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Study Maps a Decade of Gentrification Across Spain as Barcelona and Madrid Lead

Housing costs emerge as the dominant driver in a new 0–1 index that maps neighborhood shifts from 2011 to 2021.

Overview

  • Researchers at CED‑UAB publish an interactive map and index quantifying gentrification in Spain’s ten largest municipalities.
  • La Barceloneta ranks highest nationwide with a score of 0.941, followed by Sant Pere in Barcelona (0.925) and Madrid’s northern Universidad area (0.919).
  • The study finds consolidation in the two largest cities and localized spread into adjacent and coastal areas of medium‑sized cities such as València, Málaga, Sevilla, Bilbao, and Las Palmas.
  • Rents rose notably in almost all cities, with increases in Zaragoza and Murcia limited to specific zones, reinforcing price as the key filter for who can remain.
  • Local patterns diverge, with university‑driven change in València and Bilbao, expat‑led rejuvenation in Palma and Las Palmas, and warnings that stronger protections are needed to prevent further displacement.