Search results

The pork industry has consolidated its position as the most important sector for Spanish livestock farming, accounting for over 40% of final livestock production. It comprises around 86,500 farms and 2,600 processors, with most of its production concentrated in just three regions: Catalonia, Aragon and Castile & Leon. Recently, the pork industry has managed to handle the fall in demand due to COVID-19 better than other meat sectors, a result of it being less dependent on the hospitality channel and also the increase in demand from China, whose domestic production has been severely affected by African swine fever (ASF). This situation has allowed Spain’s pork industry to consolidate its position as one of the major players in the EU and the world. The challenges that now need to be tackled by the sector include reducing its pollutant emissions and continuing to strictly apply the necessary biosecurity measures to stop ASF from entering Spain.

Although manufacturing is not among the sectors hardest hit by the crisis, the COVID-19 shock occurred within a context of a prolonged weakness in the sector, not only in Spain but in Europe as a whole. After the initial harsh adjustment, brief and uneven across the various branches of activity, the sector quickly picked up again, approaching its pre-pandemic levels of activity and employment. The outlook for 2021 and 2022 is favourable, driven especially by exports and the investments made via the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (RTRP). Recent disruptions in global supply chains, caused by global transportation bottlenecks and component shortages, will have a limited, temporary impact.

The hospitality sector was among those hardest hit by the consequences of the pandemic as it was at the epicentre of the social distancing measures used to contain the spread of COVID-19. Although official indicators point to the sector’s clear recovery in 2022, this has not been across the board. An analysis of CaixaBank’s internal data reveals the great differences that exist within the sector, with one part that has greatly improved its situation compared with 2019 and another, non-too negligible part that is still encountering difficulties.

Agrifood exports have continued to perform very well during the pandemic within a context where international trade has been particularly hard hit by the crisis. Swine meat, fruit and some fresh vegetables have been in greatest demand, while the Basque Country and especially Aragon have been the regions posting the largest growth in exports between January and July 2020. Despite this favourable performance to date, however, the sector is keeping a close eye on developments in global trade tensions, especially between the US and EU and the Brexit negotiations.

The sectors most closely related to tourism are digitalising faster than the average for the Spanish economy but there is still a long way to go, especially when compared to other tourism industries in Europe. In the next few years, it will be crucial for Spain’s tourism industry to be able to remedy this situation by  means of a clear commitment to digitalisation, which will help to improve its long-term growth capacity. The European NGEU funds are an opportunity to revitalise investment in the digitalisation of tourism businesses after two very tough years for the industry.

Agrifood activity in Spain plays an important role that goes beyond its share of the economy. Its strategic role in international competitiveness, territorial cohesion and productive autonomy makes it a key sector. This article analyses its capacity to shape the country, taking a closer look at its importance at the regional and provincial level, as well as at the evolution of its relative weight in the national economy in recent decades. Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, Castile and León and Catalonia are the autonomous communities that contribute the most to Spain’s agrifood sector, among which Andalusia stands out both for its volume of activity and for its recent dynamism. At the provincial level, Almeria, Seville and Barcelona are the country’s top agrifood hubs.

The Spanish economy has shown a positive tone in the opening months of 2025, driven, above all, by the revival of domestic demand. Although growth is expected to be slightly more moderate than last year, the decline in inflation and interest rates will act as important support factors in an international context marked by uncertainty. The CaixaBank Research Sectoral Indicator reflects this buoyancy in the opening months of the year and shows an increase in the number of sectors in expansion, although the picture is somewhat mixed.

The Spanish tourism sector faces 2026 from a position of strength, with a positive outlook prospects after stabilisation of post-pandemic growth. In 2025, Spain reaffirmed its global leadership with 97 million international arrivals and record spending of €135 billion, ranking second worldwide. Tourism GDP grew by 2.7% and is expected to maintain a growth rate of around 2.5%-2.7% in the coming years. This scenario reflects a more balanced sector, with clear signs of regional diversification and deseasonalisation, and with emerging segments that boost its added value.

The severe restrictions imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19 have resulted in an unprecedented drop in consumption and thereby a record rise in household savings. A large part of these new savings has been involuntary, caused by the impossibility of maintaining the usual level of consumption. According to our estimates, the lifting of restrictions that started in May will encourage part of these involuntary savings to be spent on consumption, this being one of the keys to a rapid recovery of consumption in 2021.

The collapse of tourism in Spain in the wake of COVID-19 has pushed the tourism industry to undertake major price adjustments and the hotel sector has been the greatest exponent of this trend. According to data from the National Statistics Institute, the price per room per day charged by hotels in the summer of 2020 was 16% lower than the previous year. However, this huge price cut does not seem to have played a decisive role in reviving demand in some regions. The change in travel preferences brought about by the pandemic has meant that tourists have opted for nearby, familiar and less congested destinations, focusing less on price and thereby limiting the success of big reductions in hotel prices.