Demographics of Spain
Encyclopedia
This article is about the demographic
features of the population
of Spain
, including population density
, ethnicity
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Spain
has 47,150,819 inhabitants according to 1/1/2010 municipal records (Padrón Municipal). Its population density, at 91.4/km² (229/sq. mile), is lower than that of most Western Europe
an countries. With the exception of the capital, Madrid
, the most densely populated areas 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.
The last quarter of the century saw a dramatic fall in birth rates. Spain's fertility rate of 1.47 (the number of children the average woman will have during her lifetime) is lower than the EU average, but has climbed every year since the late 1990s. The birth rate
has climbed in 10 years from 9.10 births per 1000 people per year in 1996 to 10.9 in 2006.
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. 76.7% of the population define themselves as Catholic, 20.0% as non-believers or atheists, and 1.6% other religions. Among believers, 55.3% assert they almost never go to any religious service, by contrast, 17.0% attend one or more masses almost every week.
in the world, only second to Greece
, Portugal
, Hungary
, Ukraine
and Japan
.
Many demographers have linked Spain's very low fertility rate to the country's lack of any real family planning policy. Spain spends the least on family support out all western European countries—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 5,730,667 foreign residents in Spain as of January 2011. Of these, more than 860,000 were Romanian
, and half 760,000 were Moroccan
while the number of Ecuadorians was around 390,000. Colombian
population amounted to around 300,000. There are also a significant number of British (359,076 as of 2011, but more than one million are estimated to live permanently in Spain) and German (195,842) citizens, mainly in Alicante
, Málaga
provinces, Balearic Islands
and Canary Islands
. Chinese number over 166,000. 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 2000s, 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 1960s when a mean year-on-year growth of 1% was experienced. 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.
Allegedly, the growing population of immigrants is the main reason for the slight increase in Spain's fertility rate. From 2002 through 2008 the Spanish population grew by 8%, of which 6% were foreign.
0-14 years:
14.4% (male 3,423,861/female 3,232,028)
15-64 years:
69.1% (male 16,185,5575/female 15,683,433)
65 years and over:
16.5% (male 3,238,301/female 4,394,624) (2008 est.)
at birth:
1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.72 male(s)/female
total population:
0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
total population:
79.65 years
male:
76.32 years
female:
83.2 years (2006 est.)
" (pueblo español) is defined in the 1978 constitution as the political sovereign, i.e. the citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. The same constitution in its preamble speaks of "peoples and nationalities of Spain" (pueblos y nacionalides de España) and their respective cultures, traditions, languages and institutions.
The CIA Factbook (2011) gives a racial description of "composite of Mediterranean
and Nordic types" under "ethnic groups" instead of the usual breakdown of ethnic composition.
This reflects the formation of the modern Kingdom of Spain by the accretion of several independent Iberian
realms, i.e. Asturias
, León
, Galicia
, Castile
, Navarre
, Aragon
, Catalonia, Majorca
, Valencia
, Granada. The individual nationalities or peoples of these lands are the Asturians
, Leonese
, Galicians
, Basques
, Cantabrians
, Castilians
, Aragonese
, Catalans
, and Andalusians
.
The native Canarian
s are the descendants of the population of the Canary Islands
prior to Spanish colonization in the 15th century.
Also included are many Spaniard citizens who are descendents of people from Spain's former colonies, mostly from Equatorial Guinea
, Argentina
, Dominican Republic
, Ecuador
, Peru
, Colombia
, Morocco
and the Philippines
. There is also a sizeable number of Spaniards of Middle Eastern, Eastern European, African and Chinese
origins.
Native-born Spanish citizens of all races and ethnic groups make up 88% of the total population, and 12% are immigrants. Among the immigrants, around 57% of them come from Spain's former colonies in Latin America (including those from Cuba
, Mexico
, Chile
and Uruguay
), Africa and Asia. The rest are mostly Eastern European (especially Romania
ns, Russians
, Serbia
ns, Croatia
ns, Bosnians
, Ukrainians
and Albanians
), North and West Africans (notably Moroccans, Algerians
, Senegalese, Nigerians and Cameroon
ians), Middle Eastern peoples including the Lebanese
and Syrian communities, India
ns, Pakistanis and Chinese, as well as a sizeable number of citizens from the European Union, as of 2007 mostly Romanians, British
, Bulgarians
, Portuguese
, Polish
, and Germans
.
in the country by far. According to a July 2009 study by the Spanish Center of Sociological Research about 70% of Spaniards self-identify as Catholics, 10% other faith, and about 20% identify with no religion
. Most Spaniards do not participate regularly in religious services. This same study shows that of the Spaniards who identify themselves as religious, 58% hardly ever or never go to church, 17% go to church some times a year, 9% some time per month and 15% every Sunday or multiple times per week. But according to a December 2006 study, 48% of the population declared a belief in a supreme being, while 41% described themselves as atheist or agnostic.
