The price of purchasing a home has skyrocketed by 108% since 2013, compared to 30% of the average salary. CCOO warns that this gap harms SMEs and freelancers and hinders employment.
According to notimerica.com, the Economic Cabinet of CCOO presented the report "The Cost of Rentism for Salaries and the Productive Economy" this Friday, stating that the price of purchasing a home has increased by 108% between the second quarter of 2013 and the same period in 2026, while the average salary has only grown by 30% nominally. The difference means that the cost of purchase multiplies the increase in salaries by 3.6.
The union points out that the gap intensifies in strained regions such as the Community of Madrid, where the rise in purchase prices multiplies the salary increase by four.
The effort required to buy a free home of 90 square meters has risen from 3.1 full annual salaries in 1985 to 7.1 salaries in 2026. In Balearic Islands, the figure reaches 12.2 salaries, in Málaga it is 10.8, and in Madrid it is 10. Added to this is the prior savings for the down payment, taxes, and expenses, which amounts to 30% of the total and 2.1 years of full salary.
In terms of rent, according to data from INE for the period 2015-2024, new contracts have become 37% more expensive, almost double the average salary (21%). The Community of Valencia (+49%), Balearic Islands (+48%), and Canary Islands (+39%) lead the largest increases.
CCOO denounces that this real estate inflation also affects businesses. With data from the Tax Agency, the median rent for commercial premises rose by 5.8% in 2021, 8.3% in 2022, and 4.5% in 2023, reaching historic highs of 52 euros per square meter per year. According to the report, this pressure reduces the profitability of SMEs and freelancers, raises entry barriers, and causes more turnover of establishments.
Relying on data from the Bank of Spain from 2025, the union indicates that the gross return on investment in housing reached 16%, compared to 7% for the ordinary return on business equity.
CCOO estimates that a 30% reduction in housing costs would free up between 21 billion and 26 billion euros for aggregate demand, which would favour the creation of between 330,000 and 411,000 jobs over a five-year horizon.
The union links this data to the general strike called with UGT and other organisations for November 11. Among the short-term measures, it proposes extending rental contracts and making them indefinite, as well as regulating tourist, seasonal, and room rentals. In the long term, it demands allocating 1.5% of GDP each year to create a permanent public stock of 1.5 million affordable homes within a decade.
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