Press release 17/04/2020

Municipal Statistics on Inhabitants. 01/01/2019

263,000 people in the Basque Country live alone and 43% are over the age of 64

Almost 28,000 people aged 85 and over live alone and the majority are women (81.2%)

263,001 people live alone in the Basque Country as of 1 January 2019, 12% of the population, and the vast majority are elderly people, according to Eustat data. Age characterises the vast majority of the population living alone in the Basque Country, 42.8% are aged 65 and over, 112,531 people. This age group represents 22.2% of the total population. If we take into account the population aged 85 and over there are 27,956 living in this situation, 10.6% of the total number of people living alone.

The evolution of this phenomenon in the last 18 years reflects significant growth. In 2001, there were 144,143 people living alone, 7% of the total population, 5 percentage points less than at present. In this period there was a 3.4 % annual growth rate (average accumulated rate) in the number of people living alone. In the case of people aged 65 and over, although the proportion of elderly people living alone in 2001 was slightly higher, 44.3%, the total was 76% down on that of 2019, almost 50,000 fewer people. In addition, the population aged 85 and over has grown threefold, going from 9,351 people living alone in 2001 to 27,956 in 2019.

Women represented nearly three out of every four elderly people living alone, specifically 73.5%, whilst among the total population in this age group women account for 57.6%. This prevalence attains its maximum level in the over 84 age group, with women accounting for 81.2% of the population in this age bracket living alone, almost 23,000 women.

In absolute terms, 40% of the population aged 64 and over living alone resides in the three Basque capitals, a percentage that rises to 41.6% in the case of people aged 85 and over.

Broadly speaking, there was a similar trend on a provincial basis, although the intensity was uneven.

In Álava the population living alone has doubled since 2001 and, compared to the other two provinces, is younger

In Álava the number of people living alone has more than doubled in the past 18 years, specifically, it has increased by 106% to reach 42,908, and is also a younger population in relation to the Basque Country as a whole: 38% are aged over 64, 16,297; 8.9% are aged 85 and over, 3,812 people; below the Basque Country average in both cases. In line with having a much younger population living alone, Álava has a lower percentage of women than the Basque Country average, 69.7%, given that, the higher the age the greater the proportion of women.

However, two municipalities in Álava stand out for having the oldest population living alone in the Basque Country as a whole, in relative terms: Yécora, where 62.1% of people living alone are aged 65 and over and 24.1% are aged over 84 and Moreda de Álava, with 59.3% and 22.2%, respectively. At the opposite extreme are Zalduendo, where only 22.2% of people living alone are aged over 64 and Iruña de Oca, with 22.9%.

In absolute terms, 77.6% of elderly people living alone aged 64 are concentrated in the capital of Álava, with those aged over 84 representing 78.4%, half a point more. These percentages are slightly above (three points and three and a half points) the percentage of the population of Álava that is concentrated in the capital. Elderly people represent 37.9% of the total population of Vitoria living alone.

Standing out among the municipalities in Bizkaia that have the oldest population living alone are large municipalities such as Getxo, Portugalete, Basauri and Sestao

In Bizkaia the population living alone has increased by 70% between 2001 and 2019, to reach 131,456 personas, 51.1% of the Basque Country total. 43.8% of these people are aged over 64 (58,934), one point above what they represent in the Autonomous Region as a whole, and 11.3% are aged over 84, 15,133. As a result of this composition, Bizkaia has a higher proportion of women that the other two provinces, 75% of elderly people aged 64 living alone are women and 81.4% are aged 85 and over.

In contrast to Álava and Gipuzkoa, the municipalities that stand out for having the oldest population living alone in the province are also very large: Portugalete and Getxo with 50.8% and 50.7% of people aged 64 and above over the total of these who live alone, seven percentage points higher than the provincial average. However, for elderly people aged 84, they remain close to the provincial average (11.3%), 14.4% in the case of Portugalete and even slightly below it in Getxo, 11.0%. In contrast, Ereño and Murueta are the municipalities with the youngest population living alone in the province, with only 21% of elderly people aged 64 in both.

In absolute terms, in Bizkaia 35.9% of elderly people living alone aged 64 and 38.5% of those aged 85 and over live in Bilbao. Elderly people aged 65 and over represent 45.2% of the total of those who live alone in Bilbao.

Only 30% of people in the province aged over 64 and living alone are concentrated in San Sebastian, below the other two capitals

In Gipuzkoa the population living alone has grown more than in Bizkaia but below Álava between 2001 and 2019, increasing by 82% to stand at 85,637 people. Of these, 43.6% (37,300 people) are aged 64 and over, eight tenths above the Basque Country average. 10.5% of those who live alone in Gipuzkoa, 9,011 people, are aged over 84, a similar percentage to the Basque Country average. The proportion of women aged over 65 who live alone over the total for that age is 72.9%, reaching 82% in the case of those aged over 84.

In Gipuzkoa, at a municipal level, the pattern seen in Álava is repeated in terms of the size of the municipalities with the oldest population living alone. Appearing in the ranking are Ikaztegieta (56.5%) and Baliarrain (53.8%), both with more than 50% of the population living alone aged 64 and over, although below the average in the case of those aged over 84 (8.7% and 7.7%, respectively). Altzo, with 20.8%, is the municipality in both the province and the Basque Country as a whole with the lowest ratio of the population aged 64 and over.

In Gipuzkoa, only 30.5% of people aged over 64 and living alone and 31.3% of those aged over 84 are concentrated in San Sebastian. In relative terms, people aged 65 and over represent 46.2% of those who live alone in Donostia-San Sebastián.

More data in the following tables:

Elderly people living alone over the total of those living alone in the Basque Country by municipalities (%). 01/01/2019

Population of the Basque Country living alone, by age and sex. 01/01/2019

For further information:

Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Press service: servicioprensa@eustat.es Tel: 945 01 75 62