Demographic situation

Population

Spain’s total land area is 505 944 km², with a population density of 92.67 inhabitants/km². The proportion of the population living in urban areas is 81%. 

At present, the ageing of the population is the main challenge faced by the country. Thus, in 2020:

• the population is 47 394 223 inhabitants
• as for the ageing of the population:
  • the average age of the population is 43.58 years
  • the ageing index is 125.75%, which means that, for every 100 minors under the age of 16, there are almost 126 people over the age of 64
  • the dependency ratio is 54.20%, which indicates that, for every 100 potentially active people, there are about 54 potentially inactive people
  • the distribution by age:

Population distribution by age in Spain (percentage) (and according to Autonomous Community)

Source: Drawn up by Eurydice Spain-REDIE (National Institute for Educational Evaluation (INEE), Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MEFP)), based on data from the National Statistics Institute.

The evolution of the population figures since 2000 in Spain shows a decrease of 8 percentage points in the 15-29 age group.

There is a population growth in the age group of 45 and over.

Distribution of the population aged 25-64 by age group and educational attainment level (percentage of people)

Source: Non-University Education Statistics. Subdirectorate General of Statistics and Studies of the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training.

Between 2010 and 2020 the number of people with a higher education attainment level has increased 8.7 percentage points. Increase for people with upper secondary attainment level has been 1.3%. In the meantime, it decreases 10 points for those which are below an Upper Secondary attainment level.

It is remarkable that the percentage of people with a higher education attainment level increases for all age groups, as well as the fact the percentage of people with an attainment level below Upper Secondary decreases.

Foreign population

Regarding migratory flows, between 2000 and 2010, Spain became a host country for immigrants, but, in 2010, the migration balance started to be negative. This situation remained unchanged until 2016. In 2019, there are 5 036 878 foreign nationals living in Spain.

Registered foreign population in Spain according to nationality (region of origin) (and according to Autonomous Community)

Source: Drawn up by Eurydice Spain-REDIE (National Institute for Educational Evaluation (INEE), Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MEFP)), based on data from the National Statistics Institute.

In 2008, the Spanish economy experienced a  period of stagnation followed by recession.  Therefore, the foreign population has  significantly diminished since 2010. In 2020, the percentage of the foreign population was inferior to that of 2010: after having reached 12.22% of the total population in previous years, it has dropped to 11.5%. Even so, it has represented an increase of more than 8 percentage points throughout 20 years.

Most of the foreign population comes from countries, which are members of the European Union (EU) and Africa. Since 2010, population coming from South America and the EU has considerably decreased.

Foreign students by type of educational institution/financing, autonomous community/region and geographical area of nationality

Notes: The number of foreign students in 2020 reaches up to 865 520, which accounts for 10.5% of the total number of students. 

Source: Non-University Education Statistics. Subdirectorate General of Statistics and Studies of the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training.

Almost 80% of foreign students are enrolled in public institutions, the percentage increases up  to 91% for students coming from North Africa. Students coming from Asia (25%) and South  and Central America (in both cases 19%) represent the highest percentage within private subsidized institutions, in comparison with the total of students coming from these areas. Within private institutions the highest percentage is that representing students coming from the EU, followed at quite a distance bythose coming from Asia and South America.

Population migrating abroad

Population migrating abroad (region of destination)

¹With the entry into force of Brexit in January 2020, the EU-27 grouping replaces EU-28, deducting the figures for the United Kingdom from the EU.

Source: Drawn up by Eurydice Spain-REDIE (National Institute for Educational Evaluation (INEE), Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MEFP)), based on data from the National Statistics Institute.

Population migrating abroad has decreased between 2010 and 2020, except for those whose destination has been the United Kingdome, Oceania and North America.

Employment and unemployment

Unemployment, one of the main social problems in Spain, which particularly affects the youngest, appears to be an important factor contributing to the population loss.

Another group that is particularly affected by unemployment is that of people over the age of 45, due to difficulties in re-entering the current labour market.

Employment and unemployment¹ in Spain (and according to Autonomous Community)

¹The Economically Active Population Survey is a sample-based, continuous and quarterly research focusing on families. Its main purpose is obtaining data on workforce and its several categories (employed, unemployed), as well as on population out of the labour force (inactive). The data in the table correspond to the fourth quarter of the indicated years.

Source: Drawn up by Eurydice Spain-REDIE (National Institute for Educational Evaluation (INEE), Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MEFP)), based on data from the National Statistics Institute. based on the Economically Active Population Survey of the National Statistics Institute.

The unemployment rate in 2020 was 16.1%, affecting women (18.3%) more than men (14.1%).

