Are Spaniards Really Living Longer Because of Siestas?

Are Spaniards Really Living Longer Because of Siestas?

Could the Siesta be the reason the Spanish enjoy a longer life?

The siesta is one of the most admired aspects of Spanish daily life that leaves other Europeans somewhat bemused and envious. 

Outside of the fact that there’s nothing stopping Brits, Germans, and Scandinavians from adopting the siesta culture themselves, most cultures have trouble wrapping their heads around the idea of napping for a few hours in the middle of the day. Could it be that the Spanish have been on to something for all these years though?

The truth is that Spaniards work for much longer than most other Europeans, and they’re also living longer than other Europeans; which begs the question of how much of that is because of siestas.

The latest World Happiness Report 2017 ranked nations on a range of metrics to determine happiness. One major one was longevity, which Spain came in second place for after Japan thanks to an 82.8 year life expectancy. 

This is hardly new of course, but researchers have been – albeit correctly – putting this down to the Mediterranean diet. While the diet is partly the reason why, the report believes that the humble siesta could have something to do with it as well.

People have the idea that Spaniards are just sleeping when the shops close between 2 and 5PM, but the reality is that this is how they organise their working shifts. If you work continuously with just half an hour for your lunch then you’re bound to eat a quick takeaway or some fast food. If you’re allowed to stop working for a few hours then you are more likely to go home or to a restaurant where you can relax and enjoy several courses and have the time needed to let it digest. That’s much healthier than any takeaway.

It’s not necessarily getting to sleep, but getting to relax and socialise during the day that may be giving Spaniards better longevity. The report also argued that the higher density of Spanish towns and cities mean Spaniards spend longer on their feet and walk much more during their day than other nationalities.

Spaniards Return Home for Property and Jobs

Spaniards Return Home for Property and Jobs

The Spanish revival continues with spain being

the best place to live in Europe  

The Spanish population is growing for the first time since 2011, increasing to 46.58 million at the start of 2017, according to the latest data from the Institute of National Statistics (INE).

The reason for the boost is three-fold; an increase in new births, a rise in expats and immigration and – perhaps most significantly – Spaniards returning home after leaving during the tough years of the recession, coming back to enjoy the strengthening Spanish economy.

The increase in new births is a clear signal that the youth of Spain are becoming more confident in their own financial situations, while it’s expected that immigration will rise as the economy grows.

But the biggest impact is coming from the amount of Spaniards returning home. IT’s estimated that over 50,000 Spaniards came back to the country between the first of January in 2016 and 2017. With them comes plenty of positives for the property and job markets of the country.

In the 12 months between the start of 2016 and 2017 for example, the population of the country grew by 89,000. However, there were 375,000 new jobs created in this time period, meaning that with 18.8 million people working in Spain the figuree is the highest it’s been in seven years.

Another important fact is that the employment boom is being seen in more stable industries than before – in the times when the credit bubble burst and destroyed the economy. The increase in jobs across 2017 is being seen in several industries including agriculture, construction, and hospitality. There has also been an increase in the demand for skilled workers.

Changes in Spanish population have typically correlated with changes to GDP since 2008, when both figures plummeted before rising a little in 2010 and sinking again in 2013. The GDP has risen steadily since then, even if the population figures took a little longer to catch up.

The trend is clear for now however; thousands of the young Spaniards who left Spain to make their lives in the UK, Germany, and across Scandinavia are returning home – better for their time away, with more financial stability and an eagerness to contribute to the continued recovery of the Spanish economy.

Javier Díaz Giménez, professor of economics at IESE Business School in Madrid believes that the economy is growing strongly and is much more balanced than it was back in 2007. The labour market by be evolving all the time, but there is no doubt that plenty of jobs are being created across the board.

The return of confident and willing workers is being felt in more than just the job market. The Spanish property market has also been expanding in an encouraging manner for the past three years now, complete with a noticeable increase in domestic buyers across the past 18 months.

Survey Finds Spaniards are More Confident About Economy

Survey Finds Spaniards are More Confident About Economy

Spain is back and every sector is on the up.

