Spainfographics 2

The most expensive summer in history, salary stagnation, an immigration deep dive, and the rise of ready-made meals in Spain.

Photo by Jakub Żerdzicki on Unsplash

Welcome to the latest edition of La Comunidad’s Spainfographics - frequent servings of interesting, relevant, quirky infographics that help explain where Spain is today, and where it’s heading.

I hope you find these informative - the floor is open (in the comments section) to give your two cents.

What surprised you? What trends do you think will soon change? Have your say below.

So let’s get into it!

The most expensive summer on record

The headline: One in three people living in Spain can’t afford a week-long vacation away from home (EU average: 27%).

% of population that is unable to afford a one-week vacation away from home (La Voz de Galicia)

The headline: In 2025, domestic tourists in Spain have been spending 62% more compared to 2019.

Average spending per tourist in Spain: Domestic v international (El Mundo)

The headline: The price of four-star hotels in Spain has increased by 48% since 2019.

Increase in average hotel prices in Spain since 2019 (El Mundo)

But not to worry, the leader of the opposition in Spain, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, says holidays are overrated anyway.

Rent: Capital pains

The headline: The rental price of a one bedroom apartment in Madrid has increased by 59% between 2020-2025, 47.2% in Barcelona.

Rent increases across European capital cities (El Mundo)

Salary stagnation

The headline: During the period 1994-2024, real wages (adjusted for inflation) in Spain have increased by just 2.76%.

Evolution of real wages (adjusted for inflation) over past 30 years (El Mundo)

Unemployment - the north/south divide

The headline: Two of Spain’s northern regions, Cantabria and the Basque Country, recorded the lowest unemployment rates in Spain during Q2 2025.

Unemployment rate in Spain across its regions during Q2 2025 (La Voz de Galicia)

An immigration deep-dive

The headline: One in four minors born in Spain has at least one foreign parent (I am one) - rising to nearly 30% among those under the age of three.

Number of minors (under 18) by parents' origin: both parents foreign-born (grey), only one foreign-born (yellow). (El País)

The headline: In Catalonia, 33.3% of residents between the age of 15-34 were born abroad.

% of population aged 15-34 born abroad (Source: El Mundo)

The headline: Half of all foreigners in Spain come from just 10 countries. Morocco leads, with over a million residents and 50% growth in a decade - though post-pandemic surges from Colombia (+74%), Venezuela (+57%), and Peru (+60%) have outpaced it.

Number of inhabitants born in the ten main countries of origin (El País)

The headline: The Balearic Islands (27.7%), Alicante (27.7%), Girona (26.4%), and Almería (24.4%) are the provinces with the highest shares of foreigners as a percentage of their total population. The provinces of Madrid and Barcelona follow closely, at 23.8% and 23.7% respectively.

Percentage of foreign-born residents as % of the population in each province (El País)

Grab and gorge: the rise of ready-made meals

The headline: Catalonia is the region in Spain which consumes the most pre-made meals (21.87 kilos per capita). As mentioned in my recent interview with Pablo García Vivanco, Galicia (11.73) consumes the least - an important factor in the high prevalence of ultra longevity in the region.

Consumption per capita in kilos of ready-made meals in 2024 (El Mundo)

***You can support the research, translation, writing, editing, and newspaper subscriptions behind this content with a one-time contribution - gracias!***

Photo of the week: A summer’s evening in A Coruña.

Until next time amigos,

Brendan