Population loss in southern Catalonia: lack of opportunities v. family and a sense of belonging
Remote work and tranquility bring people back to Terres de l'Ebre
Terres de l'Ebre, which is made up of southern Catalonia's Baix Ebre, Montsià, Terra Alta, and Ribera d'Ebre counties on the banks of the eponymous river that traverses the Iberian peninsula, has just under 180,000 inhabitants.
With a population density of 54.3 inhabitants per square kilometer – far below the Catalan average of 242.3 or the Barcelona area's 2,014.3 – retaining people has been at the top of the agenda over the past few years.
In order to best understand the factors influencing the region's demographic trends, Tarragona's Rovira i Virgili University has carried out a study with the help of Reus-based sociological research company CERES, the results of which were made public on Monday: most of those who leave do so to find work opportunities, while those who stay tend to do so to be close to family and because of a greater sense of belonging.
These are the main conclusions gathered from an online survey with 715 respondents, of which 495 still live in Terres de l'Ebre and 220 have left.
Reasons for leaving
60% of those who answered the questionnaire said they had left Terres de l'Ebre in search of better jobs, while 36% said they did so to find a more specialized position at work, and 27% said they did so to pursue education not available to them in area.
Most of these people are within the 26 to 35 age group and are highly educated. Meanwhile, people over the age of 50 who have left the region tended to cite a need for improved quality of life or family matters.
Reasons for moving back
Almost half of Terres de l'Ebre residents who have lived somewhere else at some point said they moved back because of family, while 41% said they enjoyed the calm, rural lifestyle and 37% said they did so to find improved living conditions.
People over the age of 50 tend to be those who have never left the territory, while younger people aged frequently cited having finished their studies as a reason for returning, and 26- to 35-year-olds said the quality of life and being able to work online were motivating factors for them.
Highly educated residents are more likely to have moved away at some point and are also likely to cite the area's calm as one of the main reasons for returning.
The study also found that there was a greater sense of belonging amongst inhabitants who stayed in Terres de l'Ebre, despite an awareness of the region's shortcomings.