Others with no official status:
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
97.9% (2003 est.)
male:
98.7% (2003 est.)
female:
97.2% (2003 est.)
population attends public schools or universities. The remainder attend private schools or universities, some 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.
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
features of the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, including population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
, ethnicity
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
has 47,150,819 inhabitants according to 1/1/2010 municipal records (Padrón Municipal). Its population density, at 91.4/km² (229/sq. mile), is lower than that of most Western Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an countries. With the exception of the capital, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, the most densely populated areas 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.
The last quarter of the century saw a dramatic fall in birth rates. Spain's fertility rate of 1.47 (the number of children the average woman will have during her lifetime) is lower than the EU average, but has climbed every year since the late 1990s. The birth rate
Birth rate
Crude birth rate is the nativity or childbirths per 1,000 people per year . Another word used interchangeably with "birth rate" is "natality". When the crude birth rate is subtracted from the crude death rate, it reveals the rate of natural increase...
has climbed in 10 years from 9.10 births per 1000 people per year in 1996 to 10.9 in 2006.
Spain has no official religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
. The Spanish Constitution of 1978
Spanish Constitution of 1978
-Structure of the State:The Constitution recognizes the existence of nationalities and regions . Preliminary Title As a result, Spain is now composed entirely of 17 Autonomous Communities and two autonomous cities with varying degrees of autonomy, to the extent that, even though the Constitution...
abolished the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
as the official state religion, while recognizing the role it plays in Spanish society. 76.7% of the population define themselves as Catholic, 20.0% as non-believers or atheists, and 1.6% other religions. Among believers, 55.3% assert they almost never go to any religious service, by contrast, 17.0% attend one or more masses almost every week.
Immigration and Demographic Issues
The population of Spain doubled during the twentieth century as a result of the spectacular demographic boom in the 1960s and early 1970s. After that time, the birth rate plunged through the 1980s and Spain's population became stalled, its demographics showing one of the lowest sub replacement fertility ratesSub-replacement fertility
Sub-replacement fertility is a total fertility rate that leads to each new generation being less populous than the previous one in a given area. In developed countries sub-replacement fertility is any rate below approximately 2.1 children born per woman, but the threshold can be as high as 3.4...
in the world, only second to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Many demographers have linked Spain's very low fertility rate to the country's lack of any real family planning policy. Spain spends the least on family support out all western European countries—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 5,730,667 foreign residents in Spain as of January 2011. Of these, more than 860,000 were Romanian
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
, and half 760,000 were Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
while the number of Ecuadorians was around 390,000. Colombian
Colombian people
Colombian people are from a multiethnic Spanish speaking nation in South America called Colombia. Colombians are predominantly Roman Catholic and are a mixture of Europeans, Africans, and Amerindians.-Demography:...
population amounted to around 300,000. There are also a significant number of British (359,076 as of 2011, but more than one million are estimated to live permanently in Spain) and German (195,842) citizens, mainly in Alicante
Alicante (province)
Alicante or Alacant is a province of eastern Spain, in the southern part of the Valencian Community. It is bordered by the provinces of Murcia on the southwest, Albacete on the west, Valencia on the north, and the Mediterranean Sea on the east...
, Málaga
Málaga (province)
The Province of Málaga is located on the southern coast of Spain, in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the South, and by the provinces of Cádiz, Sevilla, Córdoba and Granada.Its area is 7,308 km²...
provinces, Balearic Islands
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
and Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
. Chinese number over 166,000. 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 2000s, 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 1960s when a mean year-on-year growth of 1% was experienced. 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.
Allegedly, the growing population of immigrants is the main reason for the slight increase in Spain's fertility rate. From 2002 through 2008 the Spanish population grew by 8%, of which 6% were foreign.
