Since the early 1990s, Spanish fertility has been among the lowest in the world, despite a small upturn observed in the last few years (1.35 children per woman in 2006). In this context, and despite a steady increase in life expectancy, population growth is set to level off and become negative in the coming decades. Yet at the same time, thanks to unprecedented economic prosperity, Spain's population has risen by 5 million over the last decade and now exceeds 45 million. This rapid growth, unique in Europe, is almost entirely attributable to immigration: the number of foreigners rose from 200,000 in 1981 to almost 4.5 million in early 2007 In this article, MARTA RoIG VILA and TERESA CASTRO MARTÍN examine the contribution of foreigners' fertility to population growth, both today and in the future. They approach the question by examining differences in fertility behaviour between Spanish women and foreign women, and between foreign women of different origins. After meticulous analysis of all available data, they interpret the observed differences with caution and conclude that a broader range of data is required before more detailed analyses can be attempted.

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life expectancy Spain Eurasia fertility population growth childbearing Europe Southern Europe immigration womens health