Pensions leave almost 2.5 billion a month in Catalonia and 2 billion in Andalusia and Madrid.

State spending on pensions distributes around €13.5 billion across Spain each month, equivalent to, for example, five times the jackpot of the Christmas Lottery. Of this amount, almost €2.5 billion goes to Catalonia, nearly €2 billion to Andalusia, and slightly less to the Community of Madrid.

Pensions are not a territorialized expenditure of the State, since they are an individual economic benefit received for various reasons, such as retirement, disability, widowhood, or orphanhood, and their amount is determined by personal circumstances, such as the contributions made by each worker throughout their working life.

However, as stable income, they represent an enormous amount of funds that each month impact the economy, not only the personal and family benefits of the beneficiaries, but also the localities and territories in which they reside, consume, and pay taxes.

The latest data published by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, corresponding to the month of April, indicate that Social Security paid 10,324,244 pensions to 9.3 million pensioners that month— 4.7 million men and 4.6 million women—amounting to €13,515.2 million.

By region, 2,452.02 million euros were paid in Catalonia, representing 18.1% of the total; 1,989.62 million euros in Andalusia, representing 14.7%; 1,930.20 million euros in Madrid, representing 14.3%; and 1,283.27 million euros in the Valencian Community, representing 9.5%.

In the Basque Country it was 941.63 million, in Galicia 880.79, in Castilla y León 827.73, in Castilla-La Mancha 488.93, in Asturias 458.64, in the Canary Islands 441.33, in Aragon 437.59, in Murcia 310.53, in Extremadura 268.88, in the Balearic Islands 258.82, in Navarre 220.17, in Cantabria 204.15e, La Rioja 96.88, in Ceuta 12.42 and in Melilla 11.50 million euros.

Of the total pensions, 1,802,429 were paid in Catalonia, 17.4% of the total; 1,692,247 in Andalusia, 16.39%; 1,272,319 in Madrid, 12.32%; and 1,060,710 in the Valencian Community, 10.27%.

In the rest of the communities there were 783,699 pensions in Galicia , 632,117 in Castilla y León, 583,678 in the Basque Country, 399,771 in Castilla-La Mancha, 370,170 in the Canary Islands, 316,247 in Aragon, 301,750 in Asturias, 266,298 in Murcia, 243,024 in Extremadura, 211,966 in the Balearic Islands, 147,963 in Cantabria, 146,925 in Navarre, 74,638 in La Rioja, 9,311 in Ceuta and 8,982 in Melilla.

The territorial distribution of pension funds and the number of pensions depends on factors such as average wages and the aging of the population.

For example, Andalusia, with a younger population and below-average wages, receives 14.7% of pension funds and collects 16.39% of them, while having 17.7% of the population, which is 3 and 1.3 percentage points less, respectively.

In contrast, the Basque Country, with an older population and the highest salaries in Spain, receives 7% of the money and accounts for 5.6% of the pensions, while having 4.6% of the population, which represents 2.4 and 1 percentage point more, respectively.

Depending on the age or youth of each community, there is also a redistributive effect towards the areas affected by the phenomenon of depopulation.

Thus, while the first communities on both lists, which are the most populated, are home to six out of 10 Spaniards (59.7%), they collect 56.6% of the money and 56.44% of the pensions paid, that is, more than 3 percentage points less in each case.

The opposite occurs in regions affected by depopulation, such as Castile and León, where 4.9% of the country's population receives 6.1% of the funds and pensions, 1.2 percentage points more in each case; or Galicia, where 5.5% of the population receives 6.6% of the funds and 7.6% of the pensions, 1.1 and 2.1 percentage points more.