Vital statistics
Average population (x 1000) | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Crude birth rate (per 1000) | Crude death rate (per 1000) | Natural change (per 1000) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1900 | 18 520 | 627 848 | 536 716 | 91 132 | 33.9 | 29.0 | 4.9 |
1901 | 18 610 | 650 649 | 517 575 | 133 074 | 35.0 | 27.8 | 7.1 |
1902 | 18 720 | 666 687 | 488 289 | 178 398 | 35.6 | 26.1 | 9.6 |
1903 | 18 810 | 685 265 | 470 387 | 214 878 | 36.4 | 25.0 | 11.4 |
1904 | 18 980 | 649 878 | 486 889 | 162 989 | 34.2 | 25.7 | 8.6 |
1905 | 19 110 | 670 651 | 491 369 | 179 282 | 35.1 | 25.7 | 9.4 |
1906 | 19 250 | 650 385 | 499 018 | 151 367 | 33.8 | 25.9 | 7.8 |
1907 | 19 380 | 646 371 | 472 007 | 174 364 | 33.3 | 24.4 | 9.0 |
1908 | 19 530 | 658 008 | 460 946 | 197 062 | 33.7 | 23.6 | 10.1 |
1909 | 19 670 | 650 498 | 466 648 | 183 850 | 33.1 | 23.7 | 9.3 |
1910 | 19 770 | 646 975 | 456 158 | 190 817 | 32.7 | 23.1 | 9.7 |
1911 | 19 950 | 628 443 | 466 525 | 161 918 | 31.5 | 23.4 | 8.1 |
1912 | 20 040 | 637 860 | 426 297 | 211 563 | 31.8 | 21.3 | 10.6 |
1913 | 20 170 | 617 850 | 449 349 | 168 501 | 30.6 | 22.3 | 8.4 |
1914 | 20 310 | 608 207 | 450 340 | 157 867 | 29.9 | 22.2 | 7.8 |
1915 | 20 430 | 631 462 | 452 479 | 178 983 | 30.9 | 22.1 | 8.8 |
1916 | 20 610 | 599 011 | 441 673 | 157 338 | 29.1 | 21.4 | 7.6 |
1917 | 20 740 | 602 139 | 465 722 | 136 417 | 29.0 | 22.5 | 6.6 |
1918 | 20 910 | 612 637 | 695 758 | -83 121 | 29.3 | 33.3 | -4.0 |
1919 | 21 000 | 585 963 | 482 752 | 103 211 | 27.9 | 23.0 | 4.9 |
1920 | 21 130 | 623 339 | 494 540 | 128 799 | 29.5 | 23.4 | 6.1 |
1921 | 21 270 | 648 892 | 455 469 | 193 423 | 30.5 | 21.4 | 9.1 |
1922 | 21 510 | 656 093 | 441 330 | 214 763 | 30.5 | 20.5 | 10.0 |
1923 | 21 740 | 662 576 | 449 683 | 212 893 | 30.5 | 20.7 | 9.8 |
1924 | 21 990 | 653 085 | 430 590 | 222 495 | 29.7 | 19.6 | 10.1 |
1925 | 22 160 | 644 741 | 432 400 | 212 341 | 29.1 | 19.5 | 9.6 |
1926 | 22 400 | 663 401 | 420 838 | 242 563 | 29.6 | 18.8 | 10.8 |
1927 | 22 610 | 636 028 | 419 816 | 216 212 | 28.1 | 18.6 | 9.6 |
1928 | 22 860 | 666 240 | 413 002 | 253 238 | 29.1 | 18.1 | 11.1 |
1929 | 23 120 | 653 668 | 407 486 | 246 182 | 28.3 | 17.6 | 10.7 |
1930 | 23 340 | 660 860 | 394 488 | 266 372 | 28.3 | 16.9 | 11.4 |
1931 | 23 510 | 649 276 | 408 977 | 240 299 | 27.6 | 17.4 | 10.2 |
1932 | 23 897 | 670 670 | 388 900 | 281 770 | 28.3 | 16.5 | 11.8 |
1933 | 24 122 | 667 866 | 394 750 | 273 116 | 27.9 | 16.5 | 11.4 |
1934 | 24 349 | 641 889 | 392 793 | 249 096 | 26.4 | 16.1 | 10.2 |
1935 | 24 578 | 636 725 | 388 757 | 247 968 | 25.9 | 15.8 | 10.1 |
1936 | 24 810 | 617 220 | 417 108 | 200 112 | 24.9 | 16.8 | 8.1 |
1937 | 25 043 | 568 977 | 475 310 | 93 667 | 22.7 | 19.0 | 3.7 |
