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1. Existence of a National Strategy on social inclusion

2. Scope and contents

3. Responsible authority

4. Revisions/ Updates

Existence of a National Strategy on social inclusion

As of the latest available information, there is no specific state-level legislation exclusively dedicated to social inclusion in Spain, including youth social inclusion. 

However, various rights related to social inclusion are embedded within different regulations.

For example, the Spanish Constitution (Constitución Española) guarantees:

• the right to decent employment (Article 35)
• the right to housing (Article 47)
• the right to universal access to the health system (Article 43)

Additionally, there are two national strategies relevant for the social inclusion of young people: 

1. The Youth Strategy 2022-30 (Estrategia Juventud 2022-30)
2. 2024-2030 National Strategy  for the Prevention and Fight Against Poverty and Social Exclusion (Estrategia Nacional de Prevención y Lucha contra la Pobreza y Exclusión Social)

Scope and contents

The Youth Strategy 2022-2030

The inclusion of young people is addressed in the Youth Strategy 2022-30 (Estrategia Juventud 2022-30) and its corresponding Action Plans. While the strategy is not exclusively focused on social inclusion, it is a key priority, specifically under Strategic Axis number 5.

The Youth Strategy 2022-30 (Estrategia Juventud 2022-30)  was approved by the Council of Ministers on May 17, 2014 (Consejo de Ministros el 17 de mayo de 2022). This strategy was developed through a participatory process during 2021-22, involving all Ministries of the General State Administration, the General Directorates of Youth of the Autonomous Communities - within the framework of the Interterritorial Youth Council – and representatives from youth civil society in its design.

The participatory process also included contributions from the Interterritorial Youth Council of Spain and more than 40 national youth organisations. The Strategy was designed in 3 phases, the first, from April to October, the second, from September to October and the final phase in November.

The National Strategy  for the Prevention and Fight Against Poverty and Social Exclusion 2024-2030

The 2019-2023 National Strategy for the Prevention and Fight Against Poverty and Social exclusion (Estrategia Nacional de Prevención y Lucha contra la Pobreza y Exclusión Social) served as a key reference for social inclusion policies in Spain. However, this strategy has now been replaced by the 2024-2030 National Strategy  for the Prevention and Fight Against Poverty and Social Exclusion (Estrategia Nacional de Prevención y Lucha contra la Pobreza y Exclusión Social) which was approved in December 2024.

The 2024-2030 strategy identifies three main areas of action of particular relevance for the inclusion of young people:

1. Employment: persistently high rates of youth unemployment in Spain point towards the need to establish specific action programmes for young people. The absence of employment continues to be one of the main causes of social exclusion, affecting access to housing, healthcare, and overall stability. The 2024-2030 strategy reinforces the importance of:
   1. Expanding youth access to stable and quality employment.
   2. Strengthening vocational training and lifelong learning.
   3. Enhancing employment assistance and support programs under the Youth Guarantee scheme.
2. Education: the main challenges in education continue to include:
   1. Reducing early school-leaving, which remains a concern in Spain
   2. Improving overall educational levels, which still fall below the European average.
   3. Promoting vocational training as a pathway to employment.
   4. Developing alternative educational opportunities for young people who left school prematurely, supporting the reintegration into the education system.
3. Housing: Accessibility to housing remains a structural challenge for young people, particularly due to high rental prices and limited financial independence.  
   1. While no specific housing measures are exclusively targeted at youth within the 2024-2030 strategy, young people can benefit from broader social housing policies and financial aid programs if they meet the income criteria.  
   2. The Eurodesk program remains available as an information and career guidance service that includes details on housing opportunities in Europe

Additional focus areas include:

