Spain runs out of children: there are 80,000 fewer than in 2023
Last population census
The population under 16 years old has decreased by 3.2% since 2021 whereas the population over 64 has increased by 6.6%
In the parks of many neighborhoods and cities in Spain, it is becoming increasingly common to see more dogs than children playing
We have been talking about the declining birth rate in Spain for years, and its effects are beginning to be very evident in the census: Spain is running out of child population. The 2024 census just published by the INE records 79,965 fewer children under 16 than in 2023. And 130,590 fewer than in 2022. And 234,415 fewer than in 2021. In these last three years, the child population has decreased from 7,209,005 people to 6,974,590, representing a 3.2% reduction.
During the same period, the population over 64 years old has grown by 6.6%, going from 9.3 to 9.9 million people. As a result of this evolution, the relative weight of the population over 64 years old now exceeds 20%, while those under 16 years old represent 14%, confirming the progressive aging of the Spanish society.
For various reasons, including, as the latest census figures show, not only a reduction in the child population but also a faster growth in the population aged 64 and over compared to the working-age population. When comparing the 2024 census with the one from 2023, it is observed that there are 373,707 more people aged between 16 and 64. However, this growth of 1.19% (from 31.34 million to 31.71 million) is lower than the 2.5% increase seen in the population aged over 64.
After Spain gained more than half a million inhabitants in just one year, counting 48,619,695 residents as of January 1st. This increase is due to immigration, as the population born in Spain decreased by almost 100,000 people (-0.25%) in the last year, while the foreign-born population increased by 634,028 individuals, nearly 8%. According to data from the INE, 18.2% of the Spanish population was born outside of Spain, and 13.4% retains foreign nationality.
The largest increases in foreigners were recorded in the last year among citizens of Colombia (124,566 more), Peru (47,598), and Venezuela. However, the most numerous foreigners in Spain are Moroccans (920,693 registered), Romanians (620,463), and Colombians (587,477).
18.2% of the Spanish population was born outside of Spain
The Annual Population Census also quantifies the phenomenon of empty Spain. 40% of the Spanish population resides in municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants, while only 3% - less than one and a half million people - live in localities with less than 1,000 inhabitants and barely a sixth in those with between one thousand and 10,000.
In fact, the population only increased or remained in 4,298 of the 8,132 existing municipalities as of January 1st. In the remaining 47%, it decreased. When considering the main cities, the biggest declines were seen in Cádiz, San Fernando, and Getxo, while the ones that grew the most in relative terms were Torrevieja, Arrecife, and Granadilla de Abona.
If we broaden the focus, the provinces that grew the most were Valencia, Madrid, and Alicante, while the ones that lost the most population compared to 2023 were Zamora, Jaén, and León. As for the autonomous communities, all of them gained population in the last year, with the most significant increases in Madrid (137,365), Catalonia (110,268), and Valencia (103,090).