losing

Neobanks break 25% market share in Spain. Traditional banking is losing young customers

by

They are no longer an anecdote, they are a main actor. For the first time, neobanks have exceeded 25% of the market share among individuals in Spain. A new report echoed by some media, places the penetration of these entities in 27.2%. It is a significant jump from the 21.8% they registered in 2024. The data confirms a clear trend: traditional banking is losing the battle for the young customer, although it continues to retain the main business. Image: Revolut What is a neobank. Unlike traditional bankingneobanks operate 100% digitally, without physical branches. Their model is based on a very light cost structure that allows them to offer commission-free services all managed from a mobile app. The Bank of Spain itself defines them as entities that offer banking intermediation services in a completely digital way. The assault on the young public. Neobanks entered the Spanish market attacking a very specific niche: young people and travelers. a study from Adyen and OpinionWay reveals that practically all Spaniards (93%) reject paying banking fees abroad. This has caused 59% of millennials and 55% of Gen Z to trust them more than traditional banks when traveling. Part of the “win” in innovation and reputation It’s not just in the product, but in the marketing. They understood that an app was not enough to attract the new generations; You had to be where they are: social networks and platforms like Twitch and YouTube. Revolut has been the most aggressive, renewing for a third year its alliance with Ibai Llanos and sponsoring its “Evening of the Year.” It seems that traditional banking has reacted to this trend, and has used the same weapons: now, Banco Santander has signed the YouTuber Plex. With almost 15 million followers on their networks, He is the protagonist of the last campaign. The Revolut surprise. This growth is not uniform; It is led by the well-known Revolut. A report from the CNMC was devastating: in 2024, Revolut led the acquisition of new accounts in Spain with 19.8% of the total, surpassing giants such as BBVA and Santander. The CNMC was blunt and recognized that “neobanks and fintechs pose a real competitive threat.” Figures. That leadership in recruitment now translates into real money. According to data from Expansion and El Mundo, the total neobank customer base in Spain exceeded five million in 2024. Revolut quadrupled its deposits in a single yeargoing from 739 million euros to 3,127 million. Meanwhile, its competitor N26 (with one million clients) suffered a 9% decline in deposits since December. Image: BBVA Fintech in traditional banks. The reactionary stance of some entities has led them to a strategy: launch their own neobanks to compete in the same field. Imagin stands out, promoted by CaixaBank. Your numbers They do not leave many doubts: they can boast 3.5 million clients and a 48% market share in the 18 to 34 year old segment among the main neobanks. But very few trust them with their payroll.. Despite the good penetration figures, traditional banking continues to dominate the main relationship with the customer. According to a report by Inmark, banks such as CaixaBank, Santander and BBVA account for almost 84% of the business market. Among individuals, only 4.2% use a neobank as their main entity. However, the goal of neobanks is stop being a complement. They are ripening to attack the core business of banking: Revolut has already announced its plans to offer mortgages in Spain and yes it has materialized installment payment services. The official view: necessary competence. The rise of fintech is a trend validated by official organizations. The Bank of Spain, in its 2025 Observatoryconfirms a 50% growth in the number of entities since 2020 and a 249% increase in their total assets since 2018. At the European level, the president of the Single Resolution Board recently warned that the Revolut model reinforces the need for a deposit guarantee fund mutualized in the EU. For its part, the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC) and your report It is important to understand why they succeed: The traditional banking sector is highly concentrated. Spain (HHI of 1,331) has a higher index than Germany (323) or France (567). This lack of competition is one of the reasons why traditional banks do not remunerate deposits. It is the neobanks who break this dynamic. The Spanish banking sector is four times more concentrated than the German one, according to the CNMC. Neobanks have not grown by chance: they have taken advantage of the void that traditional banking left by not competing Now, there are always stones on the road. The CNMC points out that Spaniards have a “relatively high level of distrust” in online banking – only 23% feel “very comfortable” compared to the 41% average in the eurozone – and “below” average financial education. This paints a battlefield for the coming years. The growth of neobanks shows that they have won the usability war: they are easier to use and have masterfully conquered the young public. However, CNMC data reveal that traditional banking still has the most important defensive moat: customer trust and inertia. Cover image | Composition with images of CardMapr.nl and Revolut In Xataka | There are more and more millionaires in the world and that is a problem: luxury products are no longer exclusive

