Costa Blanca’s age twist: Youngsters down, seniors up

Despite a growing overall population, the ageing trend on the Costa Blanca is becoming more pronounced.

Recent data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) shows that the number of younger people is declining, while the elderly population is rising.

Alicante Province

Over the past year, Alicante Province has seen a decrease of 1,541 children under 15.

As of July 1 this year, there are 267,320 children aged 0 to 14, down from 268,861 last year.

The biggest drop is among those under 5 years old.

Immigration Population

While immigration has increased the overall population, it hasn’t fully offset the ageing trend.

Although there are more young immigrants, many of these children were born in Spain, and Spanish nationality depends on the parents’ nationality.

From July 2023 to July 2024, the number of Spanish children and adolescents in Alicante dropped from 210,952 to 207,276, a decrease of 3,676.

Over 90s

Meanwhile, the population over 90 has grown from 19,425 to 20,588, including both Spanish and foreign nationals.

For perspective, the population of 0 to 4-year-olds has decreased by 0.99 per cent in the past year, while those over 90 have increased by 6.04 per cent.

This shift has been underway for years, dating back to 2008 when birth rates were higher.

The decline in births since then has led to fewer young people today.