More evictions in Catalonia than anywhere else in Spain in first quarter of 2022

More evictions took place in Catalonia than anywhere else in Spain during the first quarter of 2022: a total of 2,410 - the equivalent of one every 55 minutes - according to figures released by the national council of the judiciary on Monday.

Evictions in Catalonia account for over a fifth (21.8%) of Spain’s overall figure for the same period, ahead of the Valencia (1,863), Andalusia (1,858), and Madrid (1,005) regions.

And unlike the wave of evictions that began after the 2008 financial crisis, 3 in 4 are now to do with unpaid rent rather than foreclosures. 

Indeed, in Barcelona, “Spain’s eviction capital”, the cost of renting an apartment rose 30 times more than wages from 2015 to 2019, although the pandemic did help bring average rent prices down from €964.81 in 2020 (higher than the minimum wage at the time) to €918.84 in 2021. 

Filling the Sink podcast

Soaring rents in Catalonia – especially in the capital Barcelona – have pushed housing to the top of the social and political agenda. Evictions, sometimes with a heavy police presence, are commonplace, even when there was a moratorium for vulnerable people during the pandemic. 

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