There is an industry losing 42,000 jobs and bleeding before us: Hollywood

by

The entertainment industry in Los Angeles is going through its worst crisis in decadeswith a dizzying drop in the number of productions and jobs, which has caused a feeling of “economic disaster” in the creative heart of California. It seems like a well-known story that we recover cyclically every few years, but this time some abysmal figures, never seen before, accompany: the media have detected how companies are entering a real emergency situation. Are we contemplating Hollywood’s last great crisis? Two years of chaos. According to The Wall Street Journalthe crisis that Hollywood is going through not only affects the large studios and production companies, but also has an impact on thousands of indirect jobs and the commercial fabric of the city: restaurants, technical services, prop stores and housing have seen how the activity linked to film and television is drastically reduced. In the last two years, more than 40,000 jobs have been lost in the sector, leaving animators, technicians, scriptwriters, operators and small businesses in a precarious situation, and raising the local unemployment rate above the state and national average.​ Some data. These 40,000 direct jobs disappeared represent a drop of more than 20% of the sector’s total. With this, the unemployment rate in Los Angeles County for industry professionals has reached 5.7%, exceeding not only the state average of California (5.5%) but also the national average of the United States, around 4.3%. All this has led to a drop in local production to historical record numberswith a decrease of at least 30% in film and television projects recorded in Los Angeles, continuously since 2023.​ And how is that reflected for practical purposes? In it production exodus: The number of Hollywood projects filming outside of California, primarily in states with more competitive tax incentives such as Georgia and New Mexico, has risen 25%.​ The signal from the sets. The occupation of the Hollywood sets It is perhaps the clearest sign of how the area’s economy has fallen. In 2024, the average occupancy of sets in Los Angeles fell to a historic 63%, a significant decrease from the average of more than 90% that remained constant between 2016 and 2022. And there is another fact: only 20% of the activity on sets was destined for television, down from 30% in previous years. The cause, as we will see below, is the reduction in expenses that the platforms of streamingimmersed in extreme savings policies.​ But why does it happen? First of all, prolonged strikes of scriptwriters and actors since 2023, which paralyzed a good part of local production, generating million-dollar losses and discouraging new investments from being generated. Added to this is the considerable increase in the cost of living and production in Los Angeles, which has led many studios and production companies to seek alternative destinations with tax incentives and more attractive subsidies, such as those mentioned above, Canada or other emerging markets.​ Another significant cause is the transformation of the entertainment economic modelparticularly with the proliferation of platforms streaming. These platforms, faced with market saturation and pressure to maintain profitability, have reduced their budgets and the number of projectstaking away part of the total production volume in Los Angeles. The combination of lower demand and budgetary adjustments has pushed the industry into a prolonged contraction.​ And finally, there is the emergence of artificial intelligencewith its challenge to traditional labor, especially in fields such as animation, visual effects and post-production. And now what. To begin with, an immediate effect: The position of the United States as a global leader in audiovisual production is in danger. Not only are a significant number of productions moving to other regions and even countries, attracted by better fiscal conditions, lower costs and cheaper technical equipment. It is that thanks to the globalization of entertainment that has brought streamingticket offices like those in Korea or China They are no longer secondary. This week’s highest-grossing film worldwide it has been an anime. The animation phenomenon of the year has been a k-pop idol movie. The throne is more disputed than ever. Header | Braden Egli in Unsplash In Xataka | While Hollywood goes through a slump, one film industry is constantly filling theaters: the Chinese one

