Economic policy and economy of bullfighting in Spain: An approximation

The aim of this study is to highlight the economic consequences that the disappearance of an entire sector revolving around the world of bullfighting would have for Spain. This sector has its own unique characteristics, with significant backward and forward spillover effects on other productive activities and far-reaching environmental, social, and territorial repercussions. To this end, a two-pronged approach is taken: on the one hand, a macroeconomic approach, based on the analysis of different indicators from secondary sources, most of them official, but also from associations and organizations linked to the world of bullfighting in its different facets; and, on the other hand, microeconomic, through case studies, which have provided primary information from different areas of the sector (a fighting bull breeder, a bullfighter, and a bullfighting promoter). The results indicate an estimated economic impact (direct, indirect, and induced effects) of bullfighting in Spain of around 1.45 billion euros. The scarcity of studies of this type, especially from an economic perspective, makes it of particular interest to both those who declare themselves anti-bullfighting and lovers of the national festival and the world of bullfighting.