1938 | 25 279 | 508 726 | 487 546 | 21 180 | 20.1 | 19.3 | 0.8 |
1939 | 25 517 | 422 345 | 472 611 | -50 266 | 16.6 | 18.5 | -2.0 |
1940 | 25 757 | 631 285 | 428 416 | 202 869 | 24.5 | 16.6 | 7.9 |
1941 | 25 999 | 511 157 | 487 748 | 23 409 | 19.7 | 18.8 | 0.9 |
1942 | 26 244 | 530 845 | 387 844 | 143 001 | 20.2 | 14.8 | 5.4 |
1943 | 26 491 | 606 971 | 352 587 | 254 384 | 22.9 | 13.3 | 9.6 |
1944 | 26 620 | 602 091 | 349 114 | 253 796 | 22.6 | 13.1 | 9.5 |
1945 | 26 770 | 621 558 | 330 581 | 290 977 | 23.2 | 12.3 | 10.9 |
1946 | 27 030 | 585 381 | 353 371 | 232 010 | 21.7 | 13.1 | 8.6 |
1947 | 27 150 | 588 732 | 330 341 | 258 391 | 21.7 | 12.2 | 9.5 |
1948 | 27 593 | 642 041 | 305 310 | 336 731 | 23.3 | 11.1 | 12.2 |
1949 | 27 811 | 601 759 | 321 541 | 280 218 | 21.6 | 11.6 | 10.1 |
1950 | 28 009 | 565 378 | 305 934 | 259 444 | 20.2 | 10.9 | 9.3 |
1951 | 28 236 | 567 474 | 327 236 | 240 238 | 20.1 | 11.6 | 8.5 |
1952 | 28 474 | 593 019 | 276 735 | 316 284 | 20.8 | 9.7 | 11.1 |
1953 | 28 713 | 589 188 | 278 522 | 310 666 | 20.5 | 9.7 | 10.8 |
1954 | 28 955 | 577 886 | 264 668 | 313 218 | 20.0 | 9.1 | 10.8 |
1955 | 29 199 | 598 970 | 274 188 | 324 782 | 20.5 | 9.4 | 11.1 |
1956 | 29 445 | 608 121 | 290 410 | 317 711 | 20.7 | 9.9 | 10.8 |
1957 | 29 693 | 646 784 | 293 502 | 353 282 | 21.8 | 9.9 | 11.9 |
1958 | 29 943 | 653 216 | 260 683 | 392 533 | 21.8 | 8.7 | 13.1 |
1959 | 30 195 | 654 474 | 269 591 | 384 883 | 21.7 | 8.9 | 12.7 |
1960 | 30 455 | 663 375 | 268 941 | 394 434 | 21.8 | 8.8 | 13.0 |
1961 | 30 744 | 654 616 | 263 441 | 391 175 | 21.3 | 8.6 | 12.7 |
1962 | 31 067 | 658 816 | 278 575 | 380 241 | 21.2 | 9.0 | 12.2 |
1963 | 31 393 | 671 520 | 282 460 | 389 060 | 21.4 | 9.0 | 12.4 |
1964 | 31 723 | 697 697 | 273 955 | 423 742 | 22.0 | 8.6 | 13.4 |
1965 | 32 056 | 676 361 | 274 271 | 402 090 | 21.1 | 8.6 | 12.5 |
1966 | 32 394 | 669 919 | 276 173 | 393 746 | 20.7 | 8.5 | 12.2 |
1967 | 32 734 | 680 125 | 280 494 | 399 631 | 20.8 | 8.6 | 12.2 |
1968 | 33 079 | 667 311 | 282 628 | 384 683 | 20.2 | 8.5 | 11.6 |
1969 | 33 427 | 666 568 | 303 402 | 363 166 | 19.9 | 9.1 | 10.9 |
1970 | 33 779 | 663 667 | 286 067 | 377 600 | 19.6 | 8.5 | 11.2 |
1971 | 34 216 | 672 092 | 308 516 | 363 576 | 19.7 | 9.0 | 10.6 |
1972 | 34 572 | 672 405 | 285 508 | 386 897 | 19.5 | 8.3 | 11.2 |
1973 | 34 921 | 672 963 | 301 803 | 371 160 | 19.3 | 8.7 | 10.7 |
1974 | 35 288 | 688 711 | 300 403 | 388 308 | 19.6 | 8.5 | 11.0 |
1975 | 35 688 | 669 378 | 298 192 | 371 186 | 18.8 | 8.4 | 10.5 |
1976 | 36 118 | 677 456 | 299 007 | 378 449 | 18.9 | 8.3 | 10.5 |
1977 | 36 564 | 656 357 | 294 324 | 362 033 | 18.1 | 8.1 | 10.0 |
1978 | 36 741 | 636 892 | 296 781 | 340 111 | 17.3 | 8.1 | 9.2 |
1979 | 37 289 | 601 992 | 291 213 | 310 779 | 16.2 | 7.8 | 8.4 |
1980 | 37 527 | 571 018 | 289 344 | 281 674 | 15.2 | 7.7 | 7.5 |
