ABSTRACT
The 2020 pandemic and containment were characterized in many places by a demographic revitalization of some rural areas, or at least by a slowing of the depopulation process. This was especially the case in the province of Alicante, located in the south of Spain in Andalusia, where the dynamics observed in 2020 were a break with those of the previous decade (2010-2020). What are the factors that may have favored this undeniable rebound? In this article, we have focused on the potential effect of some geographical, economic and demographic factors: the territorial distribution of rural municipalities, their distance from urban centers, proximity to the coastline, income level, local aging of the population, the demographic dynamics in the decade before the Covid-19 crisis, the presence of foreign residents who arrived to work or retire. The results are mixed. No clear link can be established, but trends emerge that are consistent with the results of studies conducted elsewhere in Spain or confirm certain trends that were apparent before the Covid-19 epidemic. Is this a one-time phenomenon or the beginning of a longer-term dynamic? It is still too early to answer this question. However, this analysis allows us to identify avenues of research that can guide land-use planning policies and stimulate the demographic renewal of rural areas in a sustainable manner. © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.