Spain not so emptied is strengthened. “They are modernizing very quickly and personal and professional opportunities are appearing,” says one of its inhabitants. This is one of the testimonials of the new chapter of Nosotros, the CaixaBank program in which we all fit and which focuses its attention on the more than 7.5 million people who live in rural areas, places that not only maintain their attractiveness, they are a focus of new opportunities.
Almost 16% of the Spanish population resides in municipalities with less than 30,000 inhabitants and with a population density of less than 100 inhabitants per square kilometer, according to a report published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on census data. The new chapter of Us focuses on them, their needs, their concerns and their aspirations. Its protagonists deny the term emptied Spain "because many of us live there." "And before me, my father, and before, his," they say. What's more, in recent years, Spain's rural areas have also attracted new neighbors.
“We have been very surprised by the boost in new technologies in the agricultural sector, for example, where we work. And with the support of AgroBank, it has been a little easier for us”, explains a couple who have lived in a small municipality for a year. "In addition, people are very close and from the first moment they have made us feel like one more", they add in Nosotros, a program that shows, with data and stories, that, being close to people, either through training, financial inclusion, the economic development of rural areas, or education in financial literacy, it is easier for people to achieve what they want.
Proximity is one of the hallmarks of CaixaBank, which has the most extensive branch network in Spain, with more than 3,800 branches, and with a presence in all provinces. The entity is present in more than 2,200 municipalities through its offices and is the only bank with a branch in 470 towns, and is committed not to abandon any town where it now operates. In addition, close to 40% of the entity's offices are located in towns with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants.
CaixaBank also has the most extensive ATM network in the country, with more than 11,600 terminals; and offers a service of 17 office mobiles, which operate in 626 municipalities of Castilla y León, the Valencian Community, La Rioja, Castilla-La Mancha, the Community of Madrid and Andalusia. Specifically, these mobile offices travel an average of 43,000 kilometers per month and serve twelve provinces of those six communities. Nearly 308,000 inhabitants reside in the populations that the entity provides service through ofimóviles, according to the National Institute of Statistics, and a third of them are over 60 years of age.
CaixaBank's commitment to the territory and to being close to its customers for everything they need is also reflected in AgroBank, the entity's specialized division in the agri-food sector that combines the development of the best products, services and tools adapted to the needs of farmers, ranchers or cooperative members. In addition, AgroBank offers them close and comprehensive advice, not only with financial support, but also with joint planning and training assistance.
In fact, the more than 3,000 agricultural managers at CaixaBank have extensive knowledge of the sector and receive continuous training. These specialists have specific knowledge depending on the types of crops and livestock in each population, and the risk teams are specialized in their areas of influence so that they know the needs of clients very closely and understand their financial flows.
The figures also corroborate CaixaBank's strong link with the territory: in 2022, AgroBank financed the entire agri-food chain with 29,479 million euros, which represented an increase of 95.6% compared to the previous year. The entity closed the 2022 financial year with more than 510,000 agricultural clients. This means that one in two farmers and ranchers in Spain work with CaixaBank.
In this new space owned by CaixaBank, 100 people, in a wide and representative sample of our society, of all profiles and of all ages, will be able to express themselves, get excited and claim.
Nosotros reaffirms CaixaBank's commitment to be close to people and to society as a whole, and to be part of their lives, their reality and their needs. And to support people in everything that matters to them and help them with their financial needs. Within the framework of the new claim launched by CaixaBank Tú y yo. Nosotros, the entity seeks to reflect the needs, priorities, situations and, ultimately, everything that matters to the diverse public to which the entity is directed. Because being closer to people makes it easier for them to achieve everything they set out to do.
