The table compares the age distribution of UK tourists visiting Spainin 1981 and 2015.
Overall, there was a clear shift towards both younger and older travellers over time, while the middle-aged groups declined substantially. Although those aged 25-35 remained the largest group in both years, their dominance weakened considerably, whereas the proportion of visitors aged 55 and above rose markly.
In 1981, the 25-35 age group accounted for exactly half of all visitors, making it by far the dominant segment. This was followed by those aged 36-45 at 22%, while smaller percentages were recorded for people aged 55 and over, at 16%, and children aged 0-15, at 10%. The lowest figure belonged to the 16-24 group, at just 4%.
By 2015, the age profile has become more evenly distributed. Although, the 25-35 group remained the largest, its share fell sharply to 32%. Similarly, the proportion of visitors aged 36-45 declined significantly to 12%. In contrast, both younger and older groups expanded: the percentage of 16 -24-year-olds rose more than threefold to 15%, while the figure for those aged 55 and over increased notably to 25%, making it the second-largest cohort. Meanwhile, the proportion of children saw only a slight rise to 12%.