Spanish youth distrust of pension spending quadruples

Spanish youth distrust of pension spending quadruples

Why have young Spaniards shifted from ignoring to suspecting public pension expenditure? The latest CIS study on Public Opinion and Fiscal Policy (September 2025) reveals that 16.6% of citizens aged 25 to 34 believe too many public resources are allocated to pensions and Social Security, compared to just 3.9% in 2019. Among the youngest cohort, aged 18 to 24, this proportion reaches 12.5%, whereas six years ago it was a mere 0.5%. These figures remain a minority view, yet never before has such a high level of skepticism toward pension spending been recorded among the younger population.

Rising youth skepticism regarding pension costs

The change is profound and rapid. In 2019, only 3.9% of those aged 25 to 34 believed there was overspending on pensions; today, that figure has quadrupled. For the 18-to-24 age group, the jump is even more dramatic: from 0.5% to 12.5%. While the majority opinion in both groups remains that insufficient resources are dedicated to pensions (around 47-49%), the growth in skepticism is the study's most striking phenomenon.

The perception of excessive spending is particularly widespread among men (10.3% versus 3.1% of women) and voters of opposition parties. 14.1% of those who voted for Vox in the last general elections share this view, compared to 8% for PP, 3.9% for Sumar, and 3.6% for PSOE. Among older groups, especially those nearing retirement or already retired, the idea that there is overspending does not reach 4%.

Other spending policies also under scrutiny

Skepticism is not limited to pensions. Young people increasingly distrust other budget items as well. 19% of the 25-to-34 population believes too much is spent on culture (14 points higher than in 2019); 19% think public works receive more investment than necessary (7.8 points higher); and 16.5% argue that environmental protection receives excessive funding (13.2 points higher). Similarly, 13.7% hold this view regarding unemployment benefits (10.1 points higher) and 13.1% regarding development cooperation (10.1 points higher).

Causes: political shift rightward or feeling abandoned

Explanations vary. According to Elisa Brey, Professor of Sociology and Public Opinion at Complutense University of Madrid, the change relates to a rightward shift among the young and the spread of the idea that money spent on the elderly harms them. Fernando Luján, Deputy Secretary General for Union Policy at UGT, argues that this message is "false" and that intergenerational conflict does not seek better wages for youth, but rather aims to break the public pension system to benefit those seeking profit.

José Ignacio Conde-Ruiz, professor at UCM and deputy director of Fedea, disagrees. For him, the rise in skepticism reflects that young people "feel displaced or forgotten by politics." A contributing factor may have been the sharp increase in pensions in 2022, when all benefits were indexed by 8.5%, including the highest ones. Conde-Ruiz criticizes the Escrivá reform, considering it "very unfair to young people" for failing to adapt the system to changes in longevity.

Debate on system sustainability

The pay-as-you-go system faces an aggravating demographic problem. Some analyses suggest that current pension levels are unsustainable given the population pyramid and future prospects. It is argued that new entrants will not recover anything close to their contributions, and that a shift toward a mixed model of pay-as-you-go and funded capitalization should have begun years ago. Others maintain that the public system guarantees a dignified old age and that the real issue is not pensions, but lack of income and labor precariousness.

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The question remains open: Is youth skepticism a symptom of generational selfishness, or proof that the system, as currently designed, cannot support everyone?