Population of Spain and the European Union: An Overview

Population of the European Union

Slow Growth and Aging

• The population is experiencing slow growth due to a low birth rate, with death rates exceeding birth rates by over 10%.
• Natural population growth is slow, with an average fertility rate of 1.5 children per woman.

High Percentage of Immigrants

• Germany, France, and traditionally the United Kingdom have been major recipients of immigrants.
• At the beginning of the 21st century, Spain and Italy became priority destination countries.
• Each community has inclusion programs with two goals: language teaching and integration into the core values of the host country.

Uneven Population Density

• The average population density is 114 inhabitants/km².
• Over 1,200 municipalities have a population density of less than 15 inhabitants/km², with Finland at the lower end of the spectrum.

Spanish Population: Evolution and Structure

In January 2005, the Spanish population surpassed 44 million inhabitants, making it the 5th most populous country in the EU.

Birth and Death Rates in Recent Decades

• From the 1970s until the end of the 20th century, the birth rate remained high, peaking between 1957 and 1977 (the Spanish baby boom).
• Currently, Spain has one of the lowest birth rates in the world (10.5%).
• The fertility rate is 1.3 children per woman.
• Mortality has decreased due to medical advances, better nutrition, and improved hygiene.
• As a result, Spain's natural population growth is very weak.

Population Structure

• The population of Spain is aging, with the average age over 40 and an increasing proportion of people over 65.
• In 1900, only 5% of the population was over 65; today it is over 17%, and it is projected to reach 20% by 2020.
• Spain's life expectancy is one of the highest in the world: 77 years for men and 83 years for women.

Migrations in Spain

Internal Migration

• Rural exodus from the countryside to urban areas occurred in the 19th and 20th centuries, intensifying between 1960 and 1975.

External Migration

• External migrations intensified from the late 19th century as people sought to escape poverty.
• Until the first third of the 20th century, emigration was mainly to Central and South America (Argentina and Cuba) and North Africa (Algeria).
• From 1950 onwards, Germany, Switzerland, and France became the preferred economic destinations.
• The global economic crisis of 1973 marked the end of large-scale emigration from Spain, causing a fall in employment and leading many Spaniards to return home.
• Immigration to Spain has increased extraordinarily, particularly from other EU countries.
• Most immigrants come from South America (especially Ecuador) and Morocco.

Spanish Population Distribution

• Over half of the population is concentrated in Andalusia, Catalonia, Madrid, and Valencia.
• Madrid alone accounts for 1/6 of the country's territory.
• Castile and León, Castile-La Mancha, Aragon, and Extremadura are home to only 15% of the population (over half of the country's land area).
• The population density varies greatly across provinces, with Teruel and Soria having less than 10 inhabitants/km² compared to Madrid's 724 inhabitants/km².