Hate crimes against religious, disabled and LGBTQI people in Spain

Key rules

• Protected grounds: Religion, beliefs, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and several other grounds are protected under Spanish criminal law.
• Official figures: The Ministry of Interior's yearly hate-crime report is the place for the latest numbers by category.
• Support: Community organisations offer legal advice, psychological support and help filing a complaint.
• Underreporting: Official figures count only reported incidents, so the real total is higher.

Which grounds count as hate crime

Spanish criminal law protects people targeted because of who they are. The grounds include religion or beliefs, ideology, disability, illness, sexual orientation or identity, sex, gender, age, family situation, ethnic group, race, nation or national origin, and racist, antisemitic or anti-Gypsy motives. Aporophobia, meaning hostility towards people because they are poor or socially excluded, is also covered.

The wording differs slightly between the offence of inciting hatred and the rule that makes a bias motive an aggravating factor in other crimes. Both lists cover the communities on this page.

Where to find the latest official figures

The Ministry of Interior publishes a yearly report on hate crimes in Spain, prepared by its national office against hate crimes. It is called the Informe sobre la evolución de los delitos de odio. It counts incidents recorded by national and regional police, and it is the place to get the latest numbers for each category.

Recent reports have recorded roughly 1,800 to 2,000 or more incidents a year. The biggest categories have been racism and xenophobia. Next come sexual orientation and gender identity, then ideology, then disability. Smaller categories include discrimination for reasons of beliefs or religion, antisemitism and aporophobia. The count for each category changes from year to year, so open the newest report on the Ministry of Interior website for exact figures.

Reports to the police are only part of what happens. Many victims never report, so the real number is higher.

Support for religious and antisemitic hate crime

• Federación de Comunidades Judías de España, which runs an antisemitism observatory.
• Unión de Comunidades Islámicas de España.
• Observatorio Andalusí.
• Plataforma Ciudadana contra la Islamofobia.
• Observatorio del Pluralismo Religioso.

Support for disabled victims

• CERMI, the committee representing disabled people in Spain.
• Plena Inclusión, for people with intellectual disabilities.
• ONCE and Fundación ONCE, for people with visual impairment and wider disability support.

Support for LGBTQI victims

• FELGTBI+, the state federation, with a hate-incident helpline and legal services.
• Arcópoli.
• COGAM in Madrid.
• Fundación Triángulo.
• Observatori contra l'Homofobia in Catalonia.

Organisations that help across communities

Movimiento contra la Intolerancia, Fundación Secretariado Gitano, Accem and Cruz Roja help victims of several kinds of bias. Many of these organisations offer legal advice, psychological support and company when you file a complaint. Contact one before you go to the police if you want someone beside you.

The questions and answers below cover the basics.

Frequently asked questions

Which grounds of bias count as a hate crime in Spain?

Spanish criminal law protects a wide list of grounds, including religion or beliefs, disability, illness, sexual orientation or identity, gender, age and ethnic origin. It also covers racist, antisemitic and anti-Gypsy motives, ideology, family situation, and aporophobia, which means hostility towards poor or excluded people. The list was widened by reforms in 2015, 2021 and 2022.

Where can I find the latest official hate-crime figures by category?

The Ministry of Interior publishes a yearly report on hate crimes, produced by its national office against hate crimes. Recent reports have recorded roughly 1,800 to 2,000 or more incidents a year. Racism and xenophobia come first, then sexual orientation and gender identity, ideology and disability, then religion or beliefs, antisemitism and aporophobia. Read the newest report for the exact count in each category.

Which organisations can help a disabled, religious or LGBTQI victim?

Each community has groups that give legal advice, psychological support and company when you file a complaint. For LGBTQI victims, FELGTBI+ runs a hate-incident helpline and legal service. For disability, try CERMI, Plena Inclusión or ONCE. For religion, try the Federación de Comunidades Judías de España, the Unión de Comunidades Islámicas de España or the Observatorio del Pluralismo Religioso.