The renting effort rate (36%) was 13 percentage points higher than the buying effort rate (23%) in Spain.
The percentage of household income needed to access a home grew to 23% in the case of buying and 36% in the case of renting over the last year, according to a study published by idealista based on data from the fourth quarter of 2024. The lack of supply and the consequent increase in prices is the reason why the effort to buy or rent has increased, far exceeding the limits recommended by experts in the case of renting.
For Francisco Iñareta, ‘the market situation is alarming and its origin is clear. The lack of available supply, both for sale and for rent, is behind the increase in prices, the effort required and the competition between families for each property that comes onto the market. Although in the sales market, the effort at national level seems to be far from the limits, the reality shows us that there are more and more large markets that far exceed the requirement of a third of the family income to allow the purchase. It is essential to take all measures in the short, medium and long term to encourage the strengthening of the housing stock, both for sale and for rent’.
12 capitals require more than 30% of the family income to pay for the rent.
There are 12 capitals in which the effort to rent a two-bedroom apartment exceeds the 30% recommended by experts. Barcelona is the one that requires the highest percentage of household income (49%), followed by Palma (45%), Malaga (42%), Madrid (41%), Valencia (41%), Alicante (38%), as well as in Segovia (35%), Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (34%), San Sebastian (34%), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (33%), Bilbao (32%) and Girona (31%).
Seville is right at the recommended maximum (30%) and below this figure we find Cadiz (28%), Granada (27%), Vitoria (27%), Pamplona (26%) and A Coruña (26%). On the other hand, the least effort is requested in Ciudad Real (16%), Teruel (19%), Palencia (19%), Jaén and Melilla (20% in both cities).
Barcelona and Segovia are the two cities where the effort has grown the most, as it has increased by five points in the last year. They are followed by Madrid (4 points), Malaga (4 points), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (4 points), Ceuta (3 points), Girona (3 points), Alicante (3 points), Zamora (3 points) and Avila (3 points). In three capitals, the effort to rent is less than a year ago, namely Vitoria, Salamanca and Tarragona, where it has been reduced by one point.
The province of Malaga is the one that requires the greatest effort to rent a home to the locals, since it reaches 54% of the family income. It is followed by the Balearic Islands (with 47% of income), Barcelona (44%), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (39%), Madrid and Valencia (38% in both cases). Also above 30% are Las Palmas (37%), Alicante (36%), Guipúzcoa (35%) and Seville (31%). Teruel (18%), Palencia, Lugo, Jaén and Ciudad Real (19% in the four provinces) are those requiring the least effort.
The effort to buy is reduced in Barcelona (32%) and increases in Madrid (37%).
In most cases the effort to buy is less than to rent, with the exception of San Sebastián. In addition, five capitals have effort rates higher than the 30% recommended by the experts: Palma (45%), Malaga (37%), Madrid (37%), San Sebastian (37%), and Barcelona (32%). Alicante stands at 30%, while the cities of Valencia and Cadiz (27% in both capitals), Granada and Pamplona (which share a rate of 26%) are below this figure. The lowest rate of effort is in Jaén (11%), followed by Lleida (12%), Palencia (12%), Cuenca (13%) and Ciudad Real (13%).
In purchasing, 26 capitals require less effort than a year ago. The biggest difference was recorded in Tarragona and Granada, which fell by three points. This was followed by drops in San Sebastián, Cuenca, Bilbao, Córdoba, Pontevedra, Logroño, Almería and Melilla (with 2 points less in all of them). In Barcelona, the effort has been reduced by one point. On the opposite side, we find the city of Madrid, where the effort has increased by six points, followed by Malaga and Teruel (with 4 points each).
Among the provinces, the Balearic Islands is the one that requires the greatest effort, with 46% of household income. It is followed by Malaga (43%), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (37%), Alicante (30%), Madrid (28%) and Las Palmas (27%). In the province of Barcelona it stands at 19%. With a rate of 10% is Ciudad Real, and with 11% are the provinces of Teruel, Jaén, Ávila, León and Lleida, the least demanding for buying a home.
