Spanish Population: Life Expectancy, Evolution, and Structure
Life Expectancy in Spain
Life expectancy represents the number of years a person can expect to live from the moment of birth. Throughout history, life expectancy has increased. In Spain, life expectancy in 1900 was approximately 35 years. Currently, it stands at 78 years for men and 85 for women.
Until recently, this difference was attributed to men’s greater involvement in risky activities, wars, and vulnerability to certain diseases.
Evolution of the Spanish Population
As a result of various factors, the population of Spain has doubled in the last 100 years. This growth has been unevenly distributed across the territory, due to migration from rural to urban areas during the 20th century.
Currently, 4/5 (80%) of the population lives in urban areas, with metropolitan areas becoming increasingly prominent, consisting of a large central city and a set of smaller urban cores. In Catalonia, the growth rate was faster than in Spain as a whole. The Catalan population has multiplied by 3.5 in 100 years, primarily due to immigration rather than vegetative fertility, which is very low. Immigration has occurred in different waves from various areas.
The Structure of the Population
The Pyramids of Ages graphically describe the structure of the population in a particular area. This graphic represents the population classified by age groups and genders.
- 0 – 14 years (Young)
- 15 – 64 years (Adult)
- +65 years (Seniors)
Pyramids show us several things:
- More children are born to girls.
- Women live longer than men.
- Men migrate more than women, which causes a selective increase in population in the host country for men and women in the country.
It shows the demographic history of a population given an entry ticket means a loss of population to epidemic by war, emigration. A departure involves a pronounced increase for population boom demgràfic or imigració. Several types of pyramids:
1. Expansive Pyramid
This type of pyramid has a triangular shape, with a very wide base and a high birth rate. The groups narrow as life progresses and decrease rapidly after age 65. Such pyramids belong to developing countries since they were very young and growing populations.
2. Stationary Pyramid
This type tends to be a rectangle, the base is unstable and close to the low birth rate, the central part and also widens the vertex due to the lengthening of life expectancy. This corresponds to developed countries where the population tends to grow old.
The Aging Population
Index of Aging: Relates the population over 65 years and more than 15 years the lower ab. If the index exceeds the value to 1 means that there are more people 65 and older than under 15.
Index = Population aging over 65 / Population under 15
In Spain, the significant decrease in fertility and birth rates since 1980, coupled with increasing life expectancy, has led to rapid population aging, reflected in a large increase in the population over 65 years.
Distribution of the Population in the Territory
The distribution of a population of more than 46 million inhabitants in the territory is uneven, with densely populated and sparsely populated areas. The causes are factors such as natural proximity to the sea, altitude and relief, natural resources and economic activities, coupled with social, political, and historical factors.
Until the late nineteenth century, geographic natural factors played an important role in population distribution, but since then:
- Industrialization
- The outsourcing of progressive Spanish society have caused a redistribution of the population.
Currently, the most populous cities are centers for job opportunities, services, and culture. In Spain, the population density (inhabitants per occupied space ratio) is quite low and shows significant regional variations. There are 5 areas with a density that can reach very high.