Catalonia receives only 8.6% of Spain's state investment despite contributing 19% of GDP

Official data for 2025 show that Catalonia, which accounts for about 19% of Spain’s gross domestic product, received only 1.321 billion euros in state‑directed investment – just 8.6% of the total budget execution. The per‑capita allocation was €162, far below the national average of €312 and the €452 per resident received by the Community of Madrid.

The shortfall is highlighted by several political and business voices. The ERC called the situation a “humiliation” for the region, while the business federation Foment del Treball described the 8.6% share as “intolerable” and warned it harms infrastructure, public services and the territorial economic fabric. Former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont termed the disparity “indecency” and pointed out that only 3.2% of ministry budgets are assigned to Catalonia, a figure seven times lower than for Madrid.

Critics say the under‑investment contributes to deteriorating transport services, notably the Rodalies commuter rail, and hampers the region’s competitiveness. A separate study by Activa Prospecta proposes a new index to rank Catalan comarques on economic potential, underscoring the need for better data‑driven policy to address the investment gap.