Elderly care in Spain: regional inequities and the growing role of foreign-born workers

Amuedo-Dorantes, Catalina ; Marcén, Miriam (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Morales, Marina (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: Spain’s ageing population has driven significant changes in the provision of elderly care services over the past 25 years. In this paper, we explore those shifts, focusing on regional disparities in four types of social services for the elderly: telecare, in-home care, daycare centres, and nursing homes. To that end, we gather annual data at the regional level compiled by the Institute for the Elderly and Social Services of Spain for the period 1998–2022. Using a clustering algorithm, we uncover significant inequities, with distinct geographical patterns depending on the type of social service. Southern regions generally surpass northern counterparts in telecare and in-home care, while coastal areas have lower nursing home coverage, particularly affecting women and those aged 80 and above. Additionally, a growing presence of foreign-born working-age women correlates with lower telecare and in-home care coverage, highlighting immigrants’ critical role in meeting care demands. Our findings underscore the need for targeted policy interventions to promote equitable access to elderly care services across Spain.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1093/oxrep/graf037

Año: 2025

Publicado en: OXFORD REVIEW OF ECONOMIC POLICY 41, 3-4 (2025), 855-886
ISSN: 0266-903X

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/S32-23R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/PID2023-147822NB-I00

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Fund. Análisis Económico (Dpto. Análisis Económico)