Thousands protest rising housing costs in Madrid

Thousands of people gathered in central Madrid on Sunday to protest rising housing costs, which have made it increasingly difficult for many Spaniards to buy homes, especially in cities like Madrid and Barcelona. Despite the economic signs remaining strong, the housing crisis has become one of the biggest political challenges for Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez ahead of elections in 2027. Spain has a strong tradition of people owning homes, but has very limited public housing for rent. At the same time, rents have gone up due to higher demand, driven by tourism and population growth linked to immigration, according to analysts. According to the EU statistics agency Eurostat, housing prices rose by nearly 13% year-on-year at the end of 2025. The Bank of Spain says the country, which has a population of 50 million, is short of around 700,000 homes compared to the demand and the pace of new construction. Protesters shouted slogans and held banners calling for housing rights. One banner said, “We want neighbors, not tourists.” The protest came just a day after another large rally in Madrid, where tens of thousands of people demonstrated against Sánchez amid rising political tensions and criticism over corruption allegations and dissatisfaction with the government. For many people in Spain, buying a home has become too expensive, with prices rising due to market pressure and speculation, especially in big cities and coastal areas. Last month, the Spanish government approved a 7 billion euro ($8.23 billion) plan to build more public housing over the next four years. It also includes support for young renters and homebuyers, who are among those most affected by high costs. However, a separate plan to extend temporary rent freezes did not pass in Parliament, leaving the government open to more criticism over housing in the short term. Spain has seen many protests in recent years over high housing costs, with growing demands for stricter rules on tourist rentals, which have spread widely in city centres. The country received a record 97 million international visitors last year.