Over half of Spanish people now believe that the economy of the country is doing well almost a decade after one of the worst recessions to ever hit the country.

The survey was carried out by international consulting firm GAD3 and it showed 52.5% of Spaniards had confidence that Spain will be one of the best-performing economies of Europe, a claim supported by leading economists who believe the country really is leading the way for growth.

This represents an 11.3% increase in optimism since the survey was put out last year, and it reflects the experiences of the average Spaniard, as more jobs and improved job security are becoming reality for many people across the country.

A poll that covered just Barcelona conducted by the City Hall discovered Barcelona residents no longer consider being employed and their working conditions to be their primary concern. This is the first that job security hasn’t been the main concern since 2009.

However, the poll also showed that Barcelona residents are starting to feel the pressure of tourism. The city continues to grow as a cultural, beach, and party hub of the world. It’s bringing plenty of prestige and money to the city, but it’s also starting to infringe on the livelihoods of residents.

Tourism concerns hit the top of the polls for the first time in history, causing Deputy Mayor Gerardo Pisarello to declare that the issue has nothing to do with some kind of “tourism phobia” ad that people in Barcelona remain fans of travel and seeing tourists. The condition is one of concrete malaise caused by overcrowding.

Barcelona recorded nine million official overnight stays in 2016, but the City Hall estimates that the real number is closer to 30 million after accounting for rental options including AirBnB and private lets.

Barcelona famously announced that they planned to limit tourism numbers; as the city council have begun to refuse to grant new hotel licenses.

Barcelona’s success has been great for the economy of the city – as it has been great for the entire country – but, much like with the improved job market, the country needs to do some additional work to ensure as many people as possible are helped by the economic benefits.

Poll Finds Most Spaniards Willing to Adopt European-Style Working Hours

Poll Finds Most Spaniards Willing to Adopt European-Style Working Hours

Spanish daily newspaper 20 Minutos conducted a poll that showed around 80% of Spaniards would enjoy taking shorter lunch breaks and finishing work earlier, which would bring Spain into line with most of Europe.

The Spanish Siesta days are looking numbered.

The Mediterranean working culture of Spain has been an anomaly in Europe for quite some time. Workers in Spain start later, have longer lunch breaks, and finish later than many other Europeans. Many Spaniards are ready and willing to change things though.

In order for the change, the government has said on many occasions that they plan to bring Spain back into Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) to bring the country in line with Europe.

Even so, it would be a while before the working culture itself is changed. The good news is that the idea of a typical 9-5 working day isn’t that bad for the majority of Spaniards living in Spain, who would be happy to accept it.

The poll from the newspaper found just over two-thirds of people polled wouldn’t mind a shorter lunch break. Some Spanish workers – especially in the retail sector – can face lunch breaks of up to three hours.

People are also becoming dissatisfied with the 11:00-11:30 “breakfast break”. 64.5% of Spaniards surveyed said they would be willing to lose it, and 82% of Spaniards surveyed said that they would prefer it if the working day was more condensed.

Many European companies that are established in Spain have already adopted the European style of working hours, such as real estate companies and many others.

UN Data Shows Fewer Spaniards Emigrate Abroad Than any other European Nation

UN Data Shows Fewer Spaniards Emigrate Abroad Than any other European Nation

Spain is a wonderful place to live and with it

being so great why leave ?

Everyone knows that Spain is the most popular choice for holidays and property in Europe, which just goes to show the appeal of the country for Europeans, Americans, and everyone else across the world.

Now some interesting data has been released by the UN showing that only 2.7% of Spaniards choose to live abroad; this is the lowest figure in all of Europe.

The UN map shows that many nations in Eastern Europe experience high rates of emigration from the native population. Bosnia and Herzegovina in particular lose 43.3% of their native population to other nations.

The rest of the top five is made up of Albania (38.8%), Macedonia (24.8%), Portugal (22.3%) and Montenegro (22.1%). Other top scorers included Ireland at 18.8% and Romania with 17.5%.

7.6% of native Brits are currently living abroad. The Scandinavian countries seem to offer enough to keep the natives at home as Norway and Sweden have only 3.7% and 3.4% of their native population living abroad respectively, while Finland has 5.4%.

