The Social Economy Capital of Spain is an initiative to recognise and make visible the role of this business model in the economic and social development of our country, promoted by the Ministry for Work and the Social Economy in collaboration with the social economy sector.
The Social Economy includes all private economic activities that aim to benefit not only the persons that carry out them, but also society as a whole, putting people at the centre of its activities.
The Luxembourg Declaration, adopted at the Luxembourg Conference in December 2015, states that the European Union must reach a common understanding of the scope of the social economy, respecting its enormous diversity, and advocates including the social economy in the process of modernising the Single Market Strategy.
To ensure the development of the agreements reached in the Luxembourg Declaration, Spain proposes the creation of a Luxembourg Declaration Monitoring Committee formed by high-level representatives of Member States of the European Union committed with Social Economy, which would ensure the continuity and follow-up of the agreements reached in the framework of the Luxembourg Declaration, as well as the promotion and effective development of the social economy. Toledo was awarded the title of European Capital of the Social Economy 2020 on the occasion of holding the meetings of this committee.
The designation of Spain as the Social Economy Capital is an initiative promoted by the Ministry of Labour and Social Economy in collaboration with the Social Economy sector, that was born after the success of the designation of Spain in the framework of the Monitoring Committee of the Luxembourg Declaration, with the purpose of recognising and making visible the role of this business model in the economic and social development of our country, promoted by the Ministry for Labour and the Social Economy in collaboration with the social economy sector.
Therefore, each year, a city is chosen as the Social Economy Capital of Spain. It becomes the setting for various activities, events, conferences and meetings aimed at disseminating and promoting the values, principles and good practices of the social economy, as well as encouraging entrepreneurship, innovation, inclusion and sustainability in the sector.
The election of the Spanish Social Economy Capital of Spain is decided by the Council for the Promotion of the Social Economy (CFES, as per its Spanish acronym)this is a collegiate, advisory and consultative body for activities related to the social economy within the scope of the General State Administration.
Toledo held this title first in 2020, followed by Teruel in 2021, Santiago de Compostela in 2022, Donostia-San Sebastian in 2023 and Valencia in 2024.
The main goals of this initiative are:
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/
