Resident’s Perspective

The dynamic study of human populations has become a useful tool in the service of population and social policies in numerous countries, in areas such as social security systems and economic employment.

Thus, governments use demographics to determine a country’s growth and the impact of public service provision on its population. When we speak of the de facto population, specifically, we refer to the number of people present and transients—that is, those who, despite not being registered in the municipality where the census is conducted, are in that location at the time it takes place.

The welfare state can be defined as the set of policies consisting of the universal implementation of public and social services that are not economically profitable for the private sector. These services aim to maximize social benefit, guarantee adequate living conditions for the population (education, healthcare…) and prevent people from being left helpless in certain problematic circumstances (retirement, illness, disability…). The state guarantees more or less universal access to these services. It is usually financed through taxes in order to contribute to a true redistribution of wealth.

Generally, several types of benefits can be distinguished:

• Universal benefits, which are offered to the entire population free of charge and only require the beneficiary to request them. For example, healthcare or compulsory education.

• Contributory benefits granted to people who have contributed to Social Security for a minimum contribution period determined by law. For example, unemployment benefits, retirement pensions, or widow’s and orphan’s pensions.

• Subsidized benefits, such as social housing, for which the beneficiary only pays part of the economic cost, according to their financial means.

• Social benefits granted to people who are below the poverty line and have little or no resources. Examples include aid provided by soup kitchens and social wages.

There are different welfare state models, such as the Nordic, Anglo-Saxon, Continental, and Mediterranean models. Spain, along with Italy, Greece, and Portugal, would be part of the Mediterranean model. In these countries, the presence of dictatorships in the second half of the 20th century led to a development lacking in welfare structures, resulting in social systems based on social and family structures. If social public expenditure per inhabitant is analyzed as an indicator of development, it can be seen that Spain, Greece, and Portugal have the lowest expenditure in the EU-15.

The welfare state, unlike the absolute liberal system, rejects any state intervention and entrusts responsibility to private initiative and the charity of foundations and churches. European systems are mixed, and the distribution of tasks between the state and the private sector is the result of political compromises between current ideologies and available financial resources.