According to the 2025 Barometer for the TSSE, compiled by the Basque Government's Department of Welfare, Youth, and Demographic Challenge, the sector comprises 4,320 organizations in Euskadi, an increase of 61 since the previous 2023 survey. Furthermore, the number of entities with Public Utility status has risen by 3%, from 31% to 34% of the total.
Geographically, Bizkaia hosts the largest share with 2,397 organizations (55.5%), followed by Gipuzkoa with 1,264 (29.3%), and Araba with 659 (15.3%).
These are private, non-profit, self-governed, and self-managed voluntary action organizations based and active in Euskadi. Their primary aim is to promote social inclusion, development cooperation, and the effective exercise of rights for individuals, families, or communities facing vulnerability or exclusion. Associations constitute 91.2% of these entities, foundations 4.8%, and the remaining 4% have other legal structures.
Regarding their objectives, 37.6% focus on promoting equality and collective rights for vulnerable groups. This is followed by organizations supporting individuals with dependency or at risk of exclusion (21.9%), those involved in development cooperation (13.7%), and socio-educational interventions with children and youth (11.9%).
The sector's professionalization is evident, with the percentage of organizations employing paid staff rising to 62.7%, the highest in historical records. However, volunteering remains crucial, constituting half or more of the personnel in 88.4% of organizations.
Typically, paid staff represent less than a quarter of work teams. Volunteering holds significant presence in 88.4% of entities. The usual number of volunteers ranges between 10 and 50 individuals (49.5%), with 63.1% being women. For paid staff, the number rarely exceeds ten, of whom 74.6% are women.
For the first time, the barometer includes questions on intergenerational coexistence. Results are positive, highlighting effective management of relationships and organizational climate. 79.6% of organizations report positive experiences between different age groups, and 82.3% indicate that older individuals share their knowledge easily.
Addressing new challenges without intergenerational conflict (71.7%), fostering informal relationships (72.3%), and the acceptance of new ideas by older members (67.5%) are also highly valued. The most cited benefit is knowledge exchange and transfer, emphasizing the complementarity between accumulated experience and youthful energy.
However, challenges exist, primarily concerning communication styles and technology use (digital divide), differing motivations and commitment levels (shorter engagement periods from younger generations), and the risk of losing institutional memory when experienced individuals retire without adequate transfer mechanisms.
One organization noted: "the biggest challenge is volunteering, as the length of stay in the association is not like before; now it's 1-2 years on average, and then people disappear."
The official presentation of the report will take place this Friday, June 19th, at the Europa Palace in Vitoria-Gasteiz, starting at 10:00 AM, serving as a platform for exchange and learning.
