Human Capital Notes
Human development in Spain: Health
Abstract
In the human development approach health is one of the three fundamental aspects of social progress, along with education and material welfare. This note provides two indicators to measure development in population health: life expectancy at birth and life potential (which incorporates the demographic structure of the population). As shown in this number, life expectancy at birth in Spain has doubled in little more than a century, from 34.9 years in 1900 to 80.8 years in 2007. All regions have made remarkable progress over that period, and life expectancy at birth is currently highest in north central Spain. Cantabrian women demonstrated the greatest longevity in 2007, with a life expectancy at birth of 85.2 years. As a result of all these factors, the population aged 65 and over could represent one third of the Spanish in 2048. The increased longevity of the Spanish population has been accompanied by demographic aging in all regions of the country, leading to a significant fall in life potential throughout the twenty-seven years analyzed. This note includes data on health from the study Human development in Spain: 1980-2007.