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Spain, a country of 50 million people with infrastructure for 40 million: ‘The cracks are starting to show’

At the rate at which Spain’s population has grown in recent years, a country of 50 million inhabitants could soon become a reality. The National Institute of Statistics (INE) is expected to reveal this month, in its 2026-2076 population projections, when it believes this milestone will be reached. According to the 2025 census, Spain surpassed 49.1 million inhabitants last year, but data from the Continuous Population Statistics—which combines census data with quarterly estimates—indicate that Spain already had 49,687,120 inhabitants in April.

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© Samuel Sánchez

Crowds of people on Gran Vía in Madrid.
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The reality the Spanish Catholic Church continues to hide: Seven cardinals and 61 bishops implicated in covering up child abusers for decades

EL PAÍS launched an investigation into child sexual abuse by members of the Spanish Church in 2018 and maintains a database updated with all known cases. If you know of a case that has not come to light, you can write to: abusos@elpais.es. If it is a case in Latin America, the email address is: abusosamerica@elpais.es.

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The cover of the music record The letter that Provincial Superior Ramón Alaix wrote to Superior General Peter Hans Kolvenbach, suggesting that a pedophile priest be relocated and given treatment.Brother Marino González with a class at the school of Talavera de la Reina in the late 1970s.

© Vatican Pool (Getty Images)

Pope Leo XIV, flanked by archbishop of Barcelona cardinal Juan José Omella, meets with Spanish seminarians at the Vatican on February 28, 2026.
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