Ageing populations in Spanish villages

THE majority of residents in more than 400 Spanish villages are over 65 years old, and more than 300 localities have no one living there under the age of 20.

In more than 1,100 municipalities there are no children under the age of four, and of these nearly 830 have less than 100 inhabitants.

These are just some of the findings included in the Stratego communication consultancy report ‘The population in Spain: evolution in the 21^st century, current situation and future perspectives’.

In all, 261 of the villages where more than half the residents are senior citizens are in Castilla y Leon and 37 are in Castilla-La Mancha; in one village in the region nine out of 10 of its population are aged 65 or above.

The report also revealed that one in three municipalities in Spain have lost 25 per cent of their population since 2000, despite more than 15 per cent growth in the national population over the same period.

In Asturias and Castilla y Leon regions nearly 90 per cent of municipalities have less residents now than at the beginning of the century. By contrast, nearly 180 localities in Cataluña and more than 110 in Madrid have registered 50 per cent increases in the number of registered residents since 2000.

According to the Stretego repot the number of villages in Spain will less than 100 inhabitants went up from 913 19 years ago to 1,333 by 2018.There are 14 municipalities with less than 10 residents, all in Castilla y Leon, Castilla-La Mancha and La Rioja.