5.2 Youth participation in representative democracy
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Young people as voters
In Spain, citizens gain the right to vote at age 18, as established by the Spanish Constitution (Article 12) and the Organic Law of Electoral Regime (LOREG) . There are no age-based restrictions beyond this threshold, expect for cases of legal disqualification by a court of law.
This voting age applies uniformly across all types of elections and referenda at national, regional, and local levels.
In local and European elections, non-Spanish legal residents may also vote, provided they meet certain conditions:
- EU citizens: Must be registered residents in Spain and included in the electoral census.
- Third-Country Nationals: Can vote if there is a reciprocity agreement in place (e.g. Bolivia, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, Ecuador, Iceland, Norway, New Zeland, Paraguay, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago).
Some local-level consultations have extended voting rights to young people under 18, particularly for non-binding participatory processes. For example, in Catalonia, the minimum age for citizen participation processes (procesos de participación ciudadana) is set at 16 years old (Law 10/2014, Article 41).
Spain does not have specific legislation or public strategies aimed at encouraging youth electoral participation. While general civic education exists, no national campaigns or policy measures specifically target youth voter turnout.
Due to legal protections for voter privacy and ballot secrecy, Spain does not publish electoral data disaggregated by age. Age-related turnout estimates are typically based on post-election surveys, such as those conducted by the Center for Sociological Research (Centro de Investigación Sociológica, CIS).
Recent trends in voter turnout:
- 2023 General Elections: Overall voter turnout was 70.4%, a slight increase from 69.87% in 2019. While specific age-disaggregated data is unavailable, historical trends suggest that youth turnout remains lower than that of older demographics.
- 2024 European Parliament Elections: Youth participation across the EU saw a decline. Specifically, voter turnout among individuals under 25 decreased to 36%, down from 42% in 2019. This 6-percentage-point drop raises concerns about youth engagement in European electoral processes.
- According to the Youth Report in Spain 2020 (Informe Juventud en España 2020) from the Youth Institute (Instituto de la Juventud, INJUVE) data from 2008 and 2011 show around 10% less participation among young people aged 18-29 than among adults. However, in the 2015 elections, with the arrival of new parties, abstention fell by 5%. Disillusionment with the electoral repetition caused the turnout gap between young people and adults to double, returning to 10% in 2016. In 2019, however, the gap narrowed again to 6.6%.
Young people as political representatives
There is no legislation specifically addressing the participation of young people as members of political parties. Youth members are governed by the Political Parties Act (Ley Orgánica de Partidos Políticos) and party-specific internal statutes, which typically treat all members equally, regardless of age. However, specific provisions on gender equality have been introduced in many political parties.
Most major political parties have youth wings, which operate under their own rules:
- New Generations (Nuevas Generaciones) is the youth section for the Popular Party (PP), with over 55,000 members.
- Socialist Spanish Youth (Juventudes Socialistas de España), represents young members of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (Partido Socialista Obrero Español, PSOE), with over 20,000 members.
Age limits for membership and leadership positions in youth wings vary, but typically range up to 30 or 35 years old, depending on each party’s rules.
There are no legal quotas or positive discrimination measures to guarantee representation of young people in elected bodies at any level. However, all citizens over 18 are legally eligible to run for office.
Some political parties may promote young candidates through internal primaries or youth quotas, but these are voluntary party-level measures, not mandated by law. For example, Podemos and Más País have highlighted younger candidates in their electoral lists in recent elections.
As of the current legislature (as of August 2023):
- Average Age of Deputies: The average age of members of the Congress of Deputies is 51.5.
- Youngest and Oldest Members: The youngest member, Ada Santana Ruiz, is 25, and the oldest member is 71.
Deputies Under 40 Years Old: There are 47 deputies aged 40 or younger, representing 15.4% of the total 350 members.
- Deputies Under 30 Years Old: Only 7 deputies are aged 30 or younger, accounting for 2.0% of the total membership
- Reserved Roles for Members Under 30: There are no specific roles or functions reserved for members under 30 in any parliamentary body.
At regional level, across Spain’s 17 Autonomous Communities, the presence of young representatives varies. While most regional parliaments do not have a significant number of members under 30, several communities have elected individuals in their early 30s, and occasionally under 30, especially from newer political formations.
In the 2023 local elections, a number of municipalities elected mayors under 30, including in towns across Catalonia, Andalusia, and the Basque Country.
There are no official roles or reserved functions for members under 30 in the national parliament or in any regional/local assembly. However, youth-related committees (e.g. youth affairs, education) may include younger members depending on party nominations.
In the EU Parliament, as of the 2019–2024 term, there are no MEPs from Spain under 30.