Why did Spain do so poorly demographically between the Napoleonic wars and WWI?

Everyone knows that France did horrific during that time which is often talked about, but Spain did very poorly as well. Spain only went from about 12 million to 20 during an entire century. Granted, they had a net outflow while France didn't, but so did Britain, Germany, Italy, and many others who saw huge population growth.

What factors caused this? And how might a Spain that can match Britain and France at 40 million by 1914 shake up the balance of power in Europe (and the New World and Pacific and Africa and everywhere else they had relevance)?
 
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For one Spain has a much smaller carrying capacity than France. Much of Spain is arid or semiarid which really limits its ability to support a massive population. Another reason behind Spain's stagnant growth is that Spain endured decades of political and financial instability. And finally Spain did not develop as rapidly as states like Britain, Germany, or even Italy.
 
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Populations boom not when they start breeding ike rabbits but stop dying like fleas. Spaiin had a very high infant mortality rate. It wouldn't take much to make Spain's population explode. Over a hundred years raising its growth rate to just 1.5% would yield a population of 50,000,000. General sanitation, good nutrition and vaccinations would do the trick
 
Everyone knows that France did horrific during that time which is often talked about, but Spain did very poorly as well. Spain only went from about 12 million to 20 during an entire century. Granted, they had a net outflow while France didn't, but so did Britain, Germany, Italy, and many others who saw huge population growth.

What factors caused this? And how might a Spain that can match Britain and France at 40 million by 1914 shake up the balance of power in Europe (and the New World and Pacific and Africa and everywhere else they had relevance)?

I think you are making a mistake.

Spain's population doubling in a century is not a weak demographic growth. Italy, considered as a territory, grew by the same standard during the same century.

And these figures don't take into account the italian and spanish populations who immigrated to the other countries.
 
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