There were a few years when the recession got really bad in which thousands of Spaniards flocked the Germany and the UK to find work. While a number of these people chose to stay where they ended up, the UN data shows that, as the Spanish economy recovered, the Spaniards came back home.

Given the affordability of the country, along with the fine Spanish cuisine, climate, and natural beauty, it’s understandable that Spain manages to be a perennial favourite with Spaniards and foreign visitors alike.

The UN put together another map that showcases the most popular destinations for each nation. According to this map Brits are most likely to head to Australia, while the Irish typically go to the UK, Germans head to the US, and most of Eastern Europe heads to Germany.

One interesting piece of data is that Spaniards are most likely to go to France, while the French are most likely to go to Spain.

Spaniards Could be Getting Third General Election before Christmas

Spaniards Could be Getting Third General Election  before Christmas

Spain hasn't suffered al all without an elected government

on the contrary Spain has flourished on all levels 

Living in Spain with the Spanish political situation has gone from being a farce to being just outright bizarre. It’s becoming increasingly likely that Spaniards will have to head to the polls for the third time in twelve months to vote following the general election of last December. It looks like the vote this December could even fall on Christmas day.

The second general election, held in June, ended with things looking similar to how they did in the first one from December. The People’s Party (PP) of acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy won the most votes but did not quite gather a majority. They also didn’t have enough friends to call on to form a coalition.

While there was always the chance that there could be a third election many hoped that a compromise would be made over the summer. Rajoy himself recently agreed to a six-point plan of action given to him by the centre-right Ciudadanos party in return for their support in forming a coalition. He also agreed that at the end of August he would be submitted to a confidence vote in parliament.

The main problem that has dogged the People’s Party is still around however in the form of the Socialist party. They have been unrelenting in their opposition to Rajoy and his PP. Unless they support Rajoy or decide to not be included in the general election it’s unlikely that the political deadlock will ever end.

This is where things really get interesting. In the – quite likely – event that a vote of no confidence arises Spanish law dictates that the King of Spain must dissolve parliament and arrange an election 54 days later.

The confidence vote is set for August 30 and if you do the maths you’ll quickly work out that 54 days after August 30^th is Christmas Day.

Barely any Spaniards will like the idea of abandoning their Christmas plans to drag themselves to the polling station and vote for the third time on what boils down to the same election.

As such it’s expected that turnout will be down sharply if the election is actually held on the 25^th. There are also people who believe that the date could have a positive effect on turnout. They surmise that people gathering with their families away from work will likely make politics a hot debate and it will cause more people to come out to vote.

That the electorate has been asked to vote for the third time in a year shows just how dissatisfied the Spanish are with the political climate of the country. It seems like Spain is a country where either the People’s Party or the Socialists are the ones in power.

The funny thing is that Spain has done just fine without a real government these past 12 months. More people are employed, the GDP is on the up, the property market in Spain continues to improve and tourism is the best it’s ever been. With Spain holding itself together so well it wouldn’t be that surprising if Spaniards continued to vote to stop a real government from forming and messing everything up.

Ten Weird Things About the UK That Shocks Spaniards

Ten Weird Things About the UK That Shocks Spaniards

Spaniards love to go to the UK when they decide to live abroad but there are things about the UK that the Spaniards find almost impossible to come to grips with.

The Spanish think the British have

some strange habits

Alcohol

In Spain alcohol is enjoyed as part of a meal and it can take them the better part of an evening to drink it all. In the UK Brits drink as much as they can as fast as they can, only stopping to get something to eat on the way home.

Punctuality

Another thing is that Spaniards take being late nowhere near as seriously as the British do. A Spaniard could turn up 30 minutes late with no problem but if you’re late more than once with a Brit then you’ve got a reputation.

Personal Space

Spaniards also have trouble with personal space. Spaniards are expressive and greet eachother with a kiss while Brits prefer handshakes and formal greetings. Brits don’t even kiss people they know. Physical contact is something that should generally be avoided. Spanish expats are commonly regarded as being a bit too touchy-feely if all they do is just pat someone on the back. A good firm handshake is about as much as Brits are willing to touch strangers.

