Breakdown of El hecho de que la demografía cambie es alarmante.
ser
to be
de
from / of
que
that / than
cambiar
to change
el hecho
the fact (de hecho: in fact)
la demografía
demographics
alarmante
alarming
Questions & Answers about El hecho de que la demografía cambie es alarmante.
Why does this sentence use the subjunctive (cambie) if el hecho de que literally means "the fact that"? Aren't facts supposed to use the indicative?
This is a core rule for el hecho de que. Even though you are stating a fact, the main clause of the sentence (es alarmante) expresses an emotional reaction or a value judgment. In Spanish, whenever you react to or judge a fact, the clause containing that fact takes the subjunctive.
Why is demografía singular here when the English translation says "demographics" (plural)?
In Spanish, la demografía is a singular collective noun that refers to the statistical data of a population as a single concept. While English typically uses the plural "demographics" in this context, Spanish keeps it singular, which is why the verb cambie is also singular.
Is it grammatically correct to drop the de and just say el hecho que?
No, dropping the de here is a common grammatical error. The noun el hecho requires the preposition de to connect properly to the que clause. You must always use the full phrase el hecho de que.
Could I rephrase this as Es alarmante que la demografía cambie?
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