1 Introducti<strong>on</strong> >2 Demographic Changes in Europe > 3 Demographic Change in Four Policy fields > 4 Summary <strong>and</strong> C<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong>> 5 Further Inquiry <strong>and</strong> Research Questi<strong>on</strong>s > 6 <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> Council <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> European Municipalities <strong>and</strong> Regi<strong>on</strong>s in a nutshellDemographic situati<strong>on</strong> in briefSpain<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> current populati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Spain is about 40.3 milli<strong>on</strong>.<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> median age is some 39.5. Life expectancy is 79.5, 76.2 formen <strong>and</strong> 83.1 for women, <strong>and</strong> thus in the same range as theother countries under study. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> total fertility rate <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 1.28children born per woman is <strong>on</strong>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the lowest in the EU (31) .<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> Spanish populati<strong>on</strong> will decrease by 9.4 milli<strong>on</strong> over thecoming 50 years, according to a report by the United Nati<strong>on</strong>s'populati<strong>on</strong> divisi<strong>on</strong>. This represents a 24% net loss in currentpopulati<strong>on</strong>. In 2050, Spain will be the country with the highestpercentage <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> old people in the world. Currently, the over65 age group makes up 17% <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the Spanish populati<strong>on</strong>.If current trends c<strong>on</strong>tinue, this will rise to 37% by 2050, whichrepresents a total increase <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 117% for this age group bythat year (32) .Spain has also evolved from being an emigrati<strong>on</strong> state intoan immigrati<strong>on</strong> state, most str<strong>on</strong>gly since the beginning <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>the 1990s. Accessi<strong>on</strong> to the EU in 1986 <strong>and</strong> a c<strong>on</strong>sequentec<strong>on</strong>omic growth have made Spain more attractive forre-migrants <strong>and</strong> also for immigrants from Africa,Asia <strong>and</strong> LatinAmerica. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> present proporti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> foreigners in the countryis about 3.2%. At the end <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 2002 immigrants from Africancountries were the biggest group (27.7%), three quarters <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>them originating from Morocco. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>y were followed by peoplefrom Latin America. Main regi<strong>on</strong>s for immigrants to settle areMadrid, Catal<strong>on</strong>ia <strong>and</strong> Andalusia, engendering problems <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>integrati<strong>on</strong>, housing, employment, etc (33) .Interregi<strong>on</strong>al migrati<strong>on</strong> between 1960 to 1973 was veryintense due to the str<strong>on</strong>g ec<strong>on</strong>omic growth with substantialregi<strong>on</strong>al imbalances that prevailed at the time. People left rural<strong>and</strong> poor areas like Andalusia <strong>and</strong> Extremadura for wealthier<strong>and</strong> more industrial z<strong>on</strong>es like Madrid, Catal<strong>on</strong>ia or the BasqueCountry. However, since the early 1980s <strong>and</strong> well into the1990s, net interregi<strong>on</strong>al flows declined substantially despitethe persistence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> regi<strong>on</strong>al differentials <strong>and</strong> sustained highunemployment (34) .Compared to Finl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Germany, <str<strong>on</strong>g>demographic</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>change</str<strong>on</strong>g> inSpain has been influenced by rapid industrialisati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong>modernisati<strong>on</strong> during the transiti<strong>on</strong> from the Franco era to EUmembership.Demography-related nati<strong>on</strong>al policiesRecent developments in family policy (35) in Spain show that thecountry has entered a new era <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> explicit family policy.This was already the case under the former c<strong>on</strong>servative<strong>government</strong> with its family programme (Plan Integral deProtección de la Familia) adopted in 2001 but also with themain oppositi<strong>on</strong> party (Socialist Party), now in power, whichpresented its own programme for the family. After animportant reform <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the fiscal system in 1998, a new incometax reform was adopted in 2002 <strong>and</strong> implemented in 2003.<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> reform has introduced many <str<strong>on</strong>g>change</str<strong>on</strong>g>s relating to families,especially children. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> reform includes a financialcompensati<strong>on</strong> to mothers during the three years followingbirth which is not limited by the level <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> income, together withan increase in tax relief for childcare beginning with thesec<strong>on</strong>d child instead <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the third as before. