"Madrid nos roba": Catalonia can economically support itself better than Spain does

Catalonia pays more in tax than any other region in Spain, and their contributions make up 20% of Spain’s GDP. Catalonia does not receive back its fair share from the tax money it contributes, which goes toward propping up more impoverished regions. Separatists claim they lose approximately 16 billion euros a year. Catalonia unfairly over-contributes to the rest of Spain, resulting in a fiscal deficit. Separatists argue that Catalonia would be able to keep all its tax revenues as an independent nation and would therefore be better off. ^[3] Catalonia is wealthy and could easily survive as an independent nation. It has the biggest GDP of any region in Spain, with an economy the size of Denmark. The Catalan region produces cars, food, and chemical products worth an estimated 71 billion euros in foreign exports.^[4] It also receives a large share of Spain’s tourism. So long as Catalonia remains part of the EU, its export figures would remain the same, and a break with Spain would not economically damage it. This prosperity is evident too, with Catalans more likely than other Spanish people to feel wealthy, and unemployment is lower in the region than elsewhere.^[5] Catalonia is wealthy enough to stand alone as a nation and benefit economically from no longer providing support to other regions of Spain.

[P1] Catalonia gives more in taxes than it receives in benefits from Spain. [P2] Catalonia is one of the wealthiest parts of Spain and could easily survive as an independent nation. [C] Catalonia can support itself and should break from Spain.