Half a century of Malaga province's demographics: ten more years of life expectancy
The birth rate has halved, mortality rates have remained the same and the average age of the population has risen from 30 to over 43
At this time of year, Spain reflects on its past, taking stock of how society has evolved since the end of Francisco Franco's dictatorship in 1975. Recent data from the national institute of statistics (INE) shows how the country and Malaga province have changed over the past 50 years. From overcoming the threat of a return to authoritarian rule after the 1981 coup attempt, Spain has steadily modernised and strengthened its democracy, becoming a reference point internationally and an example for emerging democracies in Latin America and Eastern Europe.
To begin with, people in Malaga now live longer. In 1975, life expectancy at birth was limited to 71.90 years, on average. According to the latest basic demographic indicators released by the Ine on Wednesday, with data from 2024, average life expectancy at birth reached 83.07 years. Half a century ago, Malaga men had a life expectancy of 68.78 years, while the average for Malaga women was 75 years. Now, both men and women are born with a life expectancy of more than 80 years and more than 85, respectively. More than a decade has been gained in life expectancy at birth.
There is another indicator that measures remaining life expectancy after the age of 65. In 1975, that stood at only 14.21 years, growing to more than 21 years in 2024. Women can expect to live an average of 22.67 years more after the age of 65 (50 years ago, it was only 15.7 years) and for men the figure is 19.44 years, compared with 12.41 years in 1975.
Spanish demographics have evolved in line with rising life expectancy. The country has also quickly aligned itself with the birth rate patterns of more advanced nations, going even further, after spending years as one of the countries with the lowest fertility rates in the world, measured in number of children per woman. Another metric, the crude birth rate, shows something similar. In 1975, there were 20.6 births per thousand inhabitants, a figure that fell to a historic low of 6.57 in 2024. Malaga province sits roughly in the middle of the national ranking: Almeria tops the list with 8.59 births per thousand inhabitants, while Ourense trails at the bottom with a rate of 4.15 per thousand.
Another statistic also published on Wednesday by the INE gives new indications that the birth rate may be bottoming out in the province: in the first nine months of the year, 8,779 babies were born in Malaga, slightly above the 8,653 born at the same time the previous year.
Longer life expectancy, greater longevity and a downward trend in the birth rate have led to an increase in the average age of the Malaga population over the last 50 years. Half a century ago, the average age in the province was barely over 31, whereas now it is 43.26, below the Spanish average of 44.37 years. The youngest in Spain are the people of Almeria (41.16 years), who also have the most generous birth rate. The oldest provinces, however, are Zamora and Ourense, where the average population is over 51 years of age.
The crude mortality rate, i.e. the number of deaths per thousand inhabitants, is more stable than the previous indicators. In 1975, there were 8.33 deaths per thousand inhabitants, compared with 7.73 in 2024. This means that by the end of the dictatorship, Spain had already completed its demographic transition in terms of improved mortality figures. In fact, during the pandemic years (2020, 2021, and 2022), the death rate rose above the levels of 1975. The worst of these was 2021, with 8.63 deaths per thousand inhabitants in the province of Malaga.
From the contrast between the crude birth and death rates, another conclusion can be drawn about the evolution of Malaga's demography over the last 50 years. In 1975, the 20.6 births per thousand inhabitants in the province far outnumbered the 8.33 deaths. In 2024, the 6.57 births compared with 7.73 deaths.
