An overwhelming majority of residents in the Barcelona metropolitan area—nearly eight in ten—find it difficult to secure affordable housing that meets their needs, according to a major new survey on urban life. The figure, 77.4%, marks a dramatic increase from 2017, when just over half the population (50.5%) reported such difficulties.


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The findings come from the latest Urban Cohesion Survey (ECURB), published by the Institut Metròpoli, a consortium dedicated to studying the urban and social reality of the region. The comprehensive study, based on 3,838 interviews conducted for its 2025 data set, paints a picture of a deepening housing crisis that has expanded from the city center to encompass the entire metropolitan region.

A Problem No Longer Confined to the City

While the struggle to find a suitable home is most intensely felt within Barcelona city limits, where 80.1% of residents report difficulty, the problem is now pervasive throughout the surrounding areas. In the first metropolitan ring, the figure is 78.1%, and in the second, further-flung ring, it is 73.9%. According to the report, this near-equalization of difficulty across the region is a recent development, indicating the housing affordability issue has become a systemic challenge for the entire Barcelona metropolitan area.

Sergio Porcel, head of Social and Urban Cohesion at the Institut Metròpoli, told El Periódico that the sharp rise in this perception over the last few years “reflects the current housing crisis” and demonstrates that the problem “has extended beyond the city of Barcelona.”

The Satisfaction Paradox: Loving the Neighborhood, Not the Price Tag

Despite the mounting obstacles to securing a home, the survey reveals a surprising paradox: residents remain highly satisfied with where they live. An impressive 85.8% of the metropolitan population reported being satisfied or very satisfied with their neighborhood, a figure that has remained stable in recent years. Only 6.7% declared themselves dissatisfied.

This high level of neighborhood satisfaction exists alongside significant residential churn. The survey found that 23.8% of residents over 16—nearly one million people—have moved within the last five years. The majority (69.4%) manage to relocate within the same municipality, a figure that has risen slightly since 2022.

Economic Pressures Reshaping Lives

The reasons behind these moves are shifting. While starting a new household or other family reasons (36.5%) and seeking a better home or environment (35%) remain the primary drivers, they are steadily losing ground. Economic motivations or moves forced by housing issues are on a clear upward trend, now accounting for 23.9% of all relocations.

Furthermore, the price of housing has become a much larger factor in choosing a place to live, cited by 27.9% of respondents in the 2025 survey, up from 22.7% in 2022. Looking ahead, 30.1% of residents anticipate moving in the next five years, suggesting the high rate of mobility will continue.

“The survey data indicates a fundamental shift in the urban fabric. While residents value their local communities, economic forces are increasingly dictating where and how they can live, often pushing them further from their social and professional centers.”

A More Commuter-Centric Metropolis

The housing crisis is also reshaping the region’s social and professional landscape. The report highlights a phenomenon of ‘metropolitanization,’ where residents live and work in different municipalities. In 2025, nearly half of the employed population (49.2%) commutes to another town or city for work. This is a stark contrast to 1985, when only 27.8% did so.

This trend weakens local ties. Working in one’s own neighborhood is increasingly rare, dropping from 25% in 1985 to just 15.2% today. The Institut Metròpoli notes this mobility has “debilitated mutual support networks,” with fewer people having friends and family in their immediate vicinity to rely on during difficult times—a crucial informal safety net, especially when facing housing insecurity.

Primary source: El Periódico Barcelona.