Andorran demography

Andorra has 76,966 inhabitants and a population density of 170 inhab./km², according to the 2017 census. Due to a restrictive policy of granting nationality, the population of Andorran nationality only constitutes 36.6% of the inhabitants of the country; the rest of the population, even being the majority, does not have political rights.

Nationalities and demographic evolution

According to the 2008 census, 36.6% of the country's population (30,442 inhabitants) is of Andorran nationality, 33.0% (27,476 inhabitants) is of Spanish nationality, 16.2% (13,518 inhab.) is of Portuguese nationality, 6.2% (5,200 inhab.) is of French nationality, and the remaining 7.8% (6,502 inhab.) are of other nationalities.

Andorran nationals are a minority in their country, as they only make up 36.6% of the population. This is due to several factors.

On the one hand, Andorra, located in an isolated area, has always had a low population density. Due to its status as a tax haven, from the 1960s a powerful commercial industry was formed which, together with the development of ski resorts, led to the need for demographic growth, which was given by immigration, mainly from Spain and, to a lesser extent and later, from Portugal. Due to the country's economic boom, this immigration current continues to be important. On the other hand, Andorra has been very restrictive during the XX century when it comes to granting nationality to immigrants and their descendants Therefore, the percentage of nationals has been very low since the 1960s.

According to the extremely restrictive nationality acquisition law in force between 1939 and 1995, only people born in Andorra whose father was Andorran nationality and resident in the country could have Andorran nationality. This rule, apart from being considered discriminatory for women (since the children of Andorran women and foreigners were denied nationality, while the children of Andorrans and foreign women were allowed them to acquire it), caused that from the 1950s the number of non-nationals exceeded those of Andorran nationality.

During the 1980s and early 1990s, the population of Andorran nationality reached its lowest proportions, not exceeding 20% of the population. A regulation from the 1970s created a category of stateless inhabitants, euphemistically classified as nats a Andorra (children of a non-Andorran paternal parent but born in Andorra), whose number around 1990 was close to that of Andorran nationals. Thus, in 1993, 82.3% of the country's population did not have Andorran nationality, therefore they did not have any political rights and were administratively discriminated against.

In 1995, a new law on the acquisition of nationality came into force, also very restrictive, although not to the extremes of the 1939 norm. With this new law, those born in Andorra can acquire nationality if one of their two parents have nationality, were born in the country and have their permanent residence in the country or if one of their parents can justify their main and permanent residence in the country in the eighteen years prior to the birth (reduced to ten years in a modification of law made in 2004). Other people born in Andorra and foreigners who have lived in the country for more than 25 years (20 years since 2004) and pass an "integration exam& can also apply. #34;, where they must demonstrate their knowledge in Catalan and Andorran culture, history, institutions and traditions; in addition, they must lose their previous nationality. As a result, the proportion of citizens with nationality increased in the late 1990s, especially between 1998 and 1999. During the century XXI this percentage has stabilized at around 36%.

The inhabitants of Andorra who do not have Andorran nationality are denied the right to vote and the right to stand in elections. Their participation in unions is also restricted, whose executive bodies must be dominated by Andorrans, even though they are a minority in the world of work. In addition, citizens who do not have Andorran nationality cannot be presidents or own more than 33% of the capital of a company. These limitations on basic rights continue to affect more than 60% of the country's population, which has been criticized for its discriminatory nature and its anachronism.

Births and deaths

Population pyramid of Andorra 2005.

Population by parishes

The largest population center in the Principality is the capital, Andorra la Vella, with 24,574 inhabitants (2008), which represents 29.6% of the Andorran population. The following parishes by population are Escaldes-Engordany (16,474 inhabitants) and Encamp (14,030 inhabitants).

Languages

The official language is Catalan, habitual language of 43.8% of the population. Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the principality, with 32.8% of the population having it as their habitual language. Portuguese is the habitual language of 7.6% of the population and French of 7.1%. However, Spanish is the mother tongue or first language of 35.9% of the population, while Catalan is for 31.4%.

According to a 2018 study by the Language Policy Service of the Government of Andorra, the most common languages in Andorra are:

Education

Three educational systems coexist in Andorra: French, Spanish and Andorran. For the 2004-2005 school year, the French system was followed by 3,650 students, the Spanish by 3,499 and the Andorran by 3,328.

In 1997 the country's university, the University of Andorra, was founded. The only university degrees present are Computer Science and Nursing, although there are collaboration agreements with various Spanish and French universities, which guarantee correct training in all areas of knowledge.

Demographics

Data according to The World Factbook:

Population: 76,875 (2004)

Men: 40.085

Women: 36,790

Ternary age:
0-14 years: 14.82% (5,922 men; 5,476 women)
15-64 years: 73.21% (men 29,628; women 26,661)
Over 65 years: 11.95% (4,535 men; 4,653 women) (2004)
Population growth rate: -0.19% (2000)
Birth rate: 10.58 births/1,000 inhabitants (2004)
Death rate: 3.65 deaths/1,000 inhabitants (2004)
Infant mortality rate: 4.08 deaths/1,000 births (2000)
Life expectancy:
Total: 83.46 years
men: 80.56 years
women: 86.56 years (2000)
Fertility rate: 1.25 births/woman (2000) '
Inhabitants by nationality: Andorran 35.72%, Spanish 37.36%, Portuguese 12.98%, French 6.62%, other 7.29% (2004)
Religion: Catholic (predominant)

See also

• Andorra

References

External links

• Study Service. Ministry of Finance. Statistics of the Principality of Andorra