1981 | 37 741 | 533 008 | 293 386 | 239 622 | 14.1 | 7.8 | 6.3 |
1982 | 37 942 | 515 706 | 286 655 | 229 051 | 13.6 | 7.6 | 6.0 |
1983 | 38 122 | 485 352 | 302 569 | 182 783 | 12.7 | 7.9 | 4.8 |
1984 | 38 279 | 473 281 | 299 409 | 173 872 | 12.4 | 7.8 | 4.5 |
1985 | 38 419 | 456 298 | 312 532 | 143 766 | 11.9 | 8.1 | 3.7 |
1986 | 38 536 | 438 750 | 310 413 | 128 337 | 11.4 | 8.1 | 3.3 |
1987 | 38 631 | 426 782 | 310 073 | 116 709 | 11.0 | 8.0 | 3.0 |
1988 | 38 716 | 418 919 | 319 437 | 99 482 | 10.8 | 8.3 | 2.6 |
1989 | 38 792 | 408 434 | 324 796 | 83 638 | 10.5 | 8.4 | 2.2 |
1990 | 38 851 | 401 425 | 333 142 | 68 283 | 10.3 | 8.6 | 1.8 |
1991 | 38 940 | 395 989 | 337 691 | 58 298 | 10.2 | 8.7 | 1.5 |
1992 | 39 068 | 396 747 | 331 515 | 65 232 | 10.2 | 8.5 | 1.7 |
1993 | 39 190 | 385 786 | 339 661 | 46 125 | 9.8 | 8.7 | 1.2 |
1994 | 39 295 | 370 148 | 338 242 | 31 906 | 9.4 | 8.6 | 0.8 |
1995 | 39 387 | 363 469 | 346 227 | 17 242 | 9.2 | 8.8 | 0.4 |
1996 | 39 478 | 362 626 | 351 449 | 11 177 | 9.2 | 8.9 | 0.3 |
1997 | 39 582 | 369 035 | 349 521 | 19 514 | 9.3 | 8.8 | 0.5 |
1998 | 39 721 | 365 193 | 360 511 | 4 682 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 0.1 |
1999 | 39 927 | 380 130 | 371 102 | 9 028 | 9.5 | 9.3 | 0.2 |
2000 | 40 264 | 397 632 | 360 391 | 37 241 | 9.9 | 9.0 | 0.9 |
2001 | 40 721 | 406 380 | 360 131 | 46 249 | 10.0 | 8.8 | 1.1 |
2002 | 41 314 | 418 846 | 368 618 | 50 228 | 10.1 | 8.9 | 1.2 |
2003 | 42 005 | 441 881 | 384 828 | 57 053 | 10.5 | 9.2 | 1.4 |
2004 | 42 692 | 454 591 | 371 934 | 82 657 | 10.6 | 8.7 | 1.9 |
2005 | 43 398 | 466 371 | 387 355 | 79 016 | 10.7 | 8.9 | 1.8 |
2006 | 44 117 | 482 957 | 371 478 | 111 479 | 10.9 | 8.4 | 2.5 |
2007 | 44 879 | 492 527 | 385 361 | 107 166 | 11.0 | 8.6 | 2.4 |
2008 | 45 556 | 518 967 | 385 954 | 133 013 | 11.4 | 8.5 | 2.9 |
2009 | 46 909 | 492 931 | 383 486 | 109 445 | 10.7 | 8.4 | 2.4 |
2010 | 47 203 |
Metropolitan areas
The most important metropolitan areas in 2007 are:- MadridMadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
5,603,285 - BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
4,667,136 - Valencia 1,671,189
- SevilleSevilleSeville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
1,499,673 (INE 2008) - BilbaoBilbaoBilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
950,829 - MálagaMálagaMálaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
897,563 - AsturiasAsturiasThe Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
(GijónGijónGijón , officially Gijón / Xixón, is a coastal industrial city and a municipality in the autonomous community of Asturias in Spain. Early mediaeval texts mention it as "Gigia". It was an important regional Roman city, although the area has been settled since earliest history...