• Health: Since the launch of the 2022-2030 Youth Strategy (Estrategia Juventud 2022-30), the development of socio-health and employment programmes for people at risk of exclusion has been strengthened.
• The National Action Plan for Social Inclusion: Young people continue to be identified as a particularly vulnerable group, targeted for specific inclusive interventions beyond employment and education.
• Target groups: The groups identified in the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion  as the ‘most vulnerable’ and therefore the target groups for specific actions are:
  1. Youth and young families.
  2. Adolescents and young women who are victims of gender-based and sexual violence or at serious risk of social exclusion.
  3. Adolescents with disabilities.
  4. Youth and adolescents who belong to the LGTBIQ+ group.
  5. Youth from minority and migrant backgrounds, including those of Roma, African and Afro-descendant, Asian, Arab, Latin American, Amazigh or Indo-Pakistani youth, Latin American, Amazigh or Indo-Pakistani backgrounds.
  6. Unaccompanied migrant youth and minors under state guardianship.
  7. Young people in deprivation of liberty.

For its part, the Youth Strategy 2022-30 and its corresponding Action Plans align with the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion, following a roadmap that promotes policies in housing, education, youth emancipation and employment. 

The Youth Action Plan 2022-2024, developed as part of the Youth Strategy 2022-2030, integrates updated measures and investments to address ongoing challenges in social inclusion, adapting policies to economic and social crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic

Responsible authority

The Youth Strategy 2022-2030

The highest authority responsible for the approval and implementation of the strategy is the Inter-Ministerial Youth Commission. At a second level, the Youth Institute (INJUVE) is responsible for an annual follow-up, which are documented in reports

The National Strategy for the Prevention and Fight Against Poverty and Social Exclusion 2024-2030

The highest authority responsible for the preparation, implementation and follow-up of the 2024-2030 National Strategy is the Ministry of Social Rights Consumer Affairs and 2030 Agenda . Within the ministry, the Secretariat of State for Social Rights (Secretaría de Estado de Derechos Sociales), together with the General Directorate of Services for Family Diversity and Social Services (Dirección General de Diversidad Familiar y Servicios Sociales), are the main bodies responsible for the preparation, coordination and follow-up of the plan, as established in Royal Decree, 2/2020.

The General State Administration (Administración General del Estado), Regional Administrations, Local Administration - through the State Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (Federación Estatal de Municipios y Provincias, FEMP) -  NGOs and the Economic and Social Council (Consejo Económico y Social, CES) also participate in the elaboration and execution of the 2024-2030 National Strategy.

As of now, there is no publicly available information regarding the evaluation results of the National Strategy for the Prevention and Fight Against Poverty and Social Exclusion 2024-2030, due to the strategy's recent implementation. The 2022 Operational Plan of the previous National Strategy for Preventing and Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion 2019-2023 analyzed recent trends in poverty and exclusion, detailing the measures implemented to combat these issues.

Revisions/Updates

The Youth Strategy 2022-2030 and its Action Plans

This strategy follows the same steps as the previous one, it wants to create a new social contract that guarantees access to the present and future of young people. The differences with previous strategies stem from a different paradigm: youth has changed. The rise of the feminist movement and the social interest in social movements is becoming evident, while there is another, more vulnerable sector, which only worsens the situation of immigrants without studies.

In turn, the covid-19 pandemic also leaves a big impact not only on the economy but also on all people at risk of social exclusion. Question that this plan contemplates.

The National Strategy for the Prevention and Fight Against Poverty and Social Exclusion 2024-2030 and its Action Plans

Since 2001, Spain’s approach to social inclusion has evolved through several strategic frameworks, transitioning from short-term action plans to long-term national strategies with operational development plans.

The table below outlines the major shifts in focus across different planning periods:

The 2024-2030 strategy builds on past frameworks but expands and refines priorities. Key changes include:

1. Youth Inclusion Integrated Across All Policy Areas → Unlike past strategies, youth measures are embedded in employment, education, housing, and social services.
2. Dedicated Housing Support for Young People → New rent assistance programs and social housing initiatives specifically for youth.
3. Balanced Approach to Employment & Income Security→ More flexible access to minimum income schemes alongside labor market integration measures.
4. Enhanced Regional & Local Coordination → Improved collaboration between national, regional, and municipal authorities.
5. Data-Driven Policy Monitoring → Standardized reporting mechanisms replacing fragmented tracking systems.

Spain’s 2024-2030 strategy includes significant funding allocations for youth: