The foreign residents of Crete who come from countries outside the EU total 32,535, the regional directorate of foreigners and migration said on Friday.

Of these, 12,418 (or 38% of the total) live in Iraklio, the island’s main city; 9,652 (30%) in Chania; 6,225 (19%) in Rethymno; and 4,240 (13%) in Lassithi. All of them are permanent residents of the island with their families and contribute taxes and insurance payments as usual, it said.

The largest segment of the total comprises Albanian nationals (22,025 individuals, or 68% of the total), followed by Russians, Ukrainians, Indians, Georgians, Syrians, Pakistani, Moldavian, Serbs and Chinese. It is noteworthy that of the 1,181 Indian nationals living on Crete, 98% live and work in Rethymno.

Among other data released by the agency, it said that the countries which were represented by a single individual include Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Laos, Mongolia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and Turkmenistan.

In addition, Crete hosts 295 foreign nationals who are investors or owners of real estate, 177 (or 60%) of whom reside in the Chania prefecture.