does everything the other way around in Spain, is losing a fortune… and plans to open more stores

by

Costco has announced that it will continue opening warehouses in Spain despite accumulating 150 million euros in losses since its arrival in 2014, according to reports Digital Economy. The Spanish subsidiary recorded another 7.5 million losses in 2024, although its sales shot up to 607 million. The company already operates five centers (Seville, Getafe, Las Rozas, Sestao and Zaragoza) and is looking for new land. Its latest establishment in Zaragoza started with 15,000 members on the day of its inauguration. Why is it important. Costco represents the complete opposite of the model that dominates Spain: Mercadona triumphs with medium storesa reduced assortment and no membership. He doesn’t even have his own card. Costco is committed to large stores of more than 15,000 square meters, buying in bulk and charging a membership fee. It is the clash between two philosophies: the Spanish one that lives in your neighborhood and offers small, domestic formats, versus the American one of “pay 36 euros a year and get 24 rolls of toilet paper.” The strategy. Costco is playing the game Amazon played for two decades: lose money in a controlled way while it grows and build market share. Its 750,000 members (15% more than in 2023) and constant sales growth suggest that the model is finding its place. The company earned 11.5 million just from membership fees in 2024. Each new center comes with a gas station and Kirkland’s own brand products. Its average salary of 24,044 euros is above the sector. The contrast. Where Mercadona has immediate success, Costco has sustained losses. Where Mercadona optimizes margins (3.88% net profitin an upward trend), Costco optimizes volume and loyalty. Where Mercadona dominates with a 28% national share, Costco is building small niches. Yes, but. The bet has obvious risks. Costco needs critical mass for its model to work, and Spain is not the United States. Spanish purchasing habits favor proximity over volume, and competition in large stores – dominated by the French – is fierce. In fact, the hypermarket is going down in favor of the supermarket. We no longer make shopping a three-hour ritual on Saturday, but instead take advantage of empty spaces to make small purchases any day. And now what. Costco maintains that 2025 will bring more investment and land prospecting. The key will be if it manages to replicate in Spain what it achieved in other markets: convert initial losses into long-term leadership. It took Amazon twenty years to become profitable. Costco has been in our country for ten years and continues to invest. In Xataka | Spain has become a country addicted to something that a few years ago enjoyed little prestige: white label. Featured image | Marcus Reubenstein

Amazon kept losing money on its Echo devices. He has found a way to stop the bleeding: flood us with ads

