According to research, Spaniards now spend half of their salaries on rent

SpainThe evidence of the housing crisis facing ’ is clear for all to see. In the rental market, rents 2022approximately since ’ %Increased by 30According to CIS’, new housing construction– PwC data compared to an average of 315,000 homes between 1970 and 2010, – has been at record lows since 2010, with an average of 83,000 homes per year. mass housing stockThe Bank of Spain is clearly insufficient, according to ’: The EU average %A total of 9.3 %With a 1.5 %It is between 3.3 and ’u.

The warnings now even come from within the real estate sector and have long been criticized by platforms such as the Tenants Association for failing to take sound action against vulture funds or the evacuation of vulnerable people. Fotocasa, the real estate portal that mediates sales and rentals, reports that the average salary of Spaniards renting their homes in 2025 %He estimates that he spent 50’sini on rent.

These figures (based on average salaries in job postings published on the InfoJobs platform; this is a very unrealistic snapshot) is higher than other similar works. Funcas think tank (source in Spanish)He believes that young people, one of the most affected groups, are committed Approximately 35% of the budgetTo rent it: It is usually two points above the maximum amount that economists recommend for such expenses, i.e. no more than one-third of the income.

Fotocasa reports that the average salary share spent on rent in 2019’da ’den 2025’te %While calculating that it has risen to 50’, Spain also takes into account the inequalities between ’'s autonomous communities: For residents of Extremadura’This is for those in the Madrid area. ’e coming out. The numbers are similar to the rest of the regional ranking; The usual suspects that residents of the region pay the most (Basque Country, Canary and Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencia Community).

On the other hand, the provinces where the residents allocate the smallest share of their gross salaries for rent are Jaén (), Teruel (), from Cáceres (), Ciudad Real (), Albacete (), Ourense (), from Badajoz (), from Córdoba (), from Palencia () and Castellón ().

Spaniards now spend half their salaries on rent; This rate is over 70 percent ’ in Madrid and Barcelona’.

SpainThe ’ housing affordability crisis continues to worsen. In 2025, the money spent by the Spaniards on renting a house set a new record: 50 percent of the average gross salary’si went on rentthe 2024 ’ %Compared to 47’.

According to the data of InfoJobs and Fotocasa’, rent prices have increased once again. It went far beyond wage growth.. Advertised salaries only last year %1 increase, while the cost of rented housing %Increased by 6.9 to 14.21 Euro’ per square meter per month.

If we take a house of 80 square meters as a reference, the average annual rent €13,642 reached ’This means that half of the average national gross salary, which is set at €27,336 per year, must be allocated to paying rent.

Madrid and Catalonia are the most under pressure

Madrid in the ranking of the autonomous community, your gross salary ’i ranks first in terms of the share of fees spent on rent with this figure. %It is followed by Catalonia, where it reaches 70’e. the Balearic Islands), the Basque Country () and the Canary Islands () complements the group of regions where renting a house is a particularly heavy burden for workers.

The percentage of gross salary spent on rent by the autonomous community in 2025.

Extremadura at the other end of the scale () and Castilla-La Mancha () is located. Remains relatively limitedAlthough still above the levels recommended by international organizations.

Barcelona, ​​en cheap province

The analysis reveals even sharper differences. Barcelona strengthens its position as ​​​​il Renting requires the greatest financial effort and Swallows the ’average gross salary. I'll take him in Madrid. %The Balearic Islands with 64, and Biscay , followed by Las Palmas and Gipuzkoa.

On the other hand, the provinces under the least pressure are as follows: the Jaén (United States)), Teruel (), from Cáceres () and Ciudad Real (). In fact, only seven provinces and the autonomous community of Extremadura’ %It records at levels equal to or lower than 30’.

On Sunday, May 24, 2026, several people took part in a protest against rising housing prices in Madrid, Spain.

“Housing emergency”

Fotocasa warns that the figure warns a turning point in the housing access crisis. María Matos, the company's head of research and spokesperson, said that %He points out that spending 50’sini on rent means “, the real housing emergency, as the recommended levels are 20 points above ”.

InfoJobs highlights the growing disconnect between wage trends and housing costs. Although the announced average annual gross salary increased by 276 euros compared to the previous year, this increase insufficient to offset the sharp increase in rent pricesA situation that limits people's ability to save, restricts labor mobility, and delays important life decisions such as leaving the family home or starting a family.