In terms of Title VIII of the Constitution of 1978, the territory of the Spanish state is divided into seventeen Autonomous Communities. In this manner, a state has been created that enjoys budgetary decentralisation, especially in relation to expenditure, this being the main characteristic of the Spanish welfare state. Effect is given to this decentralisation by transferring the powers and services of the State Administration to the Autonomous Communities. The main consequence of this model is that the budgets of the Autonomous Communities are growing at a more rapid pace than that of the State, the budgets of the former having tripled over the last few years. As a result of this high degree of decentralisation, the model of the Spanish state can be considered to be similar to the federal structure of countries like Germany, Austria, Canada and Switzerland.