by

Amazon has been losing a fortune with their Amazon Echo devices. Connected speakers and displays are in millions of homes, but they have never been profitable. The company’s hope was that they would become a vehicle to sell more products on its e-commerce platform, but that goal was never met. Now Amazon has found a way to get a lot out of them: to put advertising in them for good. Lots of advertising. Why is it important. Amazon has just launched on the market your new Echo Show and Eco Dot. Prices have risen in all cases, but they also arrive with Alexa+ —although not in Spain at the moment—, the AI ​​assistant that the company has been working on for several months. These products are supposed to offer important advantages in the user experience, but at the moment what is happening is that these devices are displaying advertisements frequently. Wasted. Between 2017 and 2021 Amazon lost more than $25 billion with its Amazon Echo. The idea seemed good: they could sell them at a loss if they later amortized them by converting them into products to sell us things. Instead, users ended up taking advantage of them for little more than setting timers and musicand that has ended up being a huge problem for Amazon. Ads everywhere. There are several users of Amazon’s connected screens—the Echo Show—who are seeing surprise ads appear on these screens. a user Reddit account how the alarm clock feature on your Echo Show 5 became an annoying ad. Other user checked that in addition to one advertisement, songs that he had not specified were playing, while another he complained about how his Echo Show kept advertising the Amazon Plus service. Ads now appear more frequently on Prime Video. Source: Xataka. Flooded with advertising. These screens don’t stop showing ads, match other users, but in addition none of those users accepted that their devices could be used to display advertising, and there is no switch or configuration parameter that stops this behavior. Even people who are paying $20 for Alexa+, Amazon’s new AI assistant, are complaining from all that advertising avalanche. Also on Prime Video. Personally, I don’t have an Echo Show, but I have noticed that when enjoying series and movies on Prime Video, advertisements are broadcast with greater frequency and duration. I am not he only (not much less). Amazon allows customize preferences regarding advertising, but those who have done it affirm that this does not hardly reduce the frequency with which advertisements appear. What Amazon says. An Amazon spokesperson stated the following: at Ars Technica: “Advertising is a small part of the experience and helps customers discover new content and products they may be interested in. If customers don’t like a suggestion, they can swipe to the next card on the screen or directly provide feedback by tapping the info icon or tapping the screen.” If you move away, I announce to the song. The Amazon Ads website details the ad formats, and the text explains that “The ad viewing experience dynamically adapts based on the customer’s proximity to the device.” Once it is detected that the user is more than 1.2 meters away from their device, “the ads are displayed in full screen alternating with other content, such as the weather, recipes, sports and news.” This seems to be getting worse. The latest comments seen on Reddit or on X (formerly Twitter) seem to make it clear that Amazon is increasing the amount of advertising it displays on its devices and services. The question, of course, is how far they will go… and how that will impact both sales of their devices and subscriptions to their platforms. In Xataka | Amazon missed the AI ​​train, but it wants to catch it back. The new Alexa with AI will arrive this month to try it

Green tea has always been thought to be good for losing fat. Now we know why

by

Green tea has been known for centuries for its antioxidant properties and medicinal, and modern science has therefore wanted to investigate whether it really has clear effects on metabolic diseases important such as diabetes or obesity. Now, a new study published in Cell wanted to delve deeper into its mechanisms and reveals that green tea significantly improves glucose sensitivity in obese mice. The diet. To reach these conclusions, the research team put mice on a high-fat diet for four weeks to induce obesity. After this time, they divided the animals: one group continued with the high-fat diet and received a standardized green tea extract (500 mg per kg of body weight), while another group received only water. A third control group consumed a normal diet for comparison. The temperature. The key to the study, and what differentiates it from many others, was temperature control. Mice were maintained in a “thermoneutrality” environment at 28°C. This is crucial because the usual laboratory temperature (about 22 °C) means cold stress for the mice, which forces them to spend more energy to stay warm and therefore lose ‘artificial’ weight. This extra energy expenditure can mask the true effects of the substance studied, such as green tea in this case. In this way, by eliminating this factor, scientists were able to “cleanly” observe the real impact of green tea. The result. They confirmed the powerful effect of green tea on weight control and metabolic health. According to a previous study by the same group, obese mice treated with green tea reduced their body weight by up to 30%, a very significant result. In the current research, it was noted that the treatment “effectively prevented body weight gain.” But in addition to the weight, which can be very good, the most interesting thing is undoubtedly the ability of green tea to make the body better manage blood sugar. Obese mice treated with the extract were seen to restore their glucose levels to levels similar to those of healthy mice, as demonstrated by glucose and insulin tolerance tests (GTT and ITT). Although if you look at the fasting values ​​there are also important changes, since the treated mice had lower sugar values ​​than the obese mice that were not treated. Protective effect. One of the most notable findings was the effect protector on muscle mass. Obesity usually causes a reduction in the diameter of muscle fibers (atrophy), but the study revealed that green tea not only prevented this deterioration, but caused a “significant increase in the cross-sectional area of ​​muscle fibers.” This suggests that green tea protects muscle from the harmful effects of obesity. The mechanism. There are several systems to understand why these effects occur in the body: Fat metabolism: treatment increases the expression of key genes involved in lipid uptake in the muscles, and the creation of new mitochondria is also enhanced, which in the end are the ones that will use up the energy. Glucose uptake: sugar uptake was improved by improving the number of insulin receptors in cells as well as the famous transporter GLUT4 which allows the muscles to capture and use this sugar much better by removing it from the bloodstream. Energy production: increasing the enzyme LDH in the body it is related to an increase in energy metabolism that increased in treated mice. It’s not a miracle. Although the results are promising, researcher Rosemari Otton warns that this is not a miracle solution. The dose used in mice would be equivalent to about three cups of green tea a day for a human, but quality is essential. Otton recommends the use of standardized extracts, since the tea bags we have in the supermarket do not always guarantee the quantity or quality of the flavonoids, which in the end are the beneficial compounds. Images | Towfiqu barbhuiya In Xataka | Solving one of the great myths of losing weight: if “walking quickly” works by itself to lose weight

