Analyzing post-COVID-19 demographic and mobility changes in Andalusia using mobile phone data

Area of Science:

• Urban and Regional Planning
• Demography
• Mobility Studies

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted population distribution and mobility patterns globally.
• Understanding demographic recovery is crucial for regional planning and resource allocation post-pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze demographic changes in Andalusia, Spain, during 2021.
• To assess the population's recovery and mobility shifts following the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To investigate the relationship between eased mobility restrictions and demographic dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Utilized mobile phone Origin-Destination (OD) matrix data for real-time population insights.
• Developed a methodology to estimate population counts from traveler data, mitigating bias.
• Employed an interpolation function to integrate all available 2021 data points.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a direct correlation between the lifting of COVID-19 mobility restrictions and demographic changes in Andalusia.
• Observed an increase in non-work-related travel and a decrease in static population post-restriction.
• Noted an increase in longer commute distances after mobility restrictions were removed.

Conclusions:

• Demographic recovery in Andalusia is intrinsically linked to the relaxation of pandemic-related mobility constraints.
• Mobility patterns, including commuting distances and daily population flows, have been reshaped by the pandemic and its aftermath.
• Distinct spatial-temporal population dynamics were identified, including urban commuting, weekend rural influx, and seasonal coastal migration.