The housing problem is one of the biggest concerns of Spanish citizens. The increase in real estate prices has caused only 14.5% of young people from 16 to 29 can emancipate themselvesaccording to the INE. Given the debates generated on social networks about this issue, the economist Gonzalo Bernardos wanted to vindicate the rights of the owners.
The situation with housing in Spain has generated a clear tension between those owners who have several properties to sell or rent and those who, drowned by the price, cannot afford to enter into a mortgage or rent a house or entire apartment. According to data published by the National Institute of Statistics, two out of every three citizens were unable to change their address in 2025 despite actively looking for it due to the high real estate market prices.
Gonzalo Bernardos: “Older people have worked for many years, saved and sacrificed”
Due to this situation, social networks have been filled with users debating about the legitimacy of the owners who stay in their homes after their children have left each, being able to leave the space free for other families and move to a smaller home. Given these statements, the professor of Economics at the University of Barcelona, Gonzalo Bernardos, stated that “Some have the home they want and others have the one they can“.
With this phrase, the expert wanted to vindicate the right of older people to enjoy what they have fought and worked for all their lives. “Simply because those older people you are referring to have worked for many years, have saved and have sacrificed,” he said. A situation that may reflect the reality of millions of retirees who, after a long working life, want to remain in the homes they have.how much effort it cost them to maintain.
When the debate focused on the fact that there are workers who, with their salary They cannot afford a decent home in which to see their family grow.the economist assured that older people had already gone through the same situation, but “continued to sacrifice to buy the one they liked“However, there are more and more cases of retired people who cannot afford to rent a home and must choose to share a flat.
In 2024, more than 400,000 workers could not qualify for their own home despite meeting the traditional stability criteria
According to the data offered by the report “The emancipation housing deficit: quantification and characterization of young demand for housing (2014-2024)” published in the ICE Magazine of the Ministry of Economy, there has been a notable increase in workers who cannot access housingpurchased or rented, despite meeting traditional stability criteria. In 2024, this affected 436,000 people.
Likewise, according to data provided in April by Idealista, one of the main Spanish companies dedicated to the real estate market, homes in Madrid are 9% more expensive than in the previous year. The figures estimate that the price per square meter is 5,960 euros on average, while the national average is 2,748 euros/m². A situation that makes the possibility of emancipation difficult for those low- and middle-income young people who want it.
However, as the economist assures in his profile of most retired people “do not live on 200 m²“Once you have achieved this, with time and effort you can get a flat that fits your wishes. If you continue to rent, no“.