Catalonia’s Population Dynamics and Urban Structure

Posted on Oct 31, 2024 in Geography

1. Population Dynamics

1.1 Overview

Catalonia’s population has experienced continuous, albeit irregular, growth over the past 300 years. Growth in the 18th and 19th centuries was primarily due to vegetative growth (births exceeding deaths). However, the 20th and 21st centuries saw migration become the main driver of population increase.

1.2 Migration Patterns

Three key periods of immigration shaped Catalonia’s 20th-century population growth:

  • 1920-1930: Half a million people arrived from Aragon, Murcia, and Valencia, increasing the population from 2 to 3 million.
  • 1950-1975: 1.5 million people immigrated, mainly from Andalusia, boosting the population from 3 to 6 million.
  • Late 20th Century (1996-Present): Immigrants from Morocco, Latin America, and Eastern Europe (particularly Romania) have contributed to the population’s rise from 6 to over 7 million, with projections estimating it to reach 8 million.

1.3 Vegetative Growth

Since the beginning of the 20th century, Catalonia’s vegetative growth has been low, reaching its lowest point between 1970 and 1999. Several factors contribute to this low growth:

  • Low fertility rates (1.1 to 1.4 children per woman since 1988).
  • Aging population due to high life expectancy and low fertility.
  • Increasing average age of motherhood.
  • Slightly higher mortality rates due to aging.

However, recent years have seen a slight increase in fertility to 1.56, attributed to:

  • Young immigrant population.
  • Increased fecundity in adult females.
  • Generations reaching adulthood who were born between 1970 and 1980.

While Catalonia’s current vegetative growth remains small, it is among the highest in Europe. However, interior regions experience very low or negative growth due to aging populations, while the Barcelona metropolitan area, Tarragona, and Girona show higher growth.

2. Population Structure

2.1 Age and Sex

Population pyramids are used to analyze a population’s composition by age and sex. These pyramids can be expansive (pyramid-shaped), regressive (barrel or onion-shaped, typical of developed countries), or intermediate (characteristic of newly industrialized countries).

In 2001, Catalonia had one of the oldest populations globally, with a low birth rate and high life expectancy. The arrival of over 1 million young immigrants of childbearing age has slowed the aging process. Despite this, Catalonia remains among the world’s oldest populations, alongside other European countries and Japan.

2.2 Sex Ratio

While more boys are born than girls, the sex ratio balances throughout life due to women’s higher life expectancy. In Catalonia, this balance has shifted slightly due to a higher influx of male immigrants.

2.3 Native and Immigrant Populations

Catalonia’s population comprises natives and immigrants. During the 20th century, migration primarily originated from less developed regions of Spain. Current immigration comes from diverse locations, notably the Maghreb (Morocco), Latin America (Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia), and Eastern Europe (Romania). This trend is expected to continue, with family reunification likely to increase as immigrants’ employment situations improve.

3. Settlement Patterns

Population density (inhabitants per km²) is a key concept in understanding settlement patterns. The traditional distinction between urban and rural settlements has become less relevant in developed countries, where land use is more diverse. Areas designated as rural often have urban or industrial uses.

Defining towns and cities involves various criteria:

  • Where inhabitants work.
  • Population concentration and density.
  • Types and density of buildings.
  • Lifestyles.

However, population size is the most commonly used criterion. In Spain, a city is defined as having 10,000 or more inhabitants, though this varies by country.

Rural populations can be:

  • Concentrated: Grouped in a single village (core).
  • Dispersed: Located in isolated dwellings (farmhouses) or small, scattered settlements.

Different types of urban spaces exist:

  • Rururban: Originally rural areas now dedicated to urban and industrial uses (stores, warehouses). These are increasingly common, blurring the lines between rural and urban.
  • Urban area: Where most of the population resides and industrial and tertiary activities dominate.
  • Suburban area: Located outside urban centers, primarily for residential use, often with single-family homes.
  • Peri-urban area: Peripheral areas concentrating services (shopping malls, stadiums), infrastructure, and central markets, serving the urban area.

4. Urbanization in Catalonia

80% of Catalonia’s population lives in cities, concentrated along the coast and around major rivers (Ebro, Llobregat, Besòs, Segre). This concentration stems from industrial development in the 19th and 20th centuries and the growth of the tertiary sector.

Catalonia’s urban network has a hierarchical structure:

  • Barcelona Metropolitan Region: Home to nearly 5 million people, it is the most important area administratively, economically, and for services. It includes the Barcelona region, eastern and western valleys, Maresme, Garraf, and Alt Penedès. It is divided into:
    • Metropolitan area: Barcelona and nearby municipalities (L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Sant Adrià de Besòs, Badalona, and Sant Cugat del Vallès).
    • Outer metropolitan area: Industrial cities like Sabadell, Terrassa, Granollers, Mataró, and Martorell.
  • Cities with regional influence: Reus-Tarragona, Tortosa, Girona, Lleida, and Manresa.
  • County centers: Cities influencing their respective regions (Figueres, Olot, Puigcerdà).
  • Sub-county centers: Influencing nearby towns.

These cities are linked hierarchically. People interact first with their local town, then with the sub-county city, and finally with the metropolitan region. More specialized services are sought in larger cities, while less specialized services are found in smaller towns.

Catalonia’s urban system is integrated within the Spanish and European urban systems. The Barcelona metropolitan region is one of the two major poles in the Spanish urban system. At the European level, it is part of the Mediterranean Arc, a major development axis extending from northern Italy to Murcia.