Overview

• Protests on April 5, 2025, saw hundreds of thousands march in 40 Spanish cities, including over 150,000 in Madrid, according to local tenants' unions.
• Average rents in Spain have doubled in the past decade, while wages have failed to keep pace, leaving 40% of renters spending around 40% of their income on housing.
• Tourism and short-term rentals have exacerbated the crisis, with cities like Barcelona pledging to phase out 10,000 short-term rental permits by 2028.
• Spain has one of the lowest public housing rates in Europe, with less than 2% of housing stock available as public rental housing, compared to the OECD average of 7%.
• Protesters are calling for systemic reforms, including rent reductions, expropriation of vacant properties, and increased investment in social housing to address the worsening crisis.