Herrero Alcalde, AnaTránchez Martín, José Manuel2025-11-042025-11-042016-04-11Herrero-Alcalde, A. y J.M. Tránchez (2017): “Demographic, political, institutional and financial determinants of regional social expenditure: the case of Spain”, Regional Studies, 51(6), 920–932. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2016.11468221360-0591https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2016.1146822https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14468/30750The registered version of this article, first published in Regional Studies, is available online at the publisher's website: Taylor and Francis Group , https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2016.1146822La versión registrada de este artículo, publicado por primera vez en Regional Studies, está disponible en línea en el sitio web del editor: Taylor and Francis Group , https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2016.1146822This paper contributes to the literature on the determinants of regional social spending using a data set of the 17 regional governments in Spain. With both a fixed-effects static and a dynamic model, results suggest that demography, inputs, institutional design and resources are critical in determining the size of regional social budgets. Empirical evidence was found about the existence of economies of scale, but social services do not seem to follow a luxury-good pattern. Left-wing governments seem to spend more, while federal regulations work as constraints of regional autonomy. Finally, strong evidence that the `foral` system of regional financing is creating horizontal inequalities in the access to essential public services was found, while the common regime seems to be working well enough.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess5304 Actividad económica5303 Contabilidad públicaartículoregional financing systemsocial expendituresocial services