The Spanish Social Economy Capital is an initiative that has been promoted by the Ministry of Labour and Social Economy since 2021 in collaboration with social economy organisations and the country’s different regions, with the aim of recognising and highlighting the role of this business model in the economic and social development of Spain.
It arose following the success of the European Capital initiative, which was held until 2020 within the framework of the Monitoring Committee of the Luxembourg Declaration, and which was conceived as a tool to disseminate and strengthen the image and profile of the social economy among the public.
The Spanish Social Economy Strategy 2023-2027 does, in fact, include this initiative as good practice to promote recognition of the social economy among social partners and society as a whole.
Each year, the Ministry of Labour and Social Economy designates a city as the Spanish capital of the social economy, which becomes the setting for activities, events, seminars and conferences to disseminate and promote the values, principles and good practices of the social economy, as well as to foster entrepreneurship, innovation, inclusion and sustainability in this field.
Throughout the first half of each year, potential candidacies submitted by municipalities to the ministry are considered.
The selection of the Spanish Social Economy Capital is decided by the person heading the Ministry, following consultation with the representative organisations, and taking into consideration aspects such as the municipality’s commitment to the social economy, its capacity for innovation or for funding within this model, its connectivity and hotel capacity, and its organisational capacity or ability to host events.
The decision is made public at the Council for the Promotion of the Social Economy (CFES), a collegiate advisory and consultative body for activities related to the social economy within the General State Administration.
Likewise, for improved strategic planning of the candidatures envisaged each year, the Ministry of Labour and Social Economy, through its Minister, seeks to make the annual decision public at the end of the first half of the preceding year, thereby facilitating the organisation of activities well in advance.
The first city to hold this title was Toledo in 2020 (in this case, it was the European Social Economy Capital), followed by Teruel in 2021, Santiago de Compostela in 2022, San Sebastián/Donostia in 2023, Valencia in 2024, Murcia in 2025 and Mataró in 2026.
The designation as capital represents a unique communications opportunity, promoting activities of all kinds to showcase the importance and impact of this ecosystem, highlighting the many and valuable contributions made by the social economy business community to the building of inclusive, sustainable and resilient societies.
The impact that this initiative has had in recent years has been highly significant, consequently, the Ministry of Labour and Social Economy will continue to support this institutional recognition, maintaining the annual assessment and identification of cities that have a proven commitment to the social economy and the potential to assume the role of capital.
The designation of Toledo as European Capital of the Social Economy was announced during the Spanish presidency of the Luxembourg Pact Follow-up Commission.
During the time as capital, Toledo plays host to a series of local, regional, national and international events, which serve to disseminate and promote the principles and values that 'place the Social Economy as the backbone of a decisive moment, following the crisis caused by the COIVD-19 pandemic.
Toledo is a historic location with a rich heritage and a diverse population, making it an ideal setting to reposition the Social Economy as a key player in the current economic recovery. A fortuitous convergence of civil society, Social Economy enterprises and responsible government.
Further details on the activities planned as part of the capital project can be found on the website.
In March 2021, the Ministry of Labour and Social Economy designated Teruel as the Spanish Capital of Social Economy. On 29 June 2021, the agenda for the events marking the city of Spanish Capital of the Social Economy was presented in an online meeting involving all relevant parties.
Teruel is dedicated to the Social Economy as a crucial business sector for the city's future. It is a catalyst for economic and social recovery, offering innovative and inclusive solutions to the challenges that Teruel will face in the coming years.
Further details on the activities planned as part of the capital project can be found on the website.
In February 2022, the Second Vice-President of the Government and Minister of Labour and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz, announced that Santiago de Compostela would be the capital of the Social Economy 2022 during the act of constitution of the State Council for the Promotion of the Social Economy.
This is a significant opportunity to enhance the visibility of the Spanish Social Economy and its contributions to developing innovative and sustainable solutions to the demographic challenge.
Following a series of accolades for the Galician social economy in 2021, Santiago has now been designated as a capital of social innovation. In November 2021, the Economic and Social Council of Galicia approved an institutional declaration of support for the Galician social economy. This was followed in December by an institutional declaration from the Galician Parliament which highlighted the principles of social economy and its contribution to social cohesion.
Further details on the activities planned as part of the capital project can be found on the website.
https://santiagocapitaleconomiasocial.es/
In 2023, Donostia was appointed as Social Economy Capital and, coinciding with the six months of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, a High Level European Conference was held in the city with the aim of raising the profile of the social economy at local, national and international level.
The goal of the CFES when designing Donostia-San Sebastian as the Social Economy Capital was highlighting the value of the social economy framework in Gipuzkoa and to acknowledge the countless initiatives and experiences that serve as an example when it comes to promoting the creation of new social economy entities.
On 24 January 2024, the Second Vice-President and Minister of Labour and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz, announced the designation of Valencia as the Spanish Capital of the Social Economy 2024. On 5 April, the official presentation of Valencia as the Social Economy Capital took place with the presence of the Second Vice-President and Minister of Labour and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz, the Mayor of Valencia María José Catalá, the President of CEPES, Juan Antonio Pedreño, and representatives of the social economy of the Valencian Community, as well as representatives of the different administrations involved and the University of Valencia.
The designation of Valencia as the Spanish capital of the social economy is an opportunity to promote a fairer, more egalitarian, participatory and inclusive economy in the Valencian Community with people at its core.
For more information on the activities in the framework of the capital, please visit the following website valenciacapitaleconomiasocial.es.
The Second Vice-President and Minister of Labour and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz, took part in the central act of opening of Murcia as capital of the Social Economy in an event held on 26 February, which was also attended by the Secretary of State for Social Economy Amparo Merino, the Nobel laureate in Economics Eric Maskin and the President of the Autonomous Region of Murcia, Fernando López Miras, among other local authorities.
During 2025 more than a hundred activities are planned in Murcia, including meetings, debates, events, national and international forums, as well as multiple assemblies of entities to raise awareness of the potential of the Social Economy as a business model that provides economic and social development, as well as innovation and inclusion.
The Social Economy Capital seeks to acknowledge and project an economic and social model that in our country already accounts for around 10% of GDP through more than 43,000 companies and organisations that provide around two million jobs, both directly and indirectly.
For more information on activities within the framework of the capital, please visit https://murcia-2025.es/
On 28 October 2025, under the Council for the Promotion of the Social Economy, the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labour and the Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz, announced that the Catalan city of Mataró will be the Spanish Social Economy Capital in 2026.
This designation represents a historic opportunity to reaffirm the city’s leadership in building a fairer, more democratic and more sustainable economic model, as well as to strengthen cohesion and reinforce the model at European, national and regional levels.
Mataró has consolidated a strong ecosystem of cooperation between public administrations, businesses and social economy organisations, universities and citizens, positioning it as a Catalan and national benchmark in promoting the Social Economy. Added to this is a rich tradition of cooperation dating back to 1864 with the creation of the Cooperativa Obrera Mataronense and its iconic Nave Gaudí, which today is reflected in a dynamic ecosystem made up of more than 100 organisations innovating in areas including culture, energy, services and social inclusion.
With the slogan “Reducing inequalities, creating the future”, this capital status aims to become a platform for dialogue, innovation and action, in which academic knowledge, public policy and networks among social economy organisations are positioned at the service of the common good. To that end, this capital status will be a key space for promoting and showcasing lines of work such as youth and the social economy, as well as building partnerships and networks between municipalities and strengthening the presence of women in the social economy.
