Mass protests erupt across Spanish cities over soaring housing costs and tourism pressure
Hundreds of thousands of residents in Barcelona, Madrid and other Spanish cities demonstrated against rising housing prices, blaming short-term rentals and mass tourism.
A wave of protests swept through Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Málaga and other Spanish cities, with hundreds of thousands demanding action on a housing affordability crisis. The catalyst was the forced eviction and subsequent death of 87-year-old pensioner María del Carmen Abascal, which highlighted the impact of short-term vacation rentals on local residents. Barcelona’s mayor Jaume Collboni and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez have both spoken about the issue, noting that tourism has made finding an apartment extremely competitive.
The city has raised a flat surcharge and regional tourist tax, creating one of Europe’s highest visitor taxes, and has approved a maximum daily levy for cruise tourists. Despite these steps, activists and residents argue that tourism continues to price them out of their own neighborhoods.
Why it matters
The protests reveal growing tension between tourism-driven economies and residents' right to affordable housing in major Spanish cities.
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