The latest projections from Eustat reveal that Gipuzkoa's future will be shaped by its aging population. It is anticipated that by 2035, the territory will have 15,000 more inhabitants, but the proportion of those over 65 will increase from the current 21.7% to 27%, meaning one in four residents will be elderly.
Driven by a declining birth rate and increasing life expectancy, demographic aging will be significant. Currently, 21.7% of Gipuzkoans are 65 or older; in a decade, this is projected to reach 27%, bringing the total to 210,500 people, an increase from the current 178,900.
Projections indicate that Leintz-Gatzaga will have the highest proportion of elderly residents at 39%. Orexa is expected to see the largest growth in this demographic, rising from 20.2% to 35.8%. Centenarians are projected to increase by 66%, from 300 to 500.
Conversely, Astigarraga and Ordizia stand out for their high representation of children. Astigarraga, in particular, will experience significant population growth and have the largest proportion of adults aged 15-64 (66.3%), becoming a unique case with a younger elderly population.
However, the trend is not uniform across the territory. While Gipuzkoa as a whole is expected to grow by 2.1%, about twenty municipalities are projected to lose population, especially the smaller ones. Beizama is anticipated to become the municipality with the fewest inhabitants.
A notable exception is Belauntza, which will see the highest growth in the territory at 25.5%. Astigarraga will also rank third with a 14.2% increase.
