The Ministry of Culture and Sport (Ministerio de Cultura y Deporte) is responsible for the proposal and execution of the Government's policy on the promotion, protection and dissemination of Spanish historical heritage, state museums and the arts, books, reading and literary creation, cinematographic and audiovisual activities and state books and libraries, as well as the promotion and dissemination of culture in Spanish, the promotion of cultural cooperation actions and, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation (Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperación), international relations in the field of culture.

The profile of those who participate in culture the most is usually linked to those with high education and to the youth. Public authorities are required to promote effectively and efficiently the social, political, economic and cultural conditions that allow young people to develop fully, including granting access to participation in culture. The recognition gathered in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), developed in 1966 and incorporated in Spain in 1977, placed special emphasis on the right to culture, by requiring the signatory States to extend cultural participation to all citizens.

In Spain, culture has usually been addressed through independent Plans and Strategies among the different Ministries and Autonomous Communities. In 2017 the National Plan 2020 was created to unify all of them in an unified National Plan, but after the COVID-19 pandemic it has not been renewed. Currently, efforts are mainly aimed at the economic recovery of the sector, the promotion of culture as an element of social cohesion and youth participation and inclusion.