Spain: Economy, Transport, Tourism, and Demographics
Tertiary Sector of the Spanish Economy
The tertiary sector of the economy refers to the process by which the service sector gains prominence over the primary (agriculture, fishing, mining) and secondary (manufacturing) sectors, becoming the leading sector in terms of both employment and contribution to GDP.
Services to Production
Services to production are tertiary activities (design, management, marketing) that support industrial production. Employment in these services can sometimes exceed that of the industrial company itself due to the mechanization of industry.
Transport and Infrastructure in Spain
PEIT (Strategic Infrastructure and Transport Plan)
The PEIT is the Strategic Infrastructure Plan for Transport, which governs Spanish transport policy.
Transport System
The transport system is the set of media that allows the movement of people and goods between specific geographic locations.
Highway (Autopista)
A highway (autopista in Spanish) is a road with high-capacity roadways separated for both directions of traffic and without at-grade crossings. They permit the free movement of a large number of vehicles at high speed (120 km/h in Spain).
Dual carriageway (Autovía)
A dual carriageway (autovía) is a high-capacity road similar to a highway, with separate roadways for the two directions of traffic, but it may lack some of the features of a full highway.
RENFE
RENFE (Spanish National Railways Network) handles over 90% of the highest rail traffic. It allows connection with the fewest number of lines, reducing costs, among other benefits.
Tourism in Spain
Tourism
Tourism is an activity that implies a temporary change of residence and leisure pursuits (cultural, recreational, etc.).
Tour Operator
Tour operators are wholesale companies that integrate all phases of a tourist trip (contracting hotels, transport, etc.).
Tourist Seasonality
Tourist seasonality is the concentration of tourism demand in certain months of the year. In Spain, sun and beach tourism is predominant (summer months).
Trade and Demographics of Spain
Trade Balance
The trade balance is the difference between exports and imports.
Balance of Payments
The balance of payments is a document that includes all transactions (economic exchanges). It records the income and expenditure of a country with the rest of the world, including the trade balance and financial products.
Real Population Growth
Real population growth is obtained by summing the natural growth of the population and the migratory balance. Three stages can be distinguished:
- From the mid-19th to the early 20th century, growth was low due to low natural growth and emigration overseas.
- The period between 1900 and 1975 was characterized by high population growth because of the high natural growth characteristic of the demographic transition.
- Since 1975, the growth of the population has been very low and is mainly due to low natural growth, given the collapse of birth rates and low mortality rates.
Structure of the Spanish Population
Structure by Sex and Age
The structure by sex is the relationship between the number of men and women that make up the population. The age structure is one of the most commonly used indicators to measure the aging index. Spain has an aging population:
- Young people have decreased in percentage due to lower birth rates.
- The percentage of adults varies little between communities.
- The elderly have increased, with the largest proportion in the interior and north of the peninsula.
Causes of the aging population are declining birth rates and increased life expectancy. The consequences of aging affect the future of pensions, health, and social integration. The financing of pensions does not depend on the contributions made by retirees during their working lives but on the activity performed by each active worker at any given time. In terms of health, the elderly consume a greater number of hospital stays, prescriptions, and medical visits. In the social aspect, aging raises the need for residences.