In Spain the proportion of young people living independently without family support has fallen by ten percentage points since 2016. According to the union Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) only 31 per cent of young adults were living independently in 2025, compared with 41 per cent in 2016. Spain has therefore recorded the steepest decline in Europe. The European average remains stable at around 50 per cent, according to the data presented. CCOO presented the report on 11 August 2026, ahead of International Youth Day on 12 August.
The authors attribute the decline in young people’s transition to independence mainly to housing costs. Rents and house prices, they say, absorb a large share of income and delay the move to independence. This contrasts with improvements in employment and education indicators: Youth unemployment has fallen in recent years, and wages have risen. At the same time, the younger generation is better educated than ever before. According to the figures, 54.2 per cent have higher vocational qualifications or a university degree. The proportion is 48 per cent among men and 61 per cent among women.
CCOO stresses that better qualifications and falling youth unemployment have not yet led to young people becoming independent earlier or in greater numbers. Regional differences and housing-market trends have a significant influence on the prospects of young households. In the union’s view, stronger and better-coordinated housing and social policies are needed to make the transition to independent living easier. The full report documents specific proposals and the underlying data.
The report summarises developments over the past nine years and compares them with the European context. It distinguishes between observed trends—the fall in the rate of young people living independently despite improvements in education and employment data—and the union’s interpretation, which identifies housing costs as the main obstacle. Published ahead of International Youth Day, it aims to bring the situation of young people in Spain to the attention of policymakers and public authorities.
The data and assessments come from the report published by CCOO. The union provides further details, including regional breakdowns and methodology, in the full version.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).