The first half of 2024 closed with a decrease in independence, dropping from 16.3% to 14.8% of young people – aged between 16 and 34 – residing in Spain over the course of a year. This means there are 62,458 fewer young people living outside their family home than a year ago. It is the lowest figure since data on independence has been available – since 2006 – despite an increase in their salaries and better unemployment figures.
The peak occurred in 2008 when one in four young people lived outside their family home – 26%. The average salary stands at €1,048 and the average rent is €1,072 – the highest in history; they would still need an additional €24 to cover housing costs, not including utilities or food. These are the latest figures from the Youth Council’s Observatory on Independence for the first half of 2024, which show that a young person would have to dedicate their entire salary to pay for rent on a solo apartment and it still would not be enough.
Almost three out of four young people with jobs continued to live with their families, the study highlights. Poverty is close to young people. Furthermore, 22.8% of those who had a job were also poor, so having a salary does not prevent one from being in a situation of poverty. ‘The report shows not only that there are fewer emancipated young people than a year ago, but that the vast majority of those who do emancipate do so under very precarious conditions,’ explained Javier Muñoz, head of the socioeconomic area of the Youth Council, during the presentation of the study.