The aging Spanish population
Rhythm of life, difficult access to a position that ensures a decent wage, lack of conciliation policies. These are just some of the explanations many couples give when asked why they delay bringing a child into the world. A decision that is wreaking havoc on the population from Spain.
This is reflected in the study carried out by the BBVA Foundation on the population of Spain. A work that indicates that the population Spanish has aged alarmingly and many more births are needed in the coming years to combat these effects on the demographics of this country.
1.6 million fewer young people
The study conducted by the BBVA Foundation is clear: since 2012 the Spanish population has aged at an alarming rate. It is becoming less common to see young people in the demography of this country. Specifically since 2012 Spain has lost a total of 1.6 million people under 24 years of age.
This in turn has caused the Spanish population lose members. In this way, if at the beginning of the last century the average age of an adult in this country was 28 years, it is currently 41 years. A symptom that indicates that in Spain more young people are needed to avoid the problems of demographic aging, which together with the increase in life expectancy means that the pensions of many workers in the medium term are not insured.
More births are needed
Given the aging of the population, the answer that society must give is clear: to bring more children to the world. The Institute of Family Policy figure in 263,000 births per year as necessary for this problem to be resolved in Spain. A practice that would avoid forecasts such as those of the National Institute of Statistics that foresees that by the year 2050, plus 30% of the demography Spanish will be integrated into the third age.
Support from the Government and companies
It is easy to say that more births are needed by Spanish families. However, in many cases couples see the fact of having a child as an impossible mission. In the first place because the salaries among the youngest is not enough to ensure the maintenance of a new life. It's not up to later when a salary is obtained for these purposes.
This ultimately causes couples to have only one child and the decision to bring a second and even a third becomes an impossible task. The second problem comes once the child is in the world because today's conciliation policies make it very difficult to combine a job with the care of a child.
For this reason, entities such as The Family Watch remind parties of the need to reach a Family Pact that makes it easier for women to make the decision to be mothers. In this way, young couples can be encouraged to dare to have a child and help solve the problems arising from the aging of the population.
Damián Montero
- The delay of motherhood
- 55% of women who feel fulfilled are mothers
