The University of Valencia, through its Department of Applied Economics and the IUDESCOOP Institute, has taken part in various national and European projects to analyse the impact of the social economy and develop statistical tools to measure it in Spain.
Researchers such as José Luis Monzón, Rafael Chaves and Ángel Soler are collaborating on a European project led by the European Commission that assesses the significance of the social economy in the EU. This sector employs more than 11.5 million people (6.3% of the workforce), with high levels of public participation in volunteering and cooperatives.
Furthermore, they have contributed to the compilation of the first Satellite Accounts for the Social Economy in Spain, published by the National Institute of Statistics in 2026. These show that the social economy accounts for 4% of GDP, generates more than 1.2 million jobs and plays a significant role in economic activity.
Taken together, these studies highlight the importance, resilience and growing recognition of the social economy, as well as the role of the University of Valencia as a leading institution in this field and in the creation of data-driven public policies.
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