Madrid plays 23.4 billion with data centers. The risk of losing them is in the electrical infrastructure

by

Madrid has managed to position itself as The great HUB Digital of Southern Europe For the data centers industry, but the electrical infrastructure of the twentieth century cannot support the growth of the 21st century. Why is it important. The Community of Madrid leads Spain in data centers with 23.4 billion euros in investments planned until 2028. But 82% saturation This leadership puts this leadership against other European regions. In figures: Madrid concentrates 54.8% of the national capacity of data centers with 216 MW in operation. The forecasts point to 522 MW when the works under construction and up to 1.7 GW in 2030. The sector has grown 33% last year and will generate 35,000 jobs in six years. The threat. Ayuso is preparing allegations against what he considers A “over -regulation” of the Ministry of Ecological Transition, but the real problem is on the network. Electric distributors denied six out of ten access requests last year. Without immediate improvements, Spain would have already lost 60,000 million in investments, according to the employer’s calculations, Spain DC, collected by Digital economy. Between the lines. The Madrid paradox is evident: The region produces just 1,334 GWh … … but consume 27,487 GWh per year. It is an energy black hole that works because Spain exports electricity and technological ones sign long -term contracts. But that does not solve the saturation of the distribution network. What is happening. The Government He has put a Royal Decree until September 15 which will force data centers to report their environmental footprint, energy consumption and water use. Madrid considers that it can subtract competitiveness, but it is a minor problem compared to the lack of electrical capacity. Deepen. Spain DC claims an urgent modernization plan, and The electric ones ask the CNMC to raise the remuneration rate of 6.46% to 7.5% To invest in a network. The cost will be paid by consumers at the light bill, but without that investment Madrid will lose the train centers train against Frankfurt, Amsterdam or Paris. In Xataka | Emptied Spain has been filled with solar mills and panels, but waste energy for a simple reason: there are no cables Outstanding image | Community of Madrid