–OviedoOviedoOviedo is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city....
–AvilésAvilésAvilés is a city in Asturias, Spain. Avilés is with Oviedo and Gijón, one of the main towns in the Principality of Asturias.The town occupies the flattest land in the municipality, in a land that belonged to the sea, surrounded by small promontories, all of them having an altitude of less than...
) 857,079 - AlicanteAlicanteAlicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...
–Elche 748,565 - ZaragozaZaragozaZaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
731,803 - VigoVigoVigo is a city and municipality in north-west Spain, in Galicia, situated on the ria of the same name on the Atlantic Ocean.-Population:...
662,412 - Las Palmas de Gran CanariaLas Palmas de Gran CanariaLas Palmas de Gran Canaria commonly known as Las Palmas is the political capital, jointly with Santa Cruz, the most populous city in the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands and the ninth largest city in Spain, with a population of 383,308 in 2010. Nearly half of the people of the island...
616,903 - Bahía de CádizBay of Cádiz (comarca)The Bay of Cádiz is a comarca in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia, southern Spain. It is composed of five municipalities: Cádiz, Chiclana, El Puerto de Santa María, Puerto Réal, and San Fernando.- External links:**...
(CádizCádizCadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
–Jerez de la FronteraJerez de la FronteraJerez de la Frontera is a municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, situated midway between the sea and the mountains. , the city, the largest in the province, had 208,896 inhabitants; it is the fifth largest in Andalusia...
) 615,494 - Santa Cruz de TenerifeSanta Cruz de TenerifeSanta Cruz de Tenerife is the capital , second-most populous city of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands and the 21st largest city in Spain, with a population of 222,417 in 2009...
573,825 - MurciaMurcia-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
563,272 - Palma 474,035
- GranadaGranadaGranada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
472,638 - San Sebastián 402,168
- TarragonaTarragonaTarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona...
406,042 - A CoruñaA CoruñaA Coruña or La Coruña is a city and municipality of Galicia, Spain. It is the second-largest city in the autonomous community and seventeenth overall in the country...
403,007 - ValladolidValladolidValladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
400,400 - SantanderSantander, CantabriaThe port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:...
–TorrelavegaTorrelavegaTorrelavega is a municipality and important industrial and commercial hub in the single province Autonomous Community of Cantabria in northern Spain....
391,480 - CórdobaCórdoba, Spain-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
323,600 - PamplonaPamplonaPamplona is the historial capital city of Navarre, in Spain, and of the former kingdom of Navarre.The city is famous worldwide for the San Fermín festival, from July 6 to 14, in which the running of the bulls is one of the main attractions...
309,631
Islands
Islander population:
|
CIA World Factbook demographic statistics
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.Population
46,525,002 (July 2010 est.)Age structure (2008 est.)
0-14 years:
14.4% (male 3,423,861/female 3,232,028)
15-64 years:
69.1% (male 16,185,5575/female 15,683,433)
65 years and over:
16.5% (male 3,238,301/female 4,394,624) (2008 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth:
1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.72 male(s)/female
total population:
0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population:
79.65 years
male:
76.32 years
female:
83.2 years (2006 est.)
Ethnic groups
Definition of ethnicity or nationality in Spain is fraught politically. The term "Spanish peopleSpanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
" (pueblo español) is defined in the 1978 constitution as the political sovereign, i.e. the citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. The same constitution in its preamble speaks of "peoples and nationalities of Spain" (pueblos y nacionalides de España) and their respective cultures, traditions, languages and institutions.
The CIA Factbook (2011) gives a racial description of "composite of Mediterranean
Mediterranean race
The Mediterranean race was one of the three sub-categories into which the Caucasian race and the people of Europe were divided by anthropologists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, following the publication of William Z. Ripley's book The Races of Europe...
and Nordic types" under "ethnic groups" instead of the usual breakdown of ethnic composition.
This reflects the formation of the modern Kingdom of Spain by the accretion of several independent Iberian
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
realms, i.e. Asturias
Kingdom of Asturias
The Kingdom of Asturias was a Kingdom in the Iberian peninsula founded in 718 by Visigothic nobles under the leadership of Pelagius of Asturias. It was the first Christian political entity established following the collapse of the Visigothic kingdom after Islamic conquest of Hispania...
, León
Kingdom of León
The Kingdom of León was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in AD 910 when the Christian princes of Asturias along the northern coast of the peninsula shifted their capital from Oviedo to the city of León...
