The report ‘Territorial development: opportunities and challenges in rural areas’ is a brief document prepared by the Office of Science and Technology of the Congress of Deputies (Office C), which contextualises and summarises the scientific evidence and ongoing debates on rural development in Spain. It is based on a review of 261 documents and consultations with 22 multidisciplinary experts, including Isabel Bardají and Bárbara Soriano from the Research Group on Agricultural Economics and Natural Resource Management.

The report addresses the situation of rural areas in Spain, which account for 83.9% of the national territory and are home to 15.7% of the population (7.5 million people), making Spain the third country with the highest rate of depopulation in the EU. However, this depopulation does not affect all areas equally.

One of the main causes is urban concentration, where most investment, resources, population, infrastructure and services are concentrated in large metropolitan areas, creating profound territorial imbalances. In addition, difficulties in competitiveness, demographics and access to services feed into each other, creating what has been called a territorial crisis.

In addition, various factors contribute to the urban-rural divide, which represents structural inequalities in quality of life, services and opportunities faced by rural inhabitants compared to urban dwellers. For example, deficiencies in infrastructure and services, lack of public transport, housing, and demographic and gender imbalances are factors that widen this divide.

Rural development and revitalisation strategies seek to offer solutions to these inequalities. The report points out that Spain has not had a genuine rural development policy and that a long-term state agreement is needed to address the needs discussed above.

This report suggests a more balanced territorial model that structures rural development by functional territories or regions. In this model, intermediate cities should be promoted as centres of reference for organising and providing services to surrounding rural areas, with the aim of moving towards a more equitable and sustainable territorial balance.

The revitalisation of rural areas cannot be tackled with isolated solutions or short-term policies. A firm and sustained commitment is needed to reduce the urban-rural divide and harness the full economic, social and environmental potential of these territories. The report stresses the importance of a state pact to provide stability for a comprehensive strategy capable of coordinating administrations, promoting intermediate cities and fostering innovation and economic diversification. Only in this way can we move towards a more balanced territorial model that guarantees opportunities and quality of life for those who choose to live in rural areas. The demographic challenge should not be seen as a threat, but as an opportunity to reimagine the future of the country based on cohesion and sustainability.

You can read the key ideas from the document and download the full report at the following address: https://oficinac.es/es/informes-c/desarrollo-territorial-oportunidades-y-desafios-en-los-ambitos-rurales