The FED, the employers' association for elderly care, has described the situation as a "national emergency." President Ignacio Fernández-Cid stated that the system is already undersized and unprepared to handle the demographic impact expected in the coming years.
“"The system is already undersized and is not prepared for the demographic impact that is approaching."
Official data from the Ministry of Social Rights indicates that Spain will require between 261,000 and 639,000 additional professionals by 2030. The FED currently estimates the deficit at 160,000 workers, noting that while 1.6 million people are served, 2.2 million applications are pending.
“"An essential system cannot be built on low wages, forced partiality, and physical and emotional exhaustion. Dependency does not lose professionals: it expels them."
The federation points to precarious working conditions (salaries up to 35% lower, high female partiality) and low public funding (0.9% of GDP in Spain compared to the 1.8% European average) as structural causes. Home care services and rural areas are reported as the most severely affected.
