The pie charts illustrate the proportions of people from different age groups in the UK who visited Spain in the years 1983 and 2003.
Overall, there was a noticeable decrease in the percentage of young visitors aged 16–24 over the period, while older age groups, particularly those aged 55 and over, saw a significant rise. The 16–24 age group consistently accounted for the highest proportion in 1983, but by 2003, the most dominant age group was those aged 55 and over.
In 1983, the age group 16 to 24 started off with by far the largest percentage of UK visitors to Spain, making up 50% of the total. However, this figure dropped sharply over the next 20 years, falling to just 15% by 2003. This shows that fewer young people in this age group were travelling to Spain over time. At the same time, the 25 to 34 group also saw a decrease, going from 20% in 1983 to 12% in 2003, although the change was not as big.
In contrast, the 55 and over group experienced the biggest increase. In 1983, they accounted for 16% of all visitors, but this number rose significantly to 26% in 2003, making them the largest age group by that time. A similar but smaller rise happened in the 0 to 15 age group, which grew from 10% to 12%, possibly showing more families travelling with children. The 35 to 54 group also saw a clear increase, tripling from just 4% in 1983 to 12% in 2003, showing that more middle-aged people were visiting Spain by the end of the period.