Economy

Index of Economic Freedom of Spanish Cities ILECE 2023

The Foundation for the Advancement of Liberty (FUNDALIB), together with FNF Madrid and ATLAS Network have awarded the capital city of the Canary Islands as the economically freest city of Spain in 2023! Alicante and Almería come in on number two and three. Through their annual index of economic liberty on a municipal level, FUNDALIB sheds a light on important indicators such as the tax burden, the size of local governments and red tape. Santa Cruz benefits from low municipal taxes, i.e. a very competitive construction tax, and serious efforts to lighten the bureaucratic burden for citizens and companies alike. It is noteworthy that none of the three most populous Spanish cities, Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, are under the top 50. We congratulate the winners and hope other municipalities, in Spain and beyond, make similar efforts to foster growth and employment.