Catalonia household spending up 25% in ten years

According to the INE Family Budget Survey, the average annual household expenditure in Catalonia reached €38,185 in 2025, a 2% rise from the previous year and more than a 25% increase compared with a decade earlier. Housing costs, which include rent and utilities, grew from 30.8% to 35.1% of total spending, and for low‑income families they now consume almost half of their income.

Spending on food, sanitation and education also rose slightly, reaching 15.6%, 4% and 2.4% of total budgets respectively. Conversely, expenditures on restaurants, accommodation and footwear fell to 7.8% and 4.2%. Households are allocating more money to digital entertainment and health‑related services: average spending on streaming platforms is five times higher than in 2016, while outlays for physiotherapy, psychology and air travel have roughly tripled. Expenditures on newspapers, books, tobacco and jewelry have been cut by more than half.