British News Agency

Organizers claimed up to 150,000 people participated in the protest in Madrid, while smaller demonstrations were held in around 40 other cities nationwide. From Málaga on the Costa del Sol to Vigo in the northwest Atlantic, protesters chanted slogans such as “End the housing scam” and “Landlords guilty, government responsible.”

Valeria Racu, spokesperson for Madrid’s tenants’ union, called for rent strikes similar to those recently held in some Catalan coastal towns.

The union says 1.4 million Spanish households spend more than 30% of their income on housing – 200,000 more than ten years ago.

In Spain, housing has become the number one social issue as real estate speculation and tourist apartments have pushed rental costs beyond the reach of all but the wealthiest.

Official statistics show there are at least 15,000 illegal tourist apartments in Madrid, while the Barcelona city council has announced it will not renew licenses for 10,000 tourist apartments after 2028.

Initially concentrated in tourist hotspots such as the Balearic and Canary Islands and Barcelona, the issue has now spread nationwide, with protests in cities like Seville, Valencia, Santiago de Compostela, Burgos and San Sebastián, where demonstrators waved keys as a symbol of frustration over the lack of affordable housing.

Young people have been hardest hit, as housing costs rise while wages remain stagnant. A study by the Spanish Youth Council revealed that 85% of those under 30 were still living with their parents last year due to the lack of affordable housing.

In Barcelona, where thousands gathered at Plaça d’Espanya, protesters demanded a 50% rent reduction, indefinite leases, and an end to property speculation.

According to the Catalan housing agency, rents in Barcelona have risen 70% over the past decade, while wages have increased by just 17.5%.