HIBAPRESS
Thousands of Spaniards took to the streets on Saturday, October 3, in Madrid and dozens of other cities, protesting against rising rents and housing shortages, and demanding urgent government intervention to provide affordable housing. This comes a day after Parliament rejected two government decrees containing measures to protect tenants.
Authorities estimated the number of participants in the Madrid protests at around 70,000, while organizers estimated 500,000. The protests extended to about 50 cities. The movements are calling for tighter regulation of the rental market and enhanced tenant protection, amid calls for a general strike.
The crisis is fueled by a widening gap between supply and demand. Estimates indicate a deficit of approximately 750,000 housing units between 2021 and 2025, while social housing accounts for only 1.5% to 1.7% of the housing stock, a percentage significantly lower than the European Union average.
The average national rent reached 15.1 euros per square meter in September 2026, according to data from the "Idealista" platform, compared to 21.6 euros in the Madrid region. The average price of housing sales reached 2914 euros per square meter in June, an annual increase of 13.9%.
Population growth exacerbates the pressure, raising Spain's population to about 49.8 million in July 2026. This is coupled with the concentration of job opportunities and tourist demand in major cities and coastal areas. The proliferation of short-term tourist rentals also contributes to reducing the supply for long-term accommodation in some areas, while foreign buyers accounted for 15.98% of total housing purchases in the second quarter of the current year.
The severity of the crisis is highlighted when comparing housing costs to wages, as the minimum wage in Spain is 1221 euros per month, making it increasingly difficult to afford rents, especially in the most expensive cities.
The protests occurred in the context of escalating political tension over the issue, after Parliament rejected two government decrees on Friday that included measures to protect tenants, such as automatic renewal of some contracts and stricter restrictions on evicting vulnerable groups. These developments have brought the housing crisis back to the forefront of political debate, with calls for more stringent measures to combat rising prices and provide affordable housing.
