Bullfighting in Spain is in decline. It survives, yes, but not because of genuine public interest—it relies on an artificial lifeline of public funding and institutional promotion. A detailed review of the latest Survey of Cultural Habits and Practices from the Ministry of Culture (2024-2025) reveals masked stagnation and a long-term downward trend.
Despite millions of euros in public subsidies and the inclusion of bullfighting events in the Youth Cultural Voucher, the share of the Spanish population attending any bullfighting event remains stuck at 8%, the same as six years ago. This apparent stability is, in reality, an illusion that hides a profound crisis.
Long-Term Free Fall and Forced Generational Replacement
The long-term trend is stark: attendance at bullfighting events has dropped 18% over the last 20 years, from 9.8% in 2006 to 8% in 2025. Focusing on the last decade, attendance at events involving the killing of animals—like traditional bullfights—has fallen 15%, from 6.9% to 5.9%.
So why hasn’t the overall percentage decreased? The answer lies in a strategy of forced generational replacement. The data are clear: attendance plummets among adults and older people (especially the 65–74 age group, down 1.8 points), while the only growth is among young people aged 15–24.
Attendance at bullfights among teenagers aged 15–19 has jumped 3.8 percentage points, coinciding with the inclusion of bullfighting in the Youth Cultural Voucher. This €400 subsidy awarded at adulthood is acting as a lure for a sector already in natural decline.
“The data show that bullfighting is not growing, but surviving thanks to subsidies and promotional policies targeting young people,” says Aïda Gascón, director of AnimaNaturalis in Spain. “Attempts are being made to mask the natural decline of a practice increasingly rejected by society, using public money to attract new generations who would otherwise never step foot in a bullring.”
The Misleading Rise of “Popular Festivities”
The report also highlights a shift in the types of bullfighting events attracting audiences. While traditional bullfights with cape and sword stagnate, so-called “popular festivities” (encierros, vaquillas, toros embolados) are the only ones showing growth, up 0.7%. Generally free and presented as folklore, these events are the gateway for a “new fandom.” This trend is concerning, as these events are less regulated and often result in accidental deaths of both animals and people.
“Bullfighting is reinventing itself to survive, infiltrating village festivals under the guise of local tradition, often appropriating municipal budgets,” explains Gascón. “But behind every encierro or vaquilla is a terrified, beaten, and humiliated animal. No cultural justification can make that acceptable.”
No Subsidies, No Future
The analysis concludes that without financial support and institutional promotion, bullfighting would collapse immediately. What the sector calls “stability” is actually a sign of extreme dependency and the diminishing social relevance of a cruel practice.
This reality clashes with the values of a society that is largely compassionate and concerned for animal welfare. A survey by Ipsos I&O Public for CAS International, conducted among 7,500 people in Spain, France, and Portugal, found that 77% believe bullfighting causes excessive suffering and 58% support its prohibition.
“Young people don’t want to see animals suffer; they want a country that moves toward empathy and respect. No matter how much money is spent propping up bullfighting, the future belongs to those who understand that compassion is also culture,” concludes Gascón.
Bullfighting is not living culture; it is a dying tradition kept alive only by public funds. As surveys show, the future lies in leaving violence as entertainment behind.
Attendance at Bullfighting Events in Spain
Comparison between the Ministry of Culture’s Surveys of Cultural Habits and Practices 2018-2019 and 2024-2025
| Total Attendance (2018-19) |
Total Attendance (2024-25) |
Total Variation (percentage points) |
Bullfights (percentage points) |
Other Festivities (percentage points) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Population | 8.0% | 8.0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | +0.7 |
| Men | 10.2% | 9.8% | -0.4 | 0.0 | +0.6 |
| Women | 5.8% | 6.3% | +0.5 | -0.1 | +0.7 |
| 15–19 years | 10.5% | 13.6% | +3.1 | +3.8 | +2.8 |
| 20–24 years | 8.1% | 11.6% | +3.5 | +1.9 | +3.1 |
| 65–74 years | 7.6% | 5.8% | -1.8 | -1.3 | -0.6 |
| 75 years or older | 4.6% | 5.2% | +0.6 | +1.1 | -0.3 |
Source: Ministry of Culture, Survey of Cultural Habits and Practices 2018-19 / 2024-25.
