SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, September 25 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Spending on social policies in the autonomous community of the Canary Islands has grown by 21.5% since 2009, specifically a total of 1,084 million euros, according to the latest report from the Association of Directors and Managers of Social Services.
Thus, last year, the weight of social policies in the regional budget stood at 61.2%, with 2,804.38 euros per inhabitant, below the national average and only ahead of Andalusia, Catalonia and Madrid.
In health, spending in relation to the total budget was 34.6%, with 1,585.62 euros per inhabitant and a growth of 17.6% since 2009 -517.2 million-.
In education, spending accounted for 20.6% of regional accounts last year, with 942.05 euros per inhabitant – third community in line – and an increase of 16.7% since 2009 – 293.8 millions–.
In the case of social services, the funds accounted for 6% of regional spending with 276.71 euros per inhabitant – second in line behind the Balearic Islands – and 83% more than in 2009, which represents a increase of 273.4 million euros.
At the national level, the percentage of spending by the autonomous communities on social policies (health, education and services) has maintained a downward trend since 2010, having lost 8.6 percentage points, from 67.39% over the previous year. total budget of the community in 2009 up to 58.78% of the year 2022.
In absolute terms, since 2009, the increase in all social policies has been 22,221.7 million euros, which represents 19.02% more to a total of 139,000 million euros in 2022.
However, if the same percentage of the total budget of the Autonomous Communities had been allocated as in 2010, almost 20.1 billion euros more would have been invested in 2021.
This is explained by the president of the State Association of Directors and Managers of Social Services of Spain, José Manuel Ramírez, to Europa Press after the publication of a new study.
The entity highlights that the “cuts” applied to items destined for social policies starting in 2010, which were “especially drastic” in 2013 and 2014, caused that year to record the lowest level of regional spending on essential services, with less than 100,000 million euros.
In this context, the association highlights that from 2014 to 2020 there have been increases in the budgets of all the autonomous communities. Specifically, in 2020 and 2021, as a consequence of the management of the pandemic, social spending increased – especially in terms of health – to 141,432 million euros of the budget settled in 2021.
Likewise, in a statement collected by Europa Press, the association emphasizes that “having had General State Budgets (PGE) has also led to an increase in social policies, although it has not been the same in all communities.”
“Although the health and social crisis caused by Covid-19 demonstrated the importance of spending on essential public services such as health, education and social services, the increase in spending on these policies managed by the Autonomous Communities has only been 13. 5% between 2019 and 2022 (7.9% in health, 17.7% in education and 28.8% in social services), while the increase in spending on the rest of the policies was 41% in that same period, three times more”, maintains the association, while adding that “this shows the loss of specific weight of social spending in the autonomous communities.”
DIFFERENCES BY CC.AA.
In relation to the evolution of spending on social policies since 2009, the Association of Directors and Managers of Social Services indicates that it has been “very different” in the different regions. Thus, according to the study, all the autonomous communities, with the exception of Catalonia, have exceeded in 2022 the social spending per inhabitant that they had in 2009.
The Valencian Community is in the lead with 855 euros more per inhabitant, followed by Navarra (+830 euros/inhabitant) and Asturias (+824 euros/inhabitant). On the opposite side is Catalonia, which reduces it by 6 euros per inhabitant. The association highlights on this point the case of the Community of Madrid, which “increases it only by 168 euros per inhabitant.
According to the association, the differences in spending per inhabitant on social policies between the different communities range between 2,399 euros in the Community of Madrid and 3,901 euros in Navarra or 3,708 euros in the Basque Country. Among the Common Regime Communities, the entity highlights Extremadura, with 3,629 euros, Asturias (3,438 euros) and Cantabria (3,392 euros). Thus, Madrid (2,399 euros/inhabitant) and Catalonia (2,782 euros/inhabitant) will be at the bottom of social spending per inhabitant in 2022.
On the other hand, the association denounces that the 116.9 million euros of total spending on social policies in 2009 is “only” exceeded in 2019 (122.5 million euros). In 2022, 139.1 million were allocated, which represents 22.2 more.
In addition, it adds that the 2,939.8 euros per inhabitant per year in social spending on average in the communities as a whole in 2022 is 16% higher than in 2009, going from 2,535.4 euros in 2009 to 2,939.8 euros in 2009. past 2022.
It also stands out that the largest increase in regional spending has been in paying the debt, multiplying the total cost by 5 and increasing by 728.51 euros per inhabitant. “In this way, while spending per inhabitant on social policies has increased by 404.4 euros, debt payment has increased by almost double, thus limiting the capacity of communities to increase their spending on health, education and social services,” he concludes.
