The Valencian Community witnesses a sharp rise in financing allocations for 2023
The Valencian Community exited the Financial and Fiscal Policy Council on Wednesday, as disclosed by the Ministry of Finance. The autonomy is set to see the largest revenue increase from the financing system in 2023, projected to reach 2,835 million euros more than the previous year. That represents a growth of 26.5 percent, bringing total financing to 13,540 million euros, the highest level recorded. Yet the distribution framework of the current model means this rise does not translate into equal per capita resources for every Valencian compared with other Spaniards.
Across the country, there are plans to distribute more than 134.0 billion euros to the population of 47.3 million next year, averaging about 2,834.42 euros per person. In the Valencian Community, the per-capita figure stands at roughly 2,676.87 euros, about 157.5 euros below the national average. The Finance Department, led by María Jesús Montero, has yet to publish an official breakdown of regional allocations, but most autonomies have shared their anticipated portions. A recent synthesis shows that the extra funding is unlikely to pull Valencians out of a low-per-capita investment trajectory.
Available data indicate that the Valencian Community remains among the slower-performing regions in terms of per-person funding. It is worth noting that Murcia, another major beneficiary of the financing framework, is among four regions that did not report 2023 income data. Murcia thus holds a unique position that could influence the overall picture for the system overall.
The per-capita figures illuminate how population scales and geographic disparities shape the resources the State assigns to each region. Cantabria stands out as the highest beneficiary with roughly 3,806 euros per person, meaning roughly 1,000 euros more for each resident than the national average and about 1,130 euros more than the Valencian Community.
Other regions of the former kingdom show marked differences. Galicia, Asturias, Aragón, and Castilla-La Mancha display significant gaps with Valencia. Galicia nears 3,500 euros per resident; Castilla-La Mancha sits around 2,998 euros per person, and Asturias reaches about 3,389 euros per capita.
Catalonia also figures prominently, receiving approximately 26.56 billion euros, which is double the Valencian Community’s share. It ranks as the third region with the highest per-capita allocation under the common regime, though its growth rate remains modest at about 13.2 percent, resulting in roughly 3,421.2 euros per person.
In any case, the rise in the State contribution is meaningful. Of the 134.335 billion euros committed, it surpasses the previous year’s 108.0 billion and raises per-capita resources by about 550 euros—from 2,284 to 2,834. For the Valencian Community, the increase amounts to approximately 560 euros per resident.
Moreno aligns with regional leaders ahead of national discussions on funding
The financing debate unfolds under a logic that sometimes diverges from party lines. This was evident again during Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s discussions with three regional leaders from the PP in Moncloa. On that day, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco of Castile and León, Alfonso Rueda of Galicia, and Juanma Moreno of Andalusia participated and highlighted the need to reform the funding system. They also underscored the differences among regions based on the criteria that most benefit them under the current distribution rules, regardless of political color.
Mañueco warned that the present model is poor and harms Castile and León, but he noted that if the system shifted to a population-adjusted approach proposed by the Finance Ministry last year, his own community would be among the more disadvantaged beneficiaries.
Rueda, a representative of the so-called emptied Spain, expressed more tempered views. He acknowledged the challenges of attaining consensus across all autonomies and urged regions to consider compromises. Moreno, meanwhile, positioned himself as a supporter of Valencian interests. Andalusia, together with the Valencian Community and Murcia, has been among the regions most affected by the lower weight of the population factor. Andalusia raised the issue with Sánchez, who urged him to accept terms he believes are best for his region, while maintaining a pragmatic stance that some compromises will be necessary.