Homeownership in Barcelona is now accessible only to the top 15% of households by income, according to a study published on Tuesday by the Barcelona Chamber of Urban Property (CPUBCN).
The report highlights that while the average annual household income in the city is €47,361, the median drops to €38,979. This gap underscores growing financial strain, with the chamber warning that housing affordability has effectively excluded lower- and middle-income residents from the ownership market.
New construction accounts for just 9% of housing sales in Barcelona, and the overall housing stock turns over at only 2% annually. This means most transactions involve existing properties, limiting opportunities for market expansion and increasing pressure on prices.
District-level disparities in housing costs
The chamber identified significant differences in housing affordability across districts. In Nou Barris, mortgage payments consume 35.5% of household income, compared to 53.4% in Eixample. Rental prices have also risen unevenly: up 20.2% in Nou Barris and 30.2% in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi between 2021 and 2026.
Despite these clear differences, the city as a whole is subject to the same framework of measures, without taking into account the particularity of each district.
The report criticises the uniform application of citywide housing policies, arguing they fail to reflect the economic realities of individual districts. Sarrià–Sant Gervasi remains the city's highest-income district, with per capita disposable income of €35,062, while Nou Barris and Ciutat Meridiana record the lowest at €16,872 and €16,838 respectively.
Call for targeted housing policy
The CPUBCN urges policymakers to consider district-specific conditions when designing housing interventions. With ownership increasingly out of reach for most residents, the chamber stresses the need for expanded public rental housing and measures tailored to local economic conditions.
For residents, this means continued reliance on the private rental market amid rising costs and limited supply. The full report is available on the Barcelona Chamber of Urban Property website.
Primary sources: Barcelona City Council, Observatori Metropolità de l'Habitatge de Barcelona. Reported by europapress.es, Europa Press, ine.es, cpubcn.com, regio7.cat, proddigia.com, Europa Press Barcelona.
