Pedro Sánchez announces support measures for sustainable transport, employment and entrepreneurship, and the primary sector to combat depopulation

The President of the Government of Spain has presented the Second National Strategy for Territorial Equity and the Demographic Challenge to address depopulation in rural areas and ensure that "being born, staying, or returning to a village is not a heroic challenge, but a right, a life choice".

Infiesto (Asturias)

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, during his speech (Pool Moncloa/Javier Amescua)

The head of the Executive presented the Second National Strategy for Territorial Equity and the Demographic Challenge, with 30 lines of action and 60 support measures for sustainable transport, employment and entrepreneurship, and the primary sector, among others, to combat population imbalance and depopulation in rural areas.

This was stated during the closing ceremony of the presentation of the new strategy at La Benéfica de Piloña, in Infiesto (Asturias), which was inaugurated by the Third Vice-President of the Government of Spain and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, the President of the Principality of Asturias, Adrián Barbón, and the Government Delegate in the Principality of Asturias, Adriana Lastra.

Pedro Sánchez warned that the territorial divide "cuts across our continent" and "is not a challenge exclusive to Spain", although at the national level, nine out of ten Spaniards live in less than 3% of the national territory, reflecting that "we have one of the lowest population densities in all of Europe". In fact, there are provinces such as Madrid or Barcelona with a density of more than 750 inhabitants per square kilometre, while in Soria or Teruel it is below 10.

For this reason, he presented the Second Strategy for Territorial Equity and the Demographic Challenge, which seeks "to guarantee that being born, staying, or returning to a rural area is not a heroic challenge, but a right, a life choice" and "to make inland Spain a place where plans, employment, culture, and hope have a place", making progress in areas such as connectivity, both digital and transportation.

New sustainable transport programme in rural areas

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, together with the Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesen, during the closing ceremony| Pool Moncloa/Javier Amescua

"Every corner of Spain deserves access to high-speed internet that facilitates, among other things, teleworking", he argued, recalling that between 2018 and 2024, fibre optic and broadband coverage increased from 38% to 82%, surpassing France, Italy, and Germany. Now, efforts will focus on achieving universal coverage by opening new connections to benefit residents of remote villages and regions, and by promoting digital nomadism, bringing life and opportunities to rural areas. Despite progress in accessibility and transportation, it was noted that 85% of rural residents are still not frequent users of public transportation, mainly due to its lack of availability or infrequent service. For this reason, he announced that a new programme will be approved to support innovative sustainable transportation solutions in rural areas, with a budget of 20 million euros to ensure it "reaches and expands to all municipalities".

This programme is part of the "30 Minute Country Plan, launched by the Government to ensure that all citizens have quick and easy access to essential services, such as healthcare and education, as well as access to ATMs or postal services within a 30-minute radius of their home.

Strengthening support for employment and entrepreneurship

The government will also strengthen support for employment and entrepreneurship to attract residents as part of the strategy, having already funded more than 700 projects since 2022, with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises, the social economy, municipalities, and associations. Pedro Sánchez announced that, after doubling the aid in 2025, it will be increased again, reaching up to 80 million euros for local entities.

Just energy transition: new line for the primary sector

Regarding the strategic commitment to a just energy transition, he explained that the Government has allocated over €1.6 billion in direct aid for this purpose and has mobilised more than €5 billion in investment, reaching one in five small towns in Spain facing demographic challenges. In order to reach everyone, he announced that, within the new Spain Grows fund, which will mobilise €120 billion to continue the modernisation and reform agenda following the Recovery Plan, a new support line for the primary sector and rural areas will be launched. This line will mobilise up to €1 billion, including direct aid and financing on "very favourable" terms to facilitate real investment in the agricultural sector. These are investments in active forest management, regenerative agriculture, extensive livestock farming, water efficiency, and new rural business models, he specified, regarding aid aimed at those who "want to continue living and working in their villages".

"A glimmer of hope": population increases in municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, during his speech| Pool Moncloa/Javier Amescua

Faced with the challenge of population imbalance and the advance of depopulation, Pedro Sánchez lamented that "in some autonomous communities, hit hard by this phenomenon, it is clear that they have not fully accepted or understood it; these regions have often been abandoned, and they have literally given up". Conversely, he reviewed the range of measures adopted by the Government to combat these challenges, including elevating the demographic challenge to ministerial level in 2019 and creating a specific General Secretariat. This was later followed by the launch of the 130-measure Plan and the implementation of the first National Strategy for Territorial Equity and the Demographic Challenge to "guarantee equal opportunities for all Spaniards, wherever they live".

The results, he asserted, indicate progress in the "right direction," since municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants (80% of the total of 8,132 municipalities) have increased their population by more than 437,000 inhabitants since 2018, compared to the loss of almost 400,000 recorded between 2011 and 2017. "It is possible to reverse depopulation and give small municipalities a future. Reversing this demographic trend is much more than a mere change of direction on a graph. It is a shift towards hope", he added, although he stressed the importance of "being persistent because it is a state policy that transcends legislative terms".

The President of the Government of Spain stressed that the new Strategy is "a commitment to the identity, memory, and future of our towns and villages", with the "responsibility to preserve them" because "what is at stake is the progress of the country we aspire to be", a country "where rights are not lost, where the quality of life in any town or village is comparable to that of any city, and where sharing the territory with new generations and new residents results in mutual benefit and shared progress. A Spain that will soon reach 50 million inhabitants thanks to policies focused on families and an orderly immigration policy. A Spain where there is room for everyone, where there is plenty of space, and which has much to offer in every corner of its territory", he added.

Finally, he emphasised that "different accents, histories, and paths are welcome here", because "the society we want doesn't exclude because we want to integrate, unite, and move forward; a country that protects that freedom-the freedom to stay, to return, or to arrive-is a stronger, fairer, and more cohesive country". "If we continue to make that Spain a reality, we will be filling every corner of the country with hope", he added.

Declassification of the 23F papers

At the start of the event, Pedro Sánchez referred to a historic episode that was "a difficult but very important episode in the democratic history of our country, the attempted coup d'état of 23F". "Today, 45 years later, the 23F documents are finally available to all citizens", confirmed Pedro Sánchez, as they are now "fully accessible" on the Moncloa Palace website. "Today we are making our country and our democracy a little better," he stressed.

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