Demographics of Spain
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Spain has 45,200,737 inhabitants according to 2007 census[1]. Its population density, at 87.8/km² (220/sq. mile), is lower than that of most Western European countries. With the exception of the capital, Madrid, the most populated regions lie around the coast. The population of Spain doubled during the twentieth century, but the pattern of growth was extremely uneven due to large-scale internal migration from the rural interior to the industrial cities, a phenomenon which happened later than in other Western European countries. No fewer than eleven of Spain's fifty provinces saw an absolute decline in population over the century. Image:Population densities in Spain (2007).svg
Geographical distribution of the Spanish population in 2007
The last quarter of the century saw a dramatic fall in birth rates. Spain's fertility rate of 1.37 (the number of children the average woman will have during her lifetime) is now one of the lowest in the world. Spain has no official religion. The Spanish Constitution of 1978 abolished the Roman Catholic Church as the official state religion, while recognizing the role it plays in Spanish society. About 80% of the population define themselves as Catholic, but 63% assert they almost never go to any religious service[2]
Immigration and Demographic IssuesImage:COB data Spain.PNG
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The population of Spain doubled during the twentieth century, due to the spectacular demographic boom by the 60's and early 70's. Then, the birth rate plunged by the 80's and Spain's population became stalled, its demographics showing one of the lowest sub replacement fertility rate in the world, only second to Japan's.[citation needed]. Many demographers have linked Spain's very low fertility rate to the country's lack of any real family planning policy. Spain is the Western European country that spends least on family support (a paltry 0.5% of GDP). A graphic illustration of the enormous social gulf between Spain and the rest of Europe in this field is the fact that a Spanish family would need to have 57 children to enjoy the same financial support as a family with 3 children in Luxembourg. In emigration/immigration terms, after centuries of net emigration, Spain, has recently experienced large-scale immigration for the first time in modern history. According to the Spanish government there were 4,145,000 foreign residents in Spain in January 2007. Of these well over half a million were Moroccan while the Ecuadorians figure was around half a million as well. Romanian and Colombian populations amounted to around 300,000 each. There are also a significant number of British (761,000 as of 2006) and German (133,588) citizens, mainly in Alicante, Málaga provinces, Balearic islands and Canary islands. Chinese in Spain are estimated to number between ten and sixty thousand. Immigrants from several sub-Saharan African countries have also settled in Spain as contract workers, although they represent only 4.08% of all the foreign residents in the country. During the early 2000's, the mean year-on-year demographic growth set a new record with its 2003 peak variation of 2.1%, doubling the previous record reached back in the 1960's when a mean year on year growth of 1% was experienced.[3] This trend is far from being reversed at the present moment and, in 2005 alone, the immigrant population of Spain increased by 700 000 people [4]. Allegedly, the growing immigrant population is the main reason for the slight increase in Spain's fertility rate [5]. Metropolitan areasThe most important metropolitan areas in 2005 are: Image:Demografía urbana de España.png
Main metropolitan areas in Spain
Statistical indicatorsPopulation: 45,327,000 (January 2007) Age structure (2000 est.): Population growth rate: 0.13% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 10.79 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 9.72 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) [6] Sex ratio: Infant mortality rate: 4.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: Total fertility rate: 1.37 children born/woman (2006 est.) Nationality: Ethnic Groups: European 92%, non-European groups 8% Religions: Roman Catholic 80.4%, atheistics or agnostics 17.2%, other 2.3% [7]. According to a December 2006 study, 41% of the population described themselves as atheist or agnostic, while 48% believed in a God or supreme being.[8] Languages:
Others with no official status: Literacy: Educational systemAbout 70% of Spain's student population attends public schools or universities. The remainder attend private schools or universities, the great majority of which are operated by the Catholic Church. Compulsory education begins with primary school or general basic education for ages 6-16. It is free in public schools and in many private schools, most of which receive government subsidies. Following graduation, students attend either a secondary school offering a general high school diploma or a school of professional study in all fields — law, sciences, humanities, and medicine — and the superior technical schools offer programs in engineering and architecture. References
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External linksca:Demografia d'Espanya es:Demografía de España fr:Démographie de l'Espagne pt:Demografia da Espanha ru:Население Испании |