There are sharks losing teeth

by

Sharks are seen as The perfect predator being the hunting machine perfected for millions of years in our seas. His most iconic weapon, a mouth full of rows of sharp teeth like blades, has assured them A place at the top of the oceanic food chain. However, an invisible and silent threat This formidable tool could be weakening: The acidification of the oceans. Sharks placed to the test. A new study published by A team of German researchershas tested the resistance of these teeth in the chemical conditions that are expected in our seas for the year 2300. The results, observed through powerful microscopes, reveal that even the teeth of the sharks are vulnerable, showing obvious signs of corrosion and structural degradation. This could compromise your ability to hunt, and therefore, your survival. Why the ocean becomes more acidic. Before entering the experiment methodology you have to know what oceanic acidification means. In summary, it is one of the direct effects of the increase in carbon dioxide, and it is that A quarter of the co₂ we emit is absorbed by the oceans. When coming into contact with water there is a reaction that forms carbonic acid that decreases the pH of the water causing it to be much more acidic. The forecasts are not promising. In this way, to understand how our seas pH will evolve, you just have to observe CO₂ release forecasts for the coming years. In this case, IPCC projections (Intergovernmental panel of climate change) are very worrying. If emissions continue to the current rhythm, the reality we will face is that the pH of sea water will fall from the current 8.1 to 7.3 in the year 2300. This change, although it may seem small, represents a mass chemical alteration with serious consequences for marine life. Teeth in the water of the future. To verify the hypothesis, the scientists collected teeth that black tips sharks had naturally lost in the Sealife Aquarium in Oberhausen (Germany) so as not to damage any alive animal. Specifically, there were 16 selected teeth that submerged two controlled environments. The first one was the control group where the teeth were exposed to a pH of 8.2, that is, the one that is now in the seas. The second group was the experimental where the teeth were exposed to artificially acidified marine water with CO₂ until a pH of 7.3 is achieved. In this way, it was about simulating the conditions to which they will be exposed in 2300. The microscope verdict. The results They were clear and alarming: while the teeth of the control group remained in good condition, those who were submerged in acidic water showed significant deterioration. The most affecting part was the base of the tooth, known as the root, where the corrosion level was 8.2% instead of the 5.3% suffered by the control group. The crown, the visible and cutting part of the tooth, also suffered changes with cracks and holes in the outer layer. But the most worrying thing is that the secondary rows of teeth, crucial to tear the meat from the dams, degraded. Interestingly, when measuring the perimeter of the teeth, those of the acid group showed a slight “increase.” This does not mean that they grew, but that their stress became more irregular and rough by corrosion in a clear sign of degradation. Why imports a damaged shark tooth. A damaged tooth is not just an aesthetic problem, since for a predator like the shark It is a matter of survival. Weak and less sharp teeth mean lower efficiency when hunting. This could force them to spend more energy to feed, affecting their growth and general physical state. They have not taken into account other factors. It is important to clarify that this study focused on the purely chemical effects on teeth already detached, without taking into account the possible biological repair mechanisms that a living shark could have. In fact, other studies with living sharks They have shown less drastic resultssuggesting that some species could have some compensation capacity. However, what this investigation demonstrates unequivocally is that the material from which the shark teeth are made, despite its incredible hardness (They contain fluoroapatitaa more acid -resistant mineral than our teeth), is not invulnerable. Images | Trust “Tru” Katsande In Xataka | The increase in the surface temperature of the ocean has accelerated: four times faster than in the 80s

There is an AI battle that China is overwhelmingly losing against the US: that of Capex

