Arts Basic Income (ABI)
A 21st-century cultural policy for Spain
Not a handout — an investment to correct a systemic market failure and retain creative human capital.
The Problem
Precarity as a Structural Norm
For most artists, instability isn’t an exception — it’s the rule. This justifies a structural intervention if we want culture to remain a public good and a viable profession.
earn < €8,000 / year
Less than half the Spanish minimum wage.
below minimum wage
A systemic instability at the base of the sector.
report serious difficulties
Over half can’t live decently from their work.
The Spanish “RETA” Paradox
Spain’s self-employed scheme clashes with the sector’s intermittent income. In the lowest band (up to €670/month), the projected 2026 quota is €217.27 — that’s 32.4% of already precarious income, just to keep formal status.
It acts as a socio-economic filter that pushes talent out of the field.
The Solution
ABI as a Strategic Investment
ABI isn’t a subsidy — it’s an economic tool to internalize culture’s social value and ensure continuity of production.
Correcting Market Failure
Culture produces positive externalities (cohesion, education, identity) that the market doesn’t pay for.
Human Capital
Stability drastically reduces anxiety and depression — a public-health investment that retains talent.
Measured SROI
Ireland’s pilot showed clear net social benefits and reinvestment in materials, space and tools.
Evidence
What happens when artists have an income floor?
Global pilots show stable income does not discourage work — it enables it. Productivity and wellbeing both improve.
Case 1: Ireland (BIA)
€325/week. Becoming permanent from 2026 (2,000 recipients to start).
Creative Practice
More time on high-value activities.
Wellbeing & Retention
Lower anxiety/depression compared to control group.
Case 2: USA (CRNY)
$1,000/month to 2,400 artists (need-based).
Productivity & Basic Wellbeing
Clear gains in time on practice, and reduced food insecurity.
Germany (IBU)
A general basic-income pilot (not only artists) with €1,200/month refuted the main myth: people did not stop working — they invested in training and improved mental health.
Proposal for Spain
A viable, integrated ABI-E
ABI-E should be the missing income pillar that makes the Artist Statute truly workable.
Pilot (RCT)
To produce solid Spain-specific data.
Monthly amount
Aligned with European pilots and subsistence thresholds.
Eligibility filter
Income below 1.1× minimum wage, to focus impact.
Active practice
Spending is unconditional, practice is required.
The key: ABI + RETA integration
ABI doesn’t replace Spain’s self-employed scheme — it makes it sustainable, enabling full social protection.
1. ABI-E income
€1,200 / month
2. RETA quota
(target: €80–€120 / mo)
3. Sustainable result
Subsistence + full social protection