, Galicia
Kingdom of Galicia
The Kingdom of Galicia was a political entity located in southwestern Europe, which at its territorial zenith occupied the entire northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Founded by Suebic king Hermeric in the year 409, the Galician capital was established in Braga, being the first kingdom which...
, Castile
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
, Navarre
Kingdom of Navarre
The Kingdom of Navarre , originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, was a European kingdom which occupied lands on either side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean....
, Aragon
Kingdom of Aragon
The Kingdom of Aragon was a medieval and early modern kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon, in Spain...
, Catalonia, Majorca
Kingdom of Majorca
The Kingdom of Majorca was founded by James I of Aragon, also known as James The Conqueror. After the death of his first-born son Alfonso, a will was written in 1262 which created the kingdom in order to cede it to his son James...
, Valencia
Kingdom of Valencia
The Kingdom of Valencia , located in the eastern shore of the Iberian Peninsula, was one of the component realms of the Crown of Aragon. When the Crown of Aragon merged by dynastic union with the Crown of Castile to form the Kingdom of Spain, the Kingdom of Valencia became a component realm of the...
, Granada. The individual nationalities or peoples of these lands are the Asturians
Asturian people
The Asturians are one of the nationalisms of Spain, issuing from the historical country of the Principality of Asturias. They have Celtiberian heritage, related to its historical and cultural links with neighbouring Galicia, as well as Visigothic cultural influences most notably found in the...
, Leonese
Leonese people
The Leoneses are an ethnic group whose homeland is the former Kingdom of León, now region of Leon which was a country in Southwestern Europe, embracing a territory situated in the north-west of Spain and northeast of Portugal. The languages of León are the Leonese language and Spanish in Spain and...
, Galicians
Galician people
The Galicians are an ethnic group, a nationality whose historical homeland is Galicia in north-western Spain. Most Galicians are bilingual, speaking both their historic language, Galician, and Castilian Spanish.-Political and administrative divisions:...
, Basques
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
, Cantabrians
Cantabrian people
The Cantabrians are an ethnic group living in the historical region of Cantabria, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Sometimes they are referred to as "montañeses" in English "Highlander"...
, Castilians
Castilian people
The Castilian people are the inhabitants of those regions in Spain where most people identify themselves as Castilian. They include Castile-La Mancha, Madrid, and the major part of Castile and León. However, not all regions of the medieval Kingdom of Castile think of themselves as Castilian...
, Aragonese
Aragonese people
The Aragonese are an ethnic group or nation living in the historical region of Aragon, between the centre and the north-east of Spain. Their native Aragonese language, which might have been spoken in the whole of the Kingdom of Aragon in the Middle Ages, is nowadays a seriously endangered language,...
, Catalans
Catalan people
The Catalans or Catalonians are the people from, or with origins in, Catalonia that form a historical nationality in Spain. The inhabitants of the adjacent portion of southern France are sometimes included in this definition...
, and Andalusians
Andalusian people
The Andalusians are the people of the southern region in Spain approximated by what is now called Andalusia. They are generally not considered an ethnically distinct people because they lack two of the most important markers of distinctiveness: their own language and an awareness of a presumed...
.
The native Canarian
Canarian people
The Canarians are an ethnic group living in the archipelago of the Canary Islands , near the coast of Western Africa...
s are the descendants of the population of the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
prior to Spanish colonization in the 15th century.
Also included are many Spaniard citizens who are descendents of people from Spain's former colonies, mostly from Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea where the capital Malabo is situated.Annobón is the southernmost island of Equatorial Guinea and is situated just south of the equator. Bioko island is the northernmost point of Equatorial Guinea. Between the two islands and to the...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. There is also a sizeable number of Spaniards of Middle Eastern, Eastern European, African and Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
origins.
Native-born Spanish citizens of all races and ethnic groups make up 88% of the total population, and 12% are immigrants. Among the immigrants, around 57% of them come from Spain's former colonies in Latin America (including those from Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
), Africa and Asia. The rest are mostly Eastern European (especially Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
ns, Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
ns, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
ns, Bosnians
Bosnians
Bosnians are people who reside in, or come from, Bosnia and Herzegovina. By the modern state definition a Bosnian can be anyone who holds citizenship of the state. This includes, but is not limited to, members of the constituent ethnic groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosniaks, Bosnian Serbs and...