Employment rates of the population aged 25-64 by educational attainment level, age group and time span

Source: Exploitation of the educational variables of the Labour Force Survey. Ministry of Education and Vocational Training.

Employment rate by educational attainment level has improved 3.7 percentage points between 2010 and 2020 for the 25-64 age group. This improvement does not affect every age group; the 25-34 group has the worst results in all levels except below lower secondary education, where all age groups suffer a considerable descent. 

The percentage of employees with Higher Education attainment level is significantly higher than that of those with a lower qualification.

Generally, the higher education level people have, the higher the employment rate there is, which drops substantially at 55-64.

Unemployment rates of the population aged 25-64 by educational attainment level, age group and time span

Source: Exploitation of the educational variables of the Labour Force Survey. Ministry of Education and Vocational Training.

The total unemployment rate has diminished between 2010 and  2020 for the age group of 25-64 (3.8%), most notably in the 35-44 group (4.6%).

Both in 2010 and 2020, the highest unemployment rate can be found in the age group of 25-34 years. Regarding this age group, the difference between the lowest and the highest educational level is 25.9 points in 2010 and 19.8 points in 2020.

As the age increases, the difference between unemployment rates regarding educational levels diminished.

The highest improvement in the unemployment rate between 2010 and 2020 can be found within the age group of 25-34 years with an attainment level below lower secondary, where the rate moves from 39.8% to 34.9%, while the biggest unemployment increase is found in the 55-64 age group with that same education level (from 20.4% to 23.7%). 

The 55-64 age group is the only one, which has experienced a worsening in the unemployment rate for all educational levels considered in isolation, although the total rate diminished for all age groups. 

Young population not in education, employment or training

Youngsters (15-29 years) not in education, employment or training by educational attainment level and time span

Source: Exploitation of the educational variables of the Labour Force Survey/Transition from training to employment. Early leaving from education and training.

Between 2010 and 2020, the rate of the young population that neither studies nor works has risen by 0.6%, although the rate among those with a level below the upper secondary education has fallen by a significant 12.2%. In the group of young people with upper secondary and higher education, the increase was 3.8%.

Languages

Spain is a multilingual country, but, apart from Spanish as the official language, certain Autonomous Communities have a co-official language:

• Catalan is co-official in Cataluña and Illes Balears and Valencian in Comunidad Valenciana
• Basque is co-official in the Basque Country and in some Basque areas of Navarra
• Galician is co-official in Galicia

In 2001, through the ratification instrument of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, issued in Strasbourg on 5th November 1922, Spain declared that the "regional or minority languages are to be endowed with official status by the Autonomy Statutes of the Autonomous Communities of País Vasco, Cataluña, Illes Balears, Galicia, Comunidad Valenciana and Navarra, as well as those other languages that the Autonomy Statutes support and protect in those territories where they are and have been traditionally spoken".

Other official documents establish the co-official status of aranés in Arán (Cataluña) and grant special protection to other regional or minority languages:

• aragonés and catalan of Aragón are granted protection and their development is encouraged
• bable is supported and protected in Principado de Asturias
• gallego is well respected and protected in the western territories of Castilla y León in the provinces of León (El Bierzo) and in Zamora (Sanabria)
• silbo gomero is recognized by the law of Historical Heritage of Canarias as ethnographic heritage whose preservation must be supported on the Isle of Gomera.

Spanish is the vehicular language throughout the country, as well as co-official languages are in those Autonomous Communities with their own language. The Education Law from 2020 establishes that:

• the educational administrations will guarantee the right of students to education in Spanish and in the other co-official languages in their respective territories, in accordance with the Spanish Constitution, the Statutes of Autonomy and applicable regulations
• at the end of basic education, all students must achieve full and equivalent knowledge in the Spanish language and, where appropriate, in the corresponding co-official language.

Religions

According to data from the Centre for Sociological Research, in July 2021, 68.6% of citizens declared to be Catholic, 2.4% believers of other religion, 15.8% agnostic, and 25.5 non-believers, atheist or indifferent.

In Spain, no denomination has an official status, the Spanish Constitution guarantees freedom of ideas, religion and worship for individuals and communities.  

Regarding the teaching of Religion:

• the Agreement on Education and Cultural Affairs signed between the Holy See and the Spanish State addresses all matters relating to the teaching of the Catholic faith
• the Act on the Improvement of the Quality of Education establishes that all schools have to offer the subject of Catholic Religion compulsorily, although the subject is voluntary for students
• the teaching of other religions will be subject to the Cooperation Agreements signed with the Federation of Evangelical Religious Entities of Spain, the Federation of Israelite Communities of Spain, the Islamic Commission of Spain and, when appropriate, to other entities that may subscribe with other religious denominations.