Demographic and Agrarian Changes in Spain: 1900-1930
1. Demographic Changes
1.1. The Demographic Transition
The demographic transition is a common phenomenon among industrialized countries. This demographic shift was marked first by a decline in the mortality rate and then in the birth rate. The death rate fell from 30.5% to 21.3% per thousand as a result of improved food, hygiene, and urban infrastructure. The reduction of deaths was due to the lower incidence of infectious diseases in Greece and sewer cleaning services, control of drinking water, etc. The average life expectancy in 1900 was 34.8 years; in 1930, it was 50.
The decline in the birth rate began in the second decade of the 20th century and was due to higher levels of urbanization and rationality in family planning. The Hispanic population grew considerably: in 1900, it was 18.5 million; in 1930, it was 23.5 million. However, the modernization of Spain had a demographic challenge compared to other European countries. Only areas such as Catalonia, the north, and the east had rates similar to Europe.
1.2. Migrations
The mobility of the population was very low until 1880 when a major migration overseas began. Thus, from 1900 to 1914, immigration reached an unprecedented maximum in Spain, which subsequently dropped because of the First World War. The causes of this emigration were the lack of economic transformation, improvement of navigation, etc. Most were young men who migrated to Latin America.
Once migration abroad slowed, there was an expansion of internal migrations. Madrid and Barcelona, major industrial centers, and to a lesser extent, other cities, became the poles of attraction for migrants coming from other parts of Spain, such as Murcia, Aragon, and Andalusia.
1.3. Intensified Urbanization
Urbanization began in the second half of the 20th century and, secondly, the weight loss of rural villages. The most notable period of urban growth was between the end of the First World War and the crash of 1929, when much of the population had to be concentrated in larger urban areas.
Big cities like Madrid and Barcelona increased their population dramatically, to over one million inhabitants; their population had increased by 65% since 1900. Some places like Bilbao doubled their inhabitants between 1900 and 1930, while Valencia, Seville, Malaga, and Zaragoza had a similar evolution. Other towns also experienced a population increase.
2. Agrarian Setback and Peasant Unrest
2.1. The Agrarian Crisis
The agrarian crisis spread to Europe at the end of the 19th century. With agriculture of cereals, olive groves, and vineyards in dry land and sheep farming, Spain accused the cereal crisis more strongly than other countries in its surroundings. The cause was the arrival in Europe of products from countries with more competitive farming. As a result, prices were lower than European ones because of very high production and reduced transportation costs.
The reduction in incomes led to falling profits, which led to a decrease in salaries and began a period of peasant unrest that lasted throughout the first third of the 20th century. There was also a crisis that began in France in wine because of the plague of phylloxera, an insect that arrived from America and attacked the vineyards. This caused a rise in wine exports. Around 1879, the plague arrived in Spain, destroying hundreds of thousands of hectares of vineyards. To face this, vineyards were planted with insect-immune American strains.
2.2. The Evolution of Agriculture
The crisis was overcome thanks to new trade barriers and production growth due to new land clearing and intensification, diversification, and specialization of crops. It was also intensified by the use of fertilizers, a decline of fallow land, and the increment of mechanization and irrigation. The agricultural product grew, varying the types of crops and areas. Livestock products also grew.
- The Predominance of Cereal: The main cereal crop had low yields in Spain. Prices were very high; the price of wheat was much higher in Spain than in the UK or the US. The growing urban population was forced to consume food at prices much higher than the international market. Thus, the disposable income to demand manufactured products was lower.
- The Dynamism of Other Agricultural Crops: More dynamic, export-oriented crops included vineyards in Andalusia, Catalonia, and La Rioja; olives in Andalusia; and citrus fruits and vegetables in Valencia, Murcia, and La Rioja. In the Mediterranean area (especially Valencia), agriculture stimulated the development of industrial activities related to chemicals for the field. In the Cantabrian area, it was thanks to cattle breeds, the improvement of production techniques, and the development of railways.