Lorraine Williamson
Spain is undergoing a major demographic shift. According to the latest data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), the number of people over 65 has now surpassed the number of those under 18 by more than 3.2 million.
Across most of the country, older people form a growing proportion of the population. However, two provinces — Almería and Murcia — remain exceptions to the trend.
Youth majority in Almería and Murcia
Almería and Murcia are the only provinces in Spain where young people make up a larger share of the population than those over 65. In Almería, 18.2% of the population is under 18, compared to 17.3% aged 65 and over. In Murcia, the figures are nearly equal: 18.1% young and 18.0% elderly.
These two provinces stand apart in a country where ageing is becoming the norm. In many other regions, older people now outnumber children and teenagers by a significant margin.
Stark contrasts in other provinces
In contrast, northwestern provinces such as Zamora and Ourense show extreme ageing. In Zamora, 34.1% of residents are 65 or older, while just 10.5% are under 18. In Ourense, 33.5% are elderly compared to only 11% young people.
Other provinces with high percentages of elderly residents include Lugo, León, and Salamanca. In these areas, nearly one in three residents is a pensioner.
Where young people are more common
Beyond Almería and Murcia, a few other provinces report higher-than-average youth populations. These include Toledo, Guadalajara, Seville, Girona, Tarragona, Málaga, and Cádiz, where youth make up between 15.9% and 17.3% of the population.
Still, in none of these provinces do young people outnumber the elderly — making Almería and Murcia unique in this respect.
More centenarians, more responsibility
Spain now counts 26,348 people aged 100 or over. Of these, 81% are women. The growing number of centenarians underlines the importance of long-term planning for elderly care and healthcare systems for Spain’s ageing population.
Long-term implications
The shift in demographics has both social and economic implications. A smaller working-age population may struggle to support the increasing number of pensioners. Regional variations in ageing also pose challenges for public services, especially in rural and inland areas.
Spain’s ageing population will continue to affect policy decisions, particularly in healthcare, pensions, and rural development.
Spanish pensioners better off than their EU peers