Madrid took more than half of the investment from Renfe operator in Spain in 2021, according to information published this afternoon by the Ministry of Finance to calculate the fiscal balances of the autonomous communities. Making the data corresponding to 2021 available to researchers was a requirement of Junts to approve the investiture of Pedro Sánchez.
Renfe invested a total of 644.6 million euros in 2021, of which 54.6% was spent in Madrid. It was the community that received the most resources from the public company, ahead of Catalonia with 14.1%. Renfe, together with the 92 public companies of the State, invested 4,422.8 million in 2021. Of these, 19.6% went to Madrid and 11.6% to Catalonia.
If the investment of public companies per inhabitant is compared, it is found that in Madrid 67 euros were spent per inhabitant and in Madrid 129.
The rest of the State’s investment in railways highlights the activity of Adif high speed. In 2021, 1,089.7 million were invested. The community that received the most resources was the Basque Country with 174 million. In Madrid 96.5 million were spent and in Catalonia 22.4 million.
The data published today must be able to allow researchers and public administrations to prepare fiscal balances through the system they consider most appropriate. There are two broadly speaking: monetary flow and charge/benefit. The calculations of different researchers and administrations often differ. For this reason, the Ministry of Finance dispensed with calculating the aforementioned scales.
With a scale you can know what the “balance” is between what a territory contributes to the State via taxes from its citizens and what it receives from it through investments, current spending or payment of pensions and benefits. Normally the most developed communities such as Madrid or Catalonia tend to have a deficit since they contribute more than they receive. The opposite is true with the less developed ones like Extremadura, which usually receive more than they contribute.
