According to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (2018) Spain’s population size as of 2018 is 46,659,302.
Of these, 22,882,286 people are male and 23,777,015 female. Projections suggest that by the year 2032/2033 the overall population will rise to 49,016,091. In comparison, according to the Central Statistics Office Ireland (2016), the population as of Census 2016 is 4,761,865. In both countries the sex-ratio shows that there are slightly more women than men within the population. The bell-shaped curve of both populations implies that the majority of the population is between 25 and 55 years old (see Appendix figure XY).7.
2 Life expectation and householdThe life expectancy at birth for males in Spain is 80 years. Considering former decades the trend of an even higher life expectancy is ongoing. The OECD (2018) states that at around 1.3 children per woman, fertility rates in Spain have been amongst the lowest in the OECD for the past two decades.
Increasingly, women and men first want to establish themselves in the labor market before having children. There are three main types of households in Spain: Couple households with and without children, Single parent households and single person households. The biggest contributor are couple households with a little over 60%. (OECD, 2016)7.3 Physical Characteristics and beauty idealsEvolutionary the geographical location and environment has as impact on our skin color.
Due to Spain’s Geographical location and the higher levels of sunshine, Spanish tend to have a higher pigmentation and therefore a slightly darker skin tone as for example the Irish. The same correlation can be seen in the color of the eyes as the darker eye color protects from UV radiation. (Chaplin & Jablonski, 2003)The ideal of the ‘southern beauty’ suggests bronzed smooth skin and silky hair.
For males a toned and fit body is desirable. Culturally it is more accepted for men nowadays to use beauty or cosmetic products and take care of their appearance.According to a report on Men’s Grooming in Spain (2018) there has been a shift in men’s hygiene habits.
There is a destigmatization of men taking care of themselves. Body depilation and fashion trends become more important. The increasing numbers of bloggers and beauty or fashion websites especially for men and men’s grooming support the fact that industry revenues have risen over the past years.
The beauty ideal for the Spanish men now is facial hair and the removal of body hair. Especially young consumers tend to shave their body hair. The Spanish Plastic Surgery Association also recognized an increasing number of plastic surgeries amongst men, such as Botox and other rejuvenating surgeries (Euromonitor, 2018) Internationally, in 2013, men have spent more money on male-specific toiletries than on shaving products. The opportunity further segmentation stands out, especially in developed markets. Anti-aging products, masks and serums appeal more to men now than a few years ago. (Walker, 2014)
