Key Demographic Concepts and Indicators in Spain
Key Demographic Concepts and Indicators: Spain
Population Census
Population census: Counting and recording demographic information. It is carried out and published with a fixed schedule, with the purpose of ascertaining the demographic, social, cultural, and economic characteristics of all the population. In Spain, the first census was elaborated in 1857, and since 1900 it has been executed every ten years (since 1981, in years ending in one).
Population Density
Density of population: An expression that relates the population of a territory to its surface area, indicating the average occupancy rate of the territory. It is expressed in people per square kilometer (inhabitants/km2).
Aging of the Population
Aging of the population: This occurs in a country when the proportion of people over 65 years old exceeds 12% of the total population. Its causes include increased life expectancy and declining birth and fertility rates.
Rural Exodus
Rural Exodus: A massive population migration from rural to urban and industrial areas, which leads to the depopulation of the countryside and its demographic aging.
Tourist Infrastructures
Tourist infrastructures: A set of basic public services and works necessary for a modern economy: roads, railways, dams, energy, sanitation, schools, housing, etc. They are usually created by the public sector or state, rather than by the private sector.
Municipal Register (Padrón Municipal)
Padrón municipal: A list of inhabitants of a municipal district, which includes data similar to the census. It is updated every five years. In Spain, since 1996, a continuous *padrón* has been implemented, using computer resources and surveys.
Population Pyramid
Population pyramid: A graph representing the population structure of a territory within a certain time. It is based on a histogram and represents a frequency distribution in the form of a double axis of coordinates. The vertical axis marks the ages, and the horizontal axis shows the numbers of male and female population. Age groups are given at intervals of 5 years and are represented by superimposed bars.
Fertility Rate
Fertility rate: The number of births per 1000 women of childbearing age (statistically between 15 and 49).
Mortality Rate
Mortality Rate: The number of deaths that have occurred in a year and territory, in relation to the total population, per thousand inhabitants. It is considered high if it exceeds 35 per 1000, and low if it is less than 15 per 1000. This is determined by the average age of the population and the degree of hygiene and health standards, but may be increased by wars, epidemics, earthquakes, famines, etc.
Infant Mortality Rate
Infant mortality rate: The number of children who died before the age of one, per thousand births, in relation to the total population of a territory.
Birth Rate
Birth rate: The number of births in a year in a given territory, in relation to the total population, per thousand inhabitants. It is considered high if it exceeds 30 per 1000 and low if it is less than 15 per 1000. It depends on the number of women of childbearing age, social behaviors, and the economic and marital situation.
Marriage Rate
Marriage rate: The ratio between the number of marriages over a period of time and the total population of that period, expressed in per thousand.
Unemployment Rate
Unemployment rate: The ratio between the unemployed population (unemployed active population) and the total active population (employed and unemployed). Unemployment rate = (number of unemployed / labor force) x 100.
Demographic Transition
Demographic transition: A model that explains the evolution of the population and its growth as a result of a modernization process in the patterns of fertility and mortality.
Cultural Tourism: