Access to housing has become the main obstacle to real economic progress for Catalan families. Although wages have grown nominally, housing prices have risen almost twice as fast over the past decade.

The price-to-income ratio —which measures how many years of gross salary are needed to buy a home— now exceeds 9 years in Catalonia and 11 in Barcelona. This disconnect between income and housing cost explains better than any macroeconomic figure the widespread feeling of impoverishment. We work more, but buy less life.

Governments boast of rising wages, statistics confirm it, and companies echo it. But when the paycheck hits the bank account and faces the cost of living, the story falls apart. The numbers don’t lie: the gap between income and housing price is now so wide that ten years ago it would have seemed exaggerated.

Wages up, purchasing power down

According to Idescat, the average gross annual salary in Catalonia in 2023 was €29,978 (men: €32,721; women: €27,240) —a gender gap that still persists. The Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE) puts the national average slightly lower, at €28,049.

Despite this nominal rise, cumulative inflation above 15% between 2020 and 2024 has eroded purchasing power. Adjusted for CPI, real purchasing power has fallen by around 6% in five years, according to Eurostat. In theory, wages are improving. In practice, not enough: the cost of essentials —energy, food, transport— is rising faster than salaries. The Labour Observatory already warned in 2022 that, despite nominal growth, purchasing power was declining. More euros on paper, less real reach.

As a result, household income rises in nominal terms but falls in real value. Average savings have decreased, while essential consumption absorbs an ever-growing share of family budgets.

The price wall: unaffordable housing

Market data confirm the tension. Across Catalonia, prices per square meter range between €2,400 and €2,500, while in Barcelona city they approach €5,000/m². The Property Registry Statistics confirm recent records and sustained increases in sales. In historical terms, the current cycle already exceeds the peaks of the pre-2008 housing bubble, even adjusted for inflation. The difference: supply is scarce, and credit is more selective.

A 75 m² flat at €2,500/m² costs about €187,500. With a gross annual salary of €30,000, that equals 6.25 full years of income (before taxes and interest). In Barcelona, with prices between €4,500–€5,000/m², the cost rises to €337,500–€375,000 —over 11 or 12 years of salary.

The Bank of Spain uses the housing price-to-income ratio as a measure of effort. Nationally, it already stands at 6–7, but in Catalonia’s urban areas it easily reaches 9 or 10. That’s a decade of work —for a roof.

When housing swallows a growing share of income, everything else shrinks: food, health, mobility, education, culture. Saving becomes difficult, and each year there’s less room for unexpected expenses. In the rental market, the pressure is no lighter: in Barcelona, a 70 m² flat costs around €1,200–€1,300 per month —a large portion of an average net salary.

When rent or mortgage payments exceed 30% of income, it’s considered housing stress. In Catalonia, a significant part of the population already lives under these conditions. The result: delayed emancipation, prolonged cohabitation, and shared renting as a structural solution.

A market playing in another league

The problem is not just cyclical, but structural. Catalonia drags a chronic housing shortage: for years, construction has fallen short of demographic needs and new household formation. Affordable land is scarce, urban planning is slow, and new developments arrive in drips.

At the same time, the entry of large investors and the treatment of housing as a global financial asset have fuelled price pressures. A house is no longer just a place to live —it’s a store of value, an insurance policy, and a bet. As the market heats up, citizens cool down: they work, save… and still can’t reach it.

The purchase price is just the cover. Inside lie transfer taxes (ITP/IVA), stamp duties, notary and registry fees, and other expenses that can add 10–12% on top. Once financed, interest adds another layer: with higher rates than in previous years, the total mortgage burden can stretch across two generations.

Talking about homeownership as a synonym for stability has become ironic. A house provides shelter, yes, but it also conditions life decisions: having children, changing jobs, moving cities. You own it —but it owns you.

The extraction mechanism

This model works as a system of income extraction that falls mainly on the middle class. It’s no coincidence that birth rates are falling, the age of emancipation is rising, and life plans now depend on interest rates.

Housing —which should be the foundation of a dignified life— has become a condition. A “golden cage” where freedom is defined not by walls, but by debt.

Toward a new residential contract

Escaping this loop requires consistent, long-term policies. It demands:

• A sustained push for public, social, and cooperative housing so that access to shelter doesn’t depend on economic cycles. 
• Urban planning agility and better land management to accelerate affordable construction. 
• Targeted taxation to penalize underuse and incentivize rehabilitation. 
• Transparency and rental market governance, with stabilization tools in proven high-pressure areas. 
• Energy efficiency measures to cut monthly bills and improve quality of life.

Housing: a right or a lifelong mortgage?

The value of a home shouldn’t be measured in euros per square meter, but in peace of mind —the certainty that you can live without drowning financially.  If it takes ten years of salary to buy a home —not counting taxes, fees, and interest— the problem isn’t just the price; it’s the place housing occupies in our social contract. Rebalancing it isn’t optional; it’s a condition for the future.

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