by

Beijing, we have a problem. It is much that the Asian giant has achieved In recent years to achieve compete from you to you With the US in the field of AI, but it is losing a crucial battle: that of investment. There his rival was already overcoming him before. Now he is crushing him. Investment gap. Winning in AI means doing it in many areas. China has managed to overcome many obstacles and is competing with the US in the ability of its models. Is even starting to have Really promising chips They can put things to Nvidia. However, China has a big problem in the field of investment, because its companies do not invest by far as much as the Americans do. The US capex is astronomical. In the last five years Google, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon They have accumulated A capex of 5.36 billion yuan. Meanwhile, the seven large Chinese technology companies (Tencent, Alibaba, Baidu, JD.com, Kuaishou – one, do not include Bytedance -, meituan, and netease) invested a total of 630,000 million yuan. The difference is spectacular, but it has been increasing over time. According to A report From Jinduan Research Institute, in 2020 the US capex ratio with China’s was 1: 6, but at present that ratio is already approaching 1:10. It is not so much that China does not invest: is that the USA invests much more. Source: Jinduan Research Institute Data centers send. Although not all the capex of these technological ones is intended for AI, the majority of that capital expenditure is certainly focused on this area. In fact, we have already seen how the great US technology have announced multimillion -dollar investments in data centers. From 100,000 million of dollars that intend to invest Amazon to 65,000 million of goal dollars, the figures are absolutely dizzy. Network effect. To that problem is added that of Network effect which is causing US investment. This effect occurs when a product or service becomes more valuable as more people use it. The US investment allows better models to develop and attract more users that generate more data. These data “feedback” AI and improve models, which in turn makes more users use it, and thus in an infinite loop. The quality of the Chinese models in front of those of the US is remarkable, at least according to some of the most popular benchmarks in the market. Source: Artificial Analysis. Adoption rate. The problem, they indicate in the Jinduan report, is in the adoption of the AI by the US, which is also supposedly far superior to that of China. According to its data, the AI adoption rate by companies in the US is 78%, while in China that figure does not go from 15%. The first data comes from A study of the consultant McKinsey, while it is not clear where China comes from. The same goes for the number of active weekly users of chatbots of AI. In the US, 1,000 million are exceeded – only chatgpt He already counts With about 700 million – but in China that figure seems to be only 70 million according to the study, a figure that a priori seems doubtful. The Questmobile consultancy revealed that last November the number of active users of AI apps in China exceeded 100 million users. China (probably) would like to spend more, but can’t. Although it is not clear if the adoption rate causes that minor capex or is the other way around, but what is certain is that Chinese companies would probably want to increase their capex to bet even stronger for AI. The problem is that they cannot due to export controls which has imposed the commercial war between the US and China. If the United States Veta chips export And advanced components from AI to China, those companies simply cannot dedicate more money to buying them. Dividends. The authors of the Jinduan report point to another reason for that difference in Chinese Capex-Eeu. Chinese companies are using the benefits obtained to repurchase actions and offer dividends instead of dedicating them to CAPEX. According to this report “in 2024, the total net amount of the repurchases of shares, dividends and debt amortizations of Tencent reached 1.68 billion RMB, more than double its capital expenditure for that year.” Thus, the restrictions imposed by the US are only part of the problem. The “deflation of AI” China seems to be due to a certain inaction by these companies, the report points out, and that can end up causing a big problem, especially in the long term. Image | Karolina recordowska In Xataka | The infrastructure boom for AI begins to show cracks: China accumulates unreasonable data centers, and is not the only one

Zamora and Ourense were only richer than the poorest provinces in southern Spain for pensions. And they are already losing them

