Browsing by Subject "Regional disparities"

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    Territorial efficiency of social spending in Spain
    (2022-01-12) García-Luque, Olga; Lafuente-Lechuga, Matilde; Faura-Martínez, Úrsula; Economía Aplicada
    Purpose – Regional disparities in social risk levels threaten social cohesion in Spain, which cannot be justified by the territorial differences in social spending per capita. These divergences may encourage and spread nationalist positions and populist discourses. The objective of this paper is to examine the efficiency of social policies (health, education and social protection) aimed at reducing the risk of exclusion across Spanish autonomous communities. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use data envelopment analysis (DEA) to compare each autonomous community. The analysis will determine whether the autonomies’ resources (inputs or social spending in this case) are appropriately translated into goods and/or services (outputs or social cohesion), and which regions are more efficient in doing so. Findings – This work contributes to sustaining DEA analysis in the study of social policy efficiency, as it reveals the regions that have better adjustments between social investment and social results from a global perspective, as well as from the different intervention areas. The authors also provide a ranking of regions based on their relative efficiency, estimating a possible margin of improvement in the results. Originality/value – It is unusual to include the disaggregated analysis of social spending in efficiency studies using DEA at regional level. Therefore, this is an innovative analysis compared to most extended models that are mainly concerned with health or education expenditure, which are also considered in this study.
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    The economic dimension of cybercrime in the Digital Era: a systems perspective on structural inequalities and regional dynamics of computer fraud in Spain
    (MDPI, 2026-05-09) Mármol, Carlos J.; Luna, Aurelio; Legaz Pérez, Isabel; Ciencias Sociosanitarias; Facultad de Química
    Computer fraud has become a rapidly expanding form of cybercrime linked to the growth of digital infrastructures and socioeconomic development. This study adopts a sociotechnical systems perspective to examine the temporal evolution, regional disparities, structural determinants, and future trends of computer fraud in Spain (2011–2022). Official data from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior were used to calculate incidence rates per 100,000 inhabitants. Temporal trends were analyzed using linear regression, regional patterns using clustering analysis, and structural associations using correlation models. Projections were developed to estimate trends up to 2035. Computer fraud increased sharply from 44.7 to 707.7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, with the strongest growth observed in card and bank fraud. Higher rates were found in economically developed and highly digitalized regions. Fraud incidence was positively associated with broadband access, mobile connectivity, and income levels, whereas traditional technologies were negatively associated. These findings indicate that computer fraud should be understood as a system-level phenomenon driven by the interplay of digital, economic, and territorial factors. Effective prevention requires integrated strategies that combine technological, regulatory, and educational measures, adapted to regional vulnerability profiles.