Depopulation is a problem in rural areas of Spain, particularly in Aragón, and has emerged as a key issue in the electoral campaign for the elections on 8 February. The parties are aware that support from the rural electorate can be decisive. Depopulation manifests itself as a structural challenge, marked by an ageing population, lack of generational change, a negative natural balance, and the concentration of people in Zaragoza. In a region of 1.3 million people, where half reside in the capital and 28% of municipalities have fewer than 100 inhabitants, public services and the scarcity of opportunities generate a flow of migration towards the cities. There are two Spains: one urban and the other interior and depopulated, referred to as Empty Spain. Aragón illustrates this reflection with a population density of less than 29 inhabitants per square kilometre, compared to the national average of 97. Of its 731 municipalities, 543 have fewer than five hundred inhabitants. This challenge is intensified by the vastness of a fragmented territory and the complications of providing services in the localities. Inhabitants of rural areas request the creation of a school, access to healthcare, and a bar where they can interact. A bar is seen as the only option for social interaction in an environment that tends towards solitude.