, Ukrainians
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
and Albanians
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
), North and West Africans (notably Moroccans, Algerians
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, Senegalese, Nigerians and Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
ians), Middle Eastern peoples including the Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and Syrian communities, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
ns, Pakistanis and Chinese, as well as a sizeable number of citizens from the European Union, as of 2007 mostly Romanians, British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
, Bulgarians
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
, Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
, Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
, and Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
.
Religions
Roman Catholicism is the largest religionReligion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
in the country by far. According to a July 2009 study by the Spanish Center of Sociological Research about 70% of Spaniards self-identify as Catholics, 10% other faith, and about 20% identify with no religion
Irreligion
Irreligion is defined as an absence of religion or an indifference towards religion. Sometimes it may also be defined more narrowly as hostility towards religion. When characterized as hostility to religion, it includes antitheism, anticlericalism and antireligion. When characterized as...
. Most Spaniards do not participate regularly in religious services. This same study shows that of the Spaniards who identify themselves as religious, 58% hardly ever or never go to church, 17% go to church some times a year, 9% some time per month and 15% every Sunday or multiple times per week. But according to a December 2006 study, 48% of the population declared a belief in a supreme being, while 41% described themselves as atheist or agnostic.
Languages
- SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
100% (89% mother tongue ) (official nationwide) - CatalanCatalan languageCatalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
16% (9% mother tongue ) (co-official in CataloniaCataloniaCatalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Balearic IslandsBalearic IslandsThe Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
, and Valencia — see ValencianValencianValencian is the traditional and official name of the Catalan language in the Valencian Community. There are dialectical differences from standard Catalan, and under the Valencian Statute of Autonomy, the Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua has been established as its regulator...
) - GalicianGalician languageGalician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, where it is co-official with Castilian Spanish, as well as in border zones of the neighbouring territories of Asturias and Castile and León.Modern Galician and...
7% (5% mother tongue ) (co-official in Galicia) - BasqueBasque languageBasque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
1.6% (1% mother tongue ) (co-official in Basque CountryBasque Country (autonomous community)The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
and designated areas in NavarreNavarreNavarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
). - Aranese (a variant of Gascon Occitan) is co-official in Val d'AranVal d'AranThe Val d'Aran is a valley in the Pyrenees mountains and a comarca in the northwestern part of the province of Lleida, in Catalonia, northern Spain. Most of the valley constitutes the only part of Spain, and of Catalonia, on the north face of the Pyrenees, hence the only part of Catalonia whose...
, a small valley in the Pyreenes.
Others with no official status:
- Asturian-Leonese (in the former Kingdom of LeónKingdom of LeónThe Kingdom of León was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in AD 910 when the Christian princes of Asturias along the northern coast of the peninsula shifted their capital from Oviedo to the city of León...
and AsturiasAsturiasThe Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
) - AragoneseAragonese languageAragonese is a Romance language now spoken in a number of local varieties by between 10,000 and 30,000 people over the valleys of the Aragón River, Sobrarbe and Ribagorza in Aragon, Spain...
(in the province of HuescaHuesca (province)Huesca , officially Huesca/Uesca, is a province of northeastern Spain, in northern Aragon. The capital is Huesca.Positioned just south of the central Pyrenees, Huesca borders France and the French Departments of Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Hautes-Pyrénées...
, AragonAragonAragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
)
Literacy
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
97.9% (2003 est.)
male:
98.7% (2003 est.)
female:
97.2% (2003 est.)
Educational system
About 70% of Spain's studentStudent
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
population attends public schools or universities. The remainder attend private schools or universities, some 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
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
subsidies
Subsidy
A subsidy is an assistance paid to a business or economic sector. Most subsidies are made by the government to producers or distributors in an industry to prevent the decline of that industry or an increase in the prices of its products or simply to encourage it to hire more labor A subsidy (also...
. 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.
See also
- Health in SpainHealth in SpainHealth care in Spain accounted for 8.4% of GDP in Spain in 2006. It was 2,458 USD in 2006 , compared with an OECD average of 2,824 USD....
- SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
- List of Spaniards
- Nationalities in SpainNationalities in SpainHistorically, the modern country of Spain was formed after the process known as Reconquista.Several independent Christian Kingdoms and political entities mostly independent were formed by their own inhabitants efforts under aristocrat leadership and coexisted with the Muslim Iberian states and had...
- Romani people in Spain
- Ranked list of Spanish autonomous communitiesRanked list of Spanish autonomous communitiesThis article includes several ranked indicators for Spain's autonomous communities.-By area:Spanish autonomous communities by their area.Source: Unknown.-By population:Spanish autonomous communities by their population as of January 1, 2011....