Access to housing has become Andalusia’s leading public concern, overtaking healthcare and unemployment, information from the latest barometer from the Centro de Estudios Andaluces (Centra). Property prices and rents are rising faster in the region than the national average, putting household budgets under pressure and reshaping the political field.
Centra’s survey, based on 3,600 interviews conducted between June 19 and July 2, found that 22.2% of respondents now name housing as their basic concern. That marks a clear rise from the previous barometer in April, when housing and public healthcare were nearly tied at 21.8% and 21.9%, respectively. Healthcare now stands at 14.3%, followed by unemployment at 13.7%.
A subsequent Centra barometer, based on 3,600 interviews with Andalusian residents conducted from September 11 to 25, again put housing at the top of the region’s concerns. Access to housing and its price were cited as Andalusia’s leading problem by 22.4% of respondents; the issue also led nationally, at 27.5%. Housing was the issue respondents were most likely to say affected them personally, named by 30.8%. Centra’s September findings show housing remains prominent as both a regional policy concern and a direct pressure on households.
The data also points to a impressive political shift. The Partido Popular (PP) remains the party most trusted to address Andalusia’s basic problems, at 26.7%, but Adelante Andalucía has overtaken PSOE for the first time as the basic alternative. The left-wing coalition quadrupled its seats in the last regional election. Now, 16.5% consider it best equipped to tackle socio-economic challenges, ahead of PSOE at 12.3% and Vox at 9.4%. Just 5% express confidence in Por Andalucía, while 18.6% believe no party can solve these issues.
Rising housing costs are basic to these concerns. Recent INE figures and data from the Idealista portal show that Andalusia has recorded Spain’s fastest rent increases. The trend is prompting many residents to rethink their summer plans: 45.7% have not scheduled holidays. Financial constraints were cited by 23.6%, while 19.3% said higher rental and living costs had changed their destination. More than half of those surveyed will either spend less or skip travel altogether this summer, showing how housing expenses affect daily life.
National rental-market figures add context. Idealista reported that the supply of permanent rental homes in Spain fell 10% year on year in the third quarter of 2026, while seasonal rentals accounted for 34% of the market and their supply rose 7%. The Observatorio del Alquiler projected that Spain would end 2026 with 676,215 available rental homes, 7,705 fewer than the previous year, a projected decline of 2.27%.
Housing affordability is also a prominent national concern. A 2026 survey by the Consejo General de la Arquitectura Técnica de España and GAD3 found that 54% of Spaniards included housing among their two basic concerns, up from 42% the year before. Among renters, one-third said the requirements for accessing a rental home were difficult to meet. That share reached 53% among people spending more than half their income on rent.
The survey period coincided with coalition talks between PP and Vox, which culminated in a government agreement announced on July 2. The region’s leadership has promoted Andalusia’s economic growth, but the Centra barometer paints a more complex picture: many households feel squeezed by rising costs. Communities elsewhere in Spain have faced similar pressures during crises. Recently, authorities in Almería investigated the causes of a deadly wildfire that left residents facing new hardships.
Andalusia’s housing dilemma reflects a wider national trend. Property prices in Spain have risen steadily since the mid-2020s, driven by limited supply and strong demand, with short-term rentals popular in tourist regions. In major cities and coastal areas, locals often compete with investors and seasonal visitors for available homes, pushing up purchase and rental costs. The government has introduced measures to regulate rents and expand affordable housing, but implementation varies by region. For many Andalusians, rising housing costs shape everyday decisions about work and family, including plans for summer holidays.
