ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to discuss the use of demographic variables in the evaluation of regional processes of marginalization. Both geographers and planners concerned with the study of marginal areas frequently include demographic indicators among the range of variables they employ in identifying such areas. Work published on marginal areas usually emphasises the role of variables related to features of migration, given their repercussions on age structures and the natural dynamics of population. The activity rates of the comarcas analysed are low with respect to the Catalan average, owing to the reduction in the number of adults in the central age groups and the large numbers of elderly. An initial description of age and sex structure is provided in the pyramids at the municipal scale. These histograms illustrate perfectly the ageing process, especially in the smallest municipalities, with their inverse pyramid shape.
