19th-Century Spain: Railways and Demographics
Railway Construction in 19th-Century Spain
During the second half of the nineteenth century, Spain, like many other countries, experienced intense activity surrounding railway construction. At the beginning of that period, only the 28 km line from Barcelona to Mataró had opened (in 1848). The Madrid to Aranjuez line followed three years later.
The laws of 1855 to 1877 governed the development of the railways. The first, enacted during the Progressive Biennium, and the second during the Restoration, remained in effect until 1941. The Railways Act of 1855 was a key driver of network development. This Act facilitated the recruitment of foreign capital needed for construction, even at the cost of sacrificing the interests of some sectors of Spanish industry, such as steel. Under this law, concessions would be granted by law, while imposing a state aid program.
Consequences of the Railway Network Design
The network was planned with a radial design, centered on Madrid. This design left peripheral areas of the country unconnected. Furthermore, the low profitability of many lines triggered the financial crisis of 1866. While the railroad was beneficial for the Spanish economy—favoring the mobility of populations and reducing the cost of internal exchanges—the importation of railway materials did not help the development of the nascent iron and steel industry.
Demographic Changes in Spain (18th-20th Centuries)
The beginnings of modern demographics in Spain began to appear during the eighteenth century, fully manifesting during the nineteenth century. This marked a break from the old demographic cycle. The reduction of catastrophic mortality caused sustained population growth and led Spanish society to a regime of demographic transition.
The census of Floridablanca (1787), the first largely reliable count of the Spanish population, was the forerunner of the first modern censuses (conducted periodically since the mid-nineteenth century). These allowed for the accurate study of Spain’s demography.
- 18th Century: Considerable demographic progress.
- Early 19th Century: Growth rate initially decreased due to wars (especially the War of Independence) and political instability, although growth remained at the same rate as the rest of Europe. Increased fertility, slightly decreased mortality (especially catastrophic), and very low emigration due to the independence of the American colonies.
- Second Half of the 19th Century: The Spanish population grew at a much slower pace than Europe, due to a still high mortality and significant emigration flows.
- 20th Century: The population rose sharply from 18,616,630 in 1900 to 40,499,791 in 2001. Mortality declined dramatically in the first 60 years. Although fertility declined throughout the century, vegetative growth was strong and outweighed significant emigration for most of the period 1900-1970. Large internal population movements occurred from economically depressed regions to industrial regions and from the countryside to the city.
- Since the 1980s: The population tended to stabilize due to the low birth rate and aging population.