Bad Coffee

Spaniards find the coffee in the UK terrible compared to the coffee from Spain. It’s just something the Brits have never managed to get right.

Bathroom Carpets

Carpets may help a British home stay warm but Spaniards are used to wooden floors and tiles so it can be surprising to them. They also feel that bathroom carpets are unhygienic.

Winter Dress

British people are so used to the cold weather they can wear miniskirts and stringy tops in the middle of winter. Spaniards may brave the cold but they will only do so if they are wearing plenty of layers. They just don’t get how the Brits do it.

Politeness

While the Spanish say please, thank you, and sorry plenty they feel that Brits will throw these words into conversation too much. They say the words so much they lose meaning to Spaniards.

Takeaway Food

There are so many fast food joints, and the food served there is so bad, that it leaves Spaniards desperate for a nice home cooked meal. They are also surprised when they learn that curry is actually one of the national dishes of England, rather than the more traditional fish and chips or roast beef and Yorkshire puddings.

Queues

The Spanish aren’t exactly surprised to learn how much Brits are willing to queue, but they can be very surprised to learn how angry it makes Brits when someone doesn’t respect the queue and tries to jump the line.

Fake Tan

Spanish expats can’t get over how obsessed with being tanned the British are. All the fake tan and makeup that a British woman is likely to put on comes across as tacky to them.

UK Property Tax Totalling €1.38 billion Owed by Spaniards.

Spanish love buying property

The British remain the largest foreign investors in Costa del Sol  property and Spanish property as a whole, but data from the Spanish tax authorities show that it’s not an unrequited love as Spaniards owe €1.38 billion in UK property tax.

The information comes from the Spanish Form 720, which Spaniards use to declare any assets they own outside of Spanish territory when they have a value of higher than €50,000. Overall Spanish citizens are the proud owners of over €9 billion in overseas property.

The love spreads across all of Europe as France is where the majority of Spanish homeowners buy property. In France Spaniards own €1.73 billion in property, with the UK in a close second. Germany comes third with Spanish brick and mortar assets totalling €728 million. Fourth place is shared by Mexico and Portugal with €682.3 million.

This data is based on Spaniards who are still based in and living in Spain and doesn’t take into account expats who have long since said goodbye to the motherland.

Spaniards have also bought property in other places including Andorra (€627.4 million), Belgium (€485 million), the USA (€374 million), Switzerland (€354.6 million) and finally Italy (€309 million).

Many Spanish also own second homes on the coast and when the summer months come or its holiday time where the temperature inland is so high, the Spanish decent to the coast areas such the Costa del Sol.

Two-Thirds of Spaniards Live in Apartments/Flats

Spain is where you will find the most people living in flats in all of Europe, and the lowest percentage of people living in houses, according to the latest report by Eurostat.

Andalucían town of Casares.

The figures are on European housing and they show that two thirds of the Spanish population currently reside in flats, while in other European countries such as Britain, Croatia and Norway, over 80% of people live in houses.

Flats are also popular in Latvia, where 65% of the population can be found in flats, Lithuania (58%) and Greece (57%).

Unlike other European flat-dwellers however, most Spaniards do actually buy property in Costa del Sol and own their own homes. 80% of Spaniards own their homes while only 20% rent property in Costa del Sol and Spain. They just prefer to own flats rather than houses.

Overall six out of ten Europeans live in houses, so just why do Spaniards prefer to live in flats? The answer is the urbanistaion of Spain.

Francisco Franco ruled Spain between 1939 and 1975 and during his rule many large apartment blocks were built. Many Spaniards left the countryside and moved to cities in Spain crawling with these buildings for the chance at a better life.

Spaniards will also spend more time enjoying the good weather outside than Northern Europeans. They have less need for large houses. While the notion of Spaniards living on top of each other in apartment blocks suggests otherwise, Spain is one of the least overcrowded countries in Europe. The Spanish are also very pleased with the way they live, giving their living conditions an average rating of 7.3 out of 10.