The demographic trends in Mauléon, like those in many inland towns, are shaped by a constant factor: the area’s lack of economic vitality, which has led to significant out-migration. Mauléon’s demographic potential has not undergone any significant changes over the years. The 3,368 inhabitants recorded at the start of the 20th century have, eighty years later, barely exceeded 4,000, following a process of minimal growth not without demographic declines in very specific circumstances. This meagre growth contrasts with the marked depopulation seen in almost all the communes of Zuberoa, whose demographic trend has been clearly regressive, falling from 20,702 inhabitants in 1901 to 15,404 in 1982. The municipal register as at 1 January 2000 recorded 3,347 inhabitants.
The population trends in the municipality of Mauléon-Licharre from 1846 to the early 21st century are n in the table below, which lists the years and population figures:
| Año | Habitantes | Año | Habitantes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1846 | 1.577 | 1926 | 4.316 |
| 1870 | 1.876 | 1931 | 4.069 |
| 1876 | 2.108 | 1936 | 4.193 |
| 1881 | 2.409 | 1946 | 4.567 |
| 1886 | 2.251 | 1954 | 4.619 |
| 1891 | 2.575 | 1962 | 5.048 |
| 1896 | 2.651 | 1968 | 4.500 |
| 1901 | 3.368 | 1975 | 4.239 |
| 1906 | 4.045 | 1982 | 4.099 |
| 1911 | 4.827 | 1990 | 3.533 |
| 1921 | 4.220 | 2002 | 3.347 |
This demographic trend is a consequence of the prevailing socio-economic model, as well as the impossibility of urban development within the commune. This inability to develop, to a certain extent, determines land use. The left bank is residential; the right bank industrial.
Whilst in 1901 the population of Mauléon accounted for 16.26% of the total population of the historical territory, by 1982 it represented 26.81%. This s that, in contrast to the growth of Zuberoa, there has been an increase, albeit slight, in the capital. The 4,099 inhabitants recorded in the 1981 census were located almost entirely in the main centre of the commune. The scattered population accounted for only 3.2% of the total (132 inhabitants). According to the 1982 census, there were 2,230 women and 2,012 men; 1,115 children, 2,374 adults and 753 elderly people.
Since roughly the mid-20th century, natural population growth has been minimal. The downward trend in the birth rate and the gradual rise in mortality, as a result of the ageing population, have led to low natural population growth, which in recent years has been unable to offset the migration to the coast and to the country’s industrial areas. 1954 and 1968, the average crude birth rate stood at around 15 births per thousand people, and the mortality rate at around 12 deaths, also per thousand people. The birth rate has fallen considerably; natural growth is ‘zero’ or negative, meaning that the number of deaths exceeds the number of births.
Given the above, there is no need to dwell at length on the age distribution to get a picture of the progressive ageing of Mauléon’s population. If, at the end of the 20th century, we divide the population into three main age groups, we can quickly see the significance of the over-65s (the elderly), who account for 17.7% of the total. At the other end of the spectrum is the young group, aged 0 to 20, which makes up 26.3%, and in is the adult population aged 20 to 65, accounting for 56% of the total.
In terms of gender, the female population clearly dominates, with a ratio of 110.8 women to every 100 men. Women accounted for 52.6% of the total and, consequently, the sex ratio is 0.90. This predominance of the female population is typical of areas of emigration and with an adult population, as it is in the upper strata of the pyramid that the majority of women over men is observed, due to higher male mortality.