Catalonia is once again one of the autonomous communities that pays the most taxes, but one of the ones that receives the least, according to the analysis by the Department of Economy of the settlement data of the financing model published by the Ministry of Finance. Specifically, Catalonia is the third autonomous region that pays the most taxes -3,153 euros per capita- but it is the tenth in resources, with 2,848 euros/capita. This implies that, with the current financing model, each Catalan loses 305 euros per year. If the cost of living in Catalonia is taken into account, which is higher than in other communities, the difference widens further, with a loss of 595 euros per person. In fact, with this calculation, Catalonia becomes the penultimate community in resources, with 2,558 euros/capita.
"The data shows that Catalonia is once again harmed by an unfair and outdated model, since Catalans pay well above the average and, on the other hand, receive below average," lamented the Minister of Economy and Finance, Natalia Mas.
The head of the Generalitat's Economy recalled that the model "should have already been reviewed in 2014" but "no Spanish government, neither the PP nor the PSOE, has wanted to touch it".
According to the settlement data, Catalonia contributed almost 17.7% more income than the average for the autonomous communities, while the subsequent redistribution made it 2.1% below the average.
Catalonia's position worsens even more if the impact of the cost of living is taken into account, being 12.1% below the average of the territories of the common financing regime, where the foral communities are not.
Madrid is the community that pays the most taxes, with 3,769 euros per capita, the eleventh in resources (2,834 euros/capita), and the fortnightly if the cost of living in the community is taken into account (2,412 euros/capita).
The second that contributes the most to the system is the Balearic Islands, with 3,248 euros per capita, after being ninth in resources (2,910 euros/capita) and ten if the cost of living is taken into account (2,867 euros/capita).
According to these results, the autonomous community that receives the most resources per capita is Cantabria, with 3,632 euros per inhabitant, which is the fifth that contributes the most, and also the fifth if the cost of living is taken into account. They are followed by Extremadura (3,422 euros per person) and Castilla y León, with 3,411.
Minister Mas has highlighted that, beyond the "underfinancing" shown by these data, Catalonia suffers a "repeated non-execution of investments" by the State. “In 2021, the State only invested 36% of what it budgeted in Catalonia. And the State postponed 'sine die' the publication of the 2022 data, which were scheduled for May 30, ”she recalled.
