Valverde and La Hoya offer space, quiet, and value in a rural setting, and are quietly emerging as areas where value-conscious European buyers are establishing a presence. Taken together, the wider Elche area is among the most compelling under-the-radar markets in the province.

Inland Costa Blanca

Aspe • Crevillente • Castalla • Monforte del Cid – Top buyers: British, Dutch, Belgian, German

Inland Alicante has a loyal following among Northern European buyers who prioritise space, authenticity, and value over beach proximity. The four nationalities that lead the coastal markets maintain a consistent presence here, typically purchasing larger rural and semi-rural properties at price points substantially below the coast. The buyer profile is overwhelmingly long-term residents and retirees rather than rental investors, and the market has shown notable stability in both volume and composition in recent years.

Nationality Volumes by Region – Data Table

Transaction data in this table is drawn from H1 2025 (January–June) notarial records, the most granular nationality-level data currently available for Alicante province. Full-year 2025 nationality breakdowns have not yet been published by the Colegio de Registradores or INE. Demand share figures are drawn from Idealista search data (Aug-Oct 2025). Notes on data availability are indicated by superscript references below the table.

Region	Nationality	H1 2025 Transactions	YoY Trend	Demand Share	Notes
North Costa Blanca	Dutch	1,879	↑ +18%	16.5% ¹	Leads all nationalities province-wide
	British	1,684	↓ −7.3%	10.1% ¹	Established communities; Moraira, Jávea
	Belgian	n/a ²	→ Stable	10.0% ³	Strong across north and south
	German	n/a ²	→ Stable	10.6% ¹	Dénia corridor; luxury segment
South Costa Blanca	British	1,684	↓ −7.3%	10.1% ¹	Largest group in Orihuela Costa
	Dutch	1,879	↑ +18%	16.5% ¹	Dominant in Rojales / Ciudad Quesada
	Belgian / German	n/a ²	→ Stable	10.0% / 10.6% ¹³	Active across new-build and resale
	Polish	n/a ²	↑ Strong	Not published	#1 foreign buyer in Torrevieja ⁴
Central — Alicante City & Elche	Spanish domestic	Dominant	—	Majority share	Primary driver; employment/university market
	British	1,684	↓ −7.3%	10.1% ¹	City resale; not city-dominant
	Dutch	1,879	↑ +18%	16.5% ¹	Resale and new-build city market
	Belgian / German	n/a ²	→ Stable	10.0% / 10.6% ¹³	Consistent province-wide presence
Inland Costa Blanca	British	1,684	↓ −7.3%	10.1% ¹	Long-established rural communities
	Dutch	1,879	↑ +18%	16.5% ¹	Growing inland presence
	Belgian	n/a ²	→ Stable	10.0% ³	Value-driven rural purchases
	German	n/a ²	→ Stable	10.6% ¹	Mid-to-upper rural segment

¹ Demand share: Idealista foreign listing views by nationality, Alicante province, August–October 2025. Dutch 16.54%, German 10.63%, British 10.10%. Source: idealista/news, February 2026.
² H1 2025 individual transaction figures for Belgian and German nationals in Alicante province are not published separately in the Notarial Chamber data. The most recent available volume proxies are 2023 full-year figures: Belgian 3,150 and German approx. 2,500–2,800 (Colegio de Registradores / cbsage.com analysis).
³ Belgian demand share: 10.0% of foreign buyers in Alicante province (2024 full-year, Colegio de Registradores, via cbsage.com).
⁴ Polish buyers as leading foreign nationality in Torrevieja: Notarial Chamber of the Valencian Community, H1 2025. Full-year 2024 Polish transactions in Alicante province: 2,850 (Colegio de Registradores).

H1 2025 confirmed figures — Dutch: 1,879 (+18% YoY); British: 1,684 (−7.3%); Irish: 470 (+2.3%); Romanian: 515 (+11.2%); Swedish: 725 (−0.9%). Total foreign H1 2025 transactions: 15,305 (−4.5%). Source: Col·legi de Notaris de la Comunitat Valenciana, reported by Alegria Real Estate, December 2025.

Full-year 2025 total Alicante province transactions: 54,767 — a new all-time record. Source: INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadística), 2025.

Q4 2025 foreign buyer share: 42.91% of all Alicante transactions. Spain national average: 13.52%. Foreign purchases in Q4 2025: 5,672. Source: Colegio de Registradores, February 2026.

Key Takeaways for 2025

Dutch buyers now lead the province – and the gap is widening.

With 1,879 transactions in H1 2025 and an 18% year-on-year increase, this is a structural shift confirmed across two reporting periods. Driven partly by Dutch government tax changes on domestic property investment, this trend shows no sign of reversing. Any market strategy still positioning British buyers as the primary audience is working from an outdated model.

Polish buyers have become a first-tier force in the south.

Now the leading foreign nationality in Torrevieja by volume, and active at mid-to-upper price points across the wider southern market, Polish buyers represent a structural addition to the demand base. Developers and agents not actively engaging this audience are leaving significant business on the table.

Alicante city’s investment dynamic has shifted.

The January 2025 tourist licence moratorium has closed one of the city’s primary investment narratives. Capital previously targeting the Port and Casco Antiguo for short-term rental yield is now being redirected toward long-term residential and new-build in San Juan, Vistahermosa, and the upper-market coastal enclaves.

The wider Elche region is the province’s most undervalued opportunity.

Lower entry prices, strong infrastructure, airport proximity, and an expanding lifestyle offer across Gran Alacant, Santa Pola, Valverde, and La Hoya make the Elche area a market worth serious attention – particularly for buyers seeking long-term capital appreciation ahead of the curve.