by

The pension system (and above all Your sustainability in the medium and long term) it may be a challenge for the State, but it is also a important economic engine. Retirees generate employment. And move wealth. Its weight is relevant especially in certain provinces of Spain emptied and depopulated in which those over 65 years of age come More than 30% of the entire population. The problem is that some points of the Spanish geography face A worrying threat: lose that last (and crucial) source of income. The reason is very simple: they lose more pensioners than they win. Spain, increasingly old. Spain ages. The average age of the population It has been increasing Throughout the last decades and if nothing changes it will continue to do so (at least) mid -21st centurya drift that arrives accompanied by a widening of the cusp of the population pyramid. And for sample A button: If in 1998 there were 8.63 million people over 60 years old in Spain, in 2022 there were already 12.57 million, 26.5% of the total census. The great paradox. If there are more elderly, it is normal to think that there will be more retirees charging pensions. And it is so, although with certain nuances. As remember Javier Jorrín in The confidential The situation is not the same in all regions of Spain, just as it has not been its demographic drift over the last years. And that in practice can lead to a curious phenomenon: that in a country in full aging there are provinces that begin to lose pensioners. What is the reason? A peculiar Sorpasso. In some provinces there are already more elderly that exceed the life expectancy (81.1 years for them, 86.3 for them) that workers about to retire, a mismatch that invites you to think that in not much time they will begin to lose pensioners. There are three province in fact that they already face that peculiar situation: Lugo, Ourense and Zamora. In all the population over 83, it exceeds the one that moves between 60 and 64. Why does it matter? For several reasons. The number of pensioners in these provinces still grows and the Galician Statistics Institute esteem For example, at the end of the next decade, the population over 65 years in Lugo will have increased sensitively, but there are certain signs that suggest that this increase will end up reversing. In 2039 In the same Galician province there will be 26,800 people between 60 and 65 years against 40,108 over 80 years. Something more than demography. That there are territories of empty Spain that face the perspective of winning less retirees than they lose is not a simple demographic curiosity. Pensions have become a key piece of the Spanish economy, especially of aging and depopulated regions. A study Recent of the University of Castilla-La Mancha concluded, based on data from 2021, that pensions paid to over 65 years Rondan 8% of GDP and his expense promotes the equivalent of 1.2 million of full -time jobs. Household Pilar. A few years ago CCOO developed another report that also revealed its weight in Spanish homes. According to union calculations, one in five Spanish households (21.6%) already depend on an economic level, to a greater or lesser extent, on a retired pensioner. “There are four million homes whose person and reference is retired,” The study concluded. The reason for that percentage? Both the increase in households formed by adults and “the precariousness of the working conditions of people of working age”, which explains that they rely on the resources provided by their retirees. With that data on the table there are Who already points that pensions have become the great source of solidarity towards unpopulated regions. A country with nuances. To understand the figures you have to take into account several keys. And especially the context. The number of pensions in the whole of Spain It has been increasing progressively over the last years and everything indicates that this trend will not be reversed. In spring the airf estimates that the total expenditure on pensions will grow more than 4% annual until 2040 promoted in part by the revaluation based on the CPI, but also the increase of pensioners. The really important thing is how that already withdrawn population is distributed and especially how it will do it as the Boomersa cohort that once starred in internal migration from Spain emptied to large population centers. In fact, while there are regions and provinces that lose inhabitants about to retire (60-64 years) in others their number grows at a good pace. A third key factor is the amount of the amount of the pensions themselves. Images | VLADA SARGU (UNSPLASH) and Philippe Leone (UNSPLASH) Via | The confidential In Xataka | Being your own boss has a price: an average retirement pension 657 euros lower than employees

Train liberalization in Spain has been a success for travelers. The problem is that companies are losing a money

by

Railway liberalization has reached cruise speed with spectacular results for passengers … but demolving for operators accounts. Why is it important. The train price war is changing the transport map in Spain. Users earn with more low options and prices, but companies are bleeding money in a battle that has also begun to question the sustainability of the current model. In figures: Almost 40 million travelers They used high speed in 2024. That is 77% more than in 2019, before pandemic. Prices They have fallen up to 42% On some routes. Passenger income is 35% below the levels prior to liberalization. The context. Ouigo has become the undisputed EY of low prices. In the first quarter it was the Most economical operator in four of the five liberalized runners: Madrid-Barcelona (18.59 euros). Madrid-Sevilla (29.09 euros). Madrid-Málaga (26.89 euros). Madrid-Aliante (20.80 euros). Only in Madrid-Valencia surpassed him Avlo, and it was for just 25 cents. This aggressive strategy It is giving results. The French subsidiary has managed to capture 36% of the market in Madrid-Aliante, 25% in Madrid-Valencia and 15% in Madrid-Barcelona. Yes, but. Profitability is another issue. The sources do not indicate the concrete losses of each operator in 2024, but The data They indicate that the average income remains far from the levels that Renfe achieved alone. The operators have increased only 6% the average income in Madrid-Barcelona, to the 8 cents per traveler and kilometer, a figure that remains 35% lower than the era of the monopoly. Deepen. Beyond numbers, liberalization is changing mobility habits. The train has won the battle to the plane bluntly: In Madrid-Barcelona, the rail share went from 65%to 81.5%, while other routes exceed 80-90%. And now the financial sustainability of the sector is at stake. If current margins do not allow long -term profitability, something will have to give in: either prices, or some operators will end up withdrawing from the market. In Xataka | Renfe trusted the Avril trains to face the Low Cost of Ouigo and Iro. They do not stop giving problems Outstanding image | Dani guitar

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.