Spain: Demographic Shifts, Social Change & Social Security
Society and Culture
Demographic Trends
During continuous declining mortality, life expectancy will increase favorably. The birth rate decreased but more slowly, resulting in a relatively high population growth rate. The regime’s policy was to promote fertility. Moreover, the population growth was not equal in all regions; the areas of economic dynamism attracted many immigrants, as was the case in the Basque Country, Catalonia, and Madrid.
Different was the case in provinces that generated emigration:
- Castilla and Extremadura both lost population.
- Andalucia, Aragon, and Galicia had a very small growth.
Social Transformations
In the great social change that Spain experienced from the 50s, the following aspects are prominent:
Growth of Cities
Until the mid-twentieth century, Spain remained largely a campesino country, but thereafter there was a large rural exodus.
While the area was depopulated, the cities grew, and large cities not only received immigrants from rural areas but also absorbed municipalities surrounding them, forming large metropolitan areas. The top five were Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, and Bilbao.
This meant serious problems of housing and urban infrastructure.
Transformation of the Active Population
Economic development entails a diminution of the population employed in the primary sector. There was, however, a sharp increase in manufacturing workplaces because economic development led to demand for new products. There was also an increase in jobs in construction, transport, and trade.
Incorporation of Women into the Labor Force
The Franco regime did not favor women’s emancipation, but social change was noted in this issue. Women increasingly attended high school and university, and the number of women working outside the home also increased, although it was common for women to renounce their use of single names after marriage.
The New Middle Classes
The small middle class was attenuated as a result of economic development. The structure of the middle class also modified. Traditionally, they were made up primarily of small and medium businesses (agricultural, industrial, and commercial), but economic development meant that the new middle classes grew, that is, technical and professional employees who are essential in an economy in the tertiary sector.
The Development of Social Security
The Franco regime was conservative on social issues and abolished the republican reforms but developed its own social policy. This was because the Franco period coincided with the advancement of the welfare state in Europe. Economic development permitted a large increase in social spending, and social policy seemed to be a preventive remedy against revolutionary outbreaks.
Different types of social insurance were introduced in a dispersed manner; the most important was compulsory health insurance. Unemployment insurance was introduced much later.
The basic law of social security integrated all social security into a unitary system that is financed by compulsory contributions from employers and employees and contributions from the State.