Torrevieja’s population continues to rise

TORREVIEJA’S status as the Valencian Community’s fifth largest city received a further boost last month.

Within the past year the city’s population has grown by 1,730, to a new high of 105,270 registered inhabitants.

As has been the case for almost two decades, United Kingdom citizens are the largest International group, with 13,185 registered inhabitants, followed by the Germans 4,032, Russians 4,013 and Swedish with 3,107, who top the list of foreign countries in the census of Torrevieja. In January 2011 the number of citizens was 103,540 inhabitants.

According to the statistics of population and development of the Municipal Register of the City, Torrevieja started 2012 with a total of 105,270 registered inhabitants, of which more than half (53.1%) are foreign.

It’s close in the battle of the sexes with the men coming out just on top with 50’6% (53,271) and 49’4% for the ladies (51,999). Torrevieja surpassed the 100,000 mark in July 2007 and despite a cool down in house sales over the past three years, the last five years have accounted for growth of 5,270 people.

Regarding the residents registered in the city of Torrevieja, those of international origin coming after United Kingdom, Germany, Russia and Sweden are Morocco (3,063), Bulgaria (2,576), Romania (2,503), Norway (2,376), Ukraine (2,162), Belgium (1,542), Colombia (1,452), Finland (1,343), Italy (1,182), Ireland (1,047), Ecuador (909), China (846), Lithuania (735), Brazil (652), Poland (642), Netherlands (635), Argentina (631) and France (604).

The City of Salt remains as one of the most multicultural in Spain and percentage wise, on the municipal electoral role, third in terms of foreign residents who are eligible to vote after Madrid and Barcelona.

There are 121 countries represented on the Municipal Register of Torrevieja, no change from 2011. The population statistics reflect an increase in the number of European Union citizens who have decided to take up residence in Torrevieja.

The data also notes that since the year 2008 there is a slight decrease in registered voters of Hispanic origin, mainly from Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, Peru and Chile.

Of the 49,359 Spanish citizens who are registered in the city, all the provinces of Spain are represented, with those born in the province of Alicante the most numerous (21,819), followed by residents of the Madrid Region (6,953).

In terms of population by age, Torrevieja has 4,077 children under the age of five, 8,747 people aged 6 to 15 years; 15,574 citizens aged between 16 and 30 years; 50,160 people aged between 31 and 64; 15,946 people aged 65 to 74 years; 10,191 people aged 75 to 90 years.

There are 575 Inhabitants, 227 who have reached and passed the grand old age of 91 years and another 21, 7 men and 14 women who exceed 99 years of age.

Looking back at the growth of the city of Torrevieja, in 1897 just 7,833 lived in what was a small fishing village, growing to 8,961 in 1910; 1930 it stood at 8,754, with less than 200 more inhabitants residing by1950 with 8,935; in 1960 there were 9,234 and 1970 just 9,726.

After the death of Franco in 1975, more moved to the city and in 1980 Torrevieja had 12,314 residents before real growth started to take place and in 1990 the city had a municipal census of 23,192 residents, passing the 50,189 registered inhabitants mark a decade later, in 2000.

This large increase in population in the 90’s has continued to occur in the first decade of the century, certifying that the city of Torrevieja has become one of the cities of Spain that has experienced the highest population growth since 2000.