Spain has for the first time over 6,000 high-level athletes

• The Top Sports Council (CSD) has updated the list of athletes with the highest qualification. It reached a record number of 6,268 athletes - 58% men and 42% women -, after the increase in nearly 400 new DAN since the previous update last December.

• For the president of the CSD, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, “this positive evolution in the number of high-level athletes represents much more than a figure: it is the consolidation of a model that bets on talent, equal opportunities and excellence from the base to the elite”.

Madrid, April 30, 2025.- The Official State Bulletin has published the resolution of the Higher Council of Sports (CSD) updating the list of qualified high-level athletes (DAN) in Spain, a badge that accredits those who are among the elite of international sport for their results and competitive merits.

According to the new list, Spain reaches for the first time in its history the figure of 6,268 DAN athletes, of which 3,647 are men (58%) and 2,621 women (42%). This fact marks an unprecedented milestone, having overcome the barrier of 6,000 athletes recognized with this condition.

The new CSD resolution reflects an increase of 396 athletes compared to the previous list, published last December. In comparative terms, growth has been even more significant since 2018, with a cumulative increase of over 2,000 new high-level athletes in just six years.

For the president of the CSD, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, “this positive evolution in the number of high-level athletes represents much more than a figure: it is the consolidation of a model that bets on talent, equal opportunities and excellence from the base to the elite”.

“Every new high-level athlete is a pillar on which the future of Spanish sport is built. Therefore, betting on them today is to ensure the successes of tomorrow, projecting Spain as a sports power that can safely face the main international challenges,” said Rodríguez Uribes.

The Government of Spain’s commitment to sport is tangible and reflected in historic budgets, a firm commitment to sports federations, the creation of the CSD Team Spain preparation programme and the implementation of an ambitious plan for modernising infrastructure and equipment throughout the territory through NextBurnEU funds.

In the same vein, the CSD is already working on updating Royal Decree 971/2007, which regulates the condition of high-level and high-performance athletes. The aim is to adapt this regulation to the current challenges of the sports ecosystem, to improve the recognition and protection of athletes and to strengthen the pathways of detection, development and consolidation of talent.

What does it mean to be a high-level athlete?

The status of DAN is regulated by Royal Decree 971/2007 and is granted by resolution of the Higher Council of Sports, on the proposal of the Spanish sports federations, according to objective criteria linked to sports performance in official competitions of the highest level.

Once accredited, the athlete can directly ask the CSD for an official certificate of this condition, which entails significant benefits in the academic, professional and fiscal fields. Among them, they highlight:

• Access quota reserved at university and in vocational training.
• [Measures for the reconciliation of the academic and sports career].
• Possibility to contribute to Social Security through the Special Scheme for DAN.
• Tax allowances and exemptions.
• Facilities for access to public employment.

All this is complemented by the High Level Athlete Care Program (PROAD), an initiative of the CSD that offers comprehensive and personalized support to the entire DAN community to facilitate the development of a dual quality career, and help in the transition of athletes to a professional career beyond the high level.

Full Listing of Top Level Athletes: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2025-8562