Spanish Population Dynamics: Birth, Mortality, and Growth
Natural Movement of the Spanish Population
The natural movement of the Spanish population is characterized by three distinct stages or regimes: the old demographic regime, the demographic transition, and the current regime. These stages are defined by changes in mortality and fertility rates.
Old Demographic Regime
This regime, prevalent until the early twentieth century, was marked by high birth rates, high mortality rates, and low natural growth. Birth rates were high due to the dominance of the rural economy, where children began working at a young age, were inexpensive to maintain, and provided security for their parents. There were no effective birth control methods, with delayed marriage being the only option.
Mortality was high due to low living standards, poor medical and sanitary conditions, and inadequate diets. Malnutrition was common, and infectious diseases spread easily through air, water, and food. The lack of hygiene and backwardness of medicine exacerbated these issues. Catastrophic mortality events occurred due to epidemics, wars, and poor harvests. Infant mortality was high, both neonatal (first four weeks) and postnatal (between four weeks and one year), due to delivery problems and infections. Overall, life expectancy was low, particularly for infants and mothers, resulting in low natural growth.
The Demographic Transition
This period, between the old demographic regime and the current one (roughly 1900-1975), saw a slight decrease in birth rates and a significant decline in mortality, leading to high natural growth. Birth rates decreased gradually, with a recovery in the 1920s due to economic prosperity. However, they declined again between 1930 and 1956 due to the economic crisis of 1929, the instability of the Second Republic, and the Spanish Civil War. Franco’s pronatalist measures were insufficient to offset the low birth rate. A baby boom occurred between 1956 and 1965 due to economic development, but family size decreased again between 1965 and 1975 as industrial and urban lifestyles became more common, with housing problems.
Mortality declined continuously and sharply, except in 1918 (influenza) and 1939 (Civil War). This decline was due to improved living standards, medical advances, better diets, and sanitation. Malnutrition was largely overcome in the 1960s, and education and cultural levels rose, leading to better prevention. Medical advances, such as vaccines and antibiotics, were particularly significant. Infant mortality decreased due to advances in pediatrics. As a result, natural growth during the transition was high.
Current Demographic Regime
Starting in 1975, this regime is characterized by low birth and mortality rates, resulting in low natural growth. The birth rate has declined since 1975 in two stages:
- 1975-1998: The birth rate fell to 2.1 children per woman in 1981 (the minimum for population replacement) and reached a minimum of 1.24 in 1998. This was due to economic factors, which delayed marriage and thus the woman’s fertile period, and sociocultural changes, such as the removal of the ban on contraception, the reduced influence of religion, the legalization of abortion in certain cases, and the integration of women into the labor market.
- 1998-Present: The birth rate has slightly increased due to immigration, as the Spanish population maintains a Malthusian behavior of voluntary birth restriction.
Mortality remains low but saw a slight increase in 1982 due to an aging population. The causes of death have shifted from infectious diseases to the “3 C’s” (cancer, cardiovascular events, and road accidents). Life expectancy has increased due to medical advances but varies by sex, age, and social status. Women have a higher life expectancy than men. There has been a gain in life expectancy to 70-80 years, and higher social status is associated with higher life expectancy.