Advancing Social Economy and Care in Spain: Key Initiatives Unfold in December 2025
In December 2025, Spain is bolstering its social economy and care sectors through significant events and investments aimed at improving sustainability, social cohesion, and quality care services.
- • The Feria do Mercado Social opened in Carballo, promoting sustainability, fair trade, and collaborative housing.
- • Catalunya's informal care sector is valued at €10.105 billion annually, accounting for 4.1% of GDP.
- • Barcelona invests €140.5 million towards enhancing care services and recognizing caregivers.
- • Care economy supports 11% of Spain’s employment, mainly women, facing challenges such as low wages and job precarity.
Key details
The social economy and the care sector are taking center stage in Spain this December, with important events and investment plans highlighting their critical role in promoting social cohesion and economic growth.
In Carballo, the Feria do Mercado Social began on December 11, spotlighting various facets of the social economy. Organized by the Network of Alternative and Solidarity Economy (Reas) along with Carballo's innovation department and subsidized by the Deputación, the fair features activities that promote sustainability, fair trade, and collaborative housing. The event includes a forum on collaborative housing, chocolate tastings from fair trade sources, and exhibitions by local entities such as the NGO Por qué no? and the organization Íntegro. Tomorrow, the event continues with a congress at the Forum presenting social economy projects from different regions and countries.
Meanwhile, the care economy is gaining renewed emphasis as a fundamental pillar of Spain’s social and economic landscape, especially in Catalunya and Barcelona. Informal care for dependent elderly individuals in Catalunya holds an annual economic value of €10.105 billion, equating to 4.1% of the region's GDP and supporting around 11% of national employment, predominantly by women. Despite its significance, the sector faces challenges like low wages and precarious working conditions.
To address these issues, Barcelona has launched the "Barcelona towards the right to care 2025-2030" initiative, investing €140.5 million into more than 100 actions designed to enhance public care services and formally recognize caregivers, over 330,000 of whom are informal, with women comprising 60%. This effort aims not only to improve care as a universal social right but also to reduce gender inequalities and foster quality employment.
These developments underscore Spain’s commitment to leveraging the social economy and care sectors as key drivers of wealth creation and social cohesion, blending community engagement, fair economic practices, and comprehensive social policies.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
