The Impact of Migrations on Female Generations in Spain in the 20th and 21st Centuries: Generational Diversification and Regional Patterns

Anna Montfort Chipell , Center for Demographic Studies
Andreu Domingo, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Jordi Bayona i Carrasco, Universitat de Barcelona (UB) & Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics (CED)

In the 21st century, Spain has undergone a significant transformation from a traditionally emigrant country to a prominent destination for immigrants. The weight of women in these migratory flows, mainly linked to Global Care Chains, has been one of the characteristics of these international flows. This has led to a growth and diversification of female generations, driven by the combination of native and immigrant women, particularly in the realm of reproductive work. However, when examining the regional context and considering Spain’s migratory history since the early 20th century, a distinct narrative unfolds. Interregional migration in the 1920s and the rural exodus of the 1960s had already categorized regions into either immigrant or emigrant, impacting the composition of the generations by origin with an intensity comparable to the effects of the two international migratory booms in the 21st century. While comparisons between internal migrations in the 20th century and international migrations in the 21st century are not new in Spain’s secularly immigrant regions, they have traditionally been approached exclusively from a labour market demand perspective, lacking a generational or gender-oriented focus. The objectives are to assess the evolution and diversification of female generations in the 20th and 21st centuries due to migratory movements across Spain, and in all provinces; evaluate the disparities between internal and international mobility over the two centuries; and comparatively analyse the main causes and socio-demographic consequences of these female migration flows. The research will leverage census data supplemented by the Labour Force Survey to achieve these objectives.

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 Presented in Session P3. Migration, Economics, Policies, History