Catalonia Population Structure and Demographic Trends

The Population Structure of Catalonia

In 2001, Catalonia was one of the most aged countries in the world after fifteen years of population stagnation and a low birth rate. This has contributed to a prolonged life expectancy in Catalonia, which is ranked fifth in the world after Iceland, Australia, Switzerland, and Japan.

An Aging Population and Life Expectancy

The arrival of over a million immigrants has decreased that aging, although at the moment, the country remains with an aging index greater than 1, which means that there are more elderly than young people. The percentage of the old population places us among the thirteen world countries with the highest proportion of elderly; however, the aging index places us in eleventh place globally due to the low numbers of young people in Catalonia.

Aging is distributed unevenly across the country. The most aged regions are those with fewer than 40,000 inhabitants (Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees, Terra Alta, and Conca de Barberà). The younger districts are located in the coastal and pre-coastal depressions, from Girona to the fields of Tarragona, except for Barcelonès.

Rising Masculinity Index in Catalonia

More boys are born than girls. Throughout life, these figures balance out because women's life expectancy is superior to men's. This results in a slightly higher number of women than men. In the population of Catalonia, there is a slight increase in the masculinity index, probably because there is more male than female immigration.

Diverse Origins and Immigration Patterns

For 80 years, the population of Catalonia has been made up of local residents and a relatively large amount of people who were born elsewhere. The halt of the immigration process previously increased the percentage of the indigenous population, but the start of new immigration waves since 1996 has increased the number of people born outside the country.

The percentage of Catalonia's inhabitants born in other Spanish regions has been declining for over 25 years (representing a fifth of the population). Regarding current immigration, in 2001 it represented only 6% of the total population, but by 2008 it reached 15%. The sites of origin are diverse but predominantly:

• The Maghreb (Morocco)
• Latin America (Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia)
• Eastern Europe
• Other countries: China, Italy, and France.

Many people choose to start the process of family reunification, bringing the whole family to live in Catalonia.