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> aut<strong>on</strong>omousregi<strong>on</strong>s have also c<strong>on</strong>centrated their new fiscal competence<strong>on</strong> ec<strong>on</strong>omic support for the family.In migrati<strong>on</strong> policy, the Spanish <strong>government</strong> enacted a newregulati<strong>on</strong> in December 2004 <strong>on</strong> the legalisati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> illegalimmigrants in Spain. According to this regulati<strong>on</strong>, migrantsliving illegally in Spain may receive a residence <strong>and</strong> a workpermit if they have lived in Spain for at least <strong>on</strong>e year <strong>and</strong> ifthey have a work c<strong>on</strong>tract for at least six m<strong>on</strong>ths. Migrantswho do not apply for legalisati<strong>on</strong> within this period will haveto apply according to the ordinary procedure to obtain legalpapers for humanitarian reas<strong>on</strong>s (36) .(31) <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> World Factbook, Spain (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publicati<strong>on</strong>s/factbook/geos/sp.html#People).(32) British Medical Journal, Spain faces massive decline in populati<strong>on</strong> (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1117826).(33) Bundeszentrale politische Bildung, Länderpr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>il Spanien (http://www.migrati<strong>on</strong>-info.de/migrati<strong>on</strong>_und_bevoelkerung/artikel/031005.htm).(34) Bover, Olympia; Velilla, Pilar, Migrati<strong>on</strong>s in Spain: Historical Background <strong>and</strong> current trends, December 2001 (http://rt001hfd.eresmas.net/Paper-graf.pdf).(35) Cord<strong>on</strong>, Juan, General M<strong>on</strong>itoring Report 2004 Spain, Families in Spain: Policies, challenges <strong>and</strong> opportunities (http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/eoss/downloads/gm_04_Spain.pdf).(36) european-migrati<strong>on</strong>-law.net, Illegal Immigrati<strong>on</strong> – Spain legalises illegal migrants (http://www.european-migrati<strong>on</strong>-law.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=158).
[3]Demographic Changein Four Policy fields:Social Services, Spatial Planning, Employment /Social Inclusi<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> Local Community Activities3.1 SOCIAL SERVICESRelati<strong>on</strong>ship between social services <strong>and</strong> demographySocial services are affected by <str<strong>on</strong>g>demographic</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>change</str<strong>on</strong>g>s in manyways. Most obvious <strong>and</strong> comprehensible is the <str<strong>on</strong>g>impact</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>demographic</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>change</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> social security systems, mainlythe pensi<strong>on</strong> system but also the nursing care <strong>and</strong> healthinsurance systems. Fewer people are now working <strong>and</strong>financing social insurance systems, while a growing number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>people are dependent <strong>on</strong> the system <strong>and</strong> its benefits. So it isdecisive for the viability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a pensi<strong>on</strong> system how manypensi<strong>on</strong>ers have to be maintained by each ec<strong>on</strong>omically activepers<strong>on</strong> (37) .Not <strong>on</strong>ly the quality <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> social services but also the extent <strong>and</strong>accessibility <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> services are affected by an ageing <strong>and</strong>shrinking populati<strong>on</strong>. Social services include child care, care forthe elderly <strong>and</strong> disabled, as well as health care instituti<strong>on</strong>s <strong>and</strong>educati<strong>on</strong>al services such as schools, which may haveimportant functi<strong>on</strong>s as day care instituti<strong>on</strong>s.<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> ageing <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the populati<strong>on</strong> poses obvious challenges for thecare <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the elderly. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> people needing nursing orhealth care is rising. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> capacity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> care instituti<strong>on</strong>s thereforeneeds to be increased. As far as quality is c<strong>on</strong>cerned, thegrowing percentage <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> very old people (over 80) requiresprogrammes <strong>and</strong> adjusted services <strong>on</strong> a very specific level forthis target group. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>se services will presumably increase inthe years to come.(37) Internati<strong>on</strong>al Labour Organizati<strong>on</strong> (ILO), An inclusive society for an ageing populati<strong>on</strong>: <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> employment <strong>and</strong> social protecti<strong>on</strong> challenge, Paper c<strong>on</strong>tributed by the ILO to the Sec<strong>on</strong>d World Assembly <strong>on</strong>Ageing, Madrid, 8-12 April 2002 (http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/skills/older/publ/index.htm).89