Montseny coliving hub Kalart tackles Spain's rural depopulation

A Spanish sociologist warns that rural depopulation remains a serious issue, with nine of ten municipalities under 1,000 residents losing population in the last decade. Provinces such as Zamora, Lugo and Soria have seen declines of 30% or more, and more than half of Spain's territory is considered at demographic risk. Similar patterns are noted in Latin America, where urbanisation rates exceed 90% in countries like Argentina and Peru.

In response, the Montseny‑based project Kalart, described as the first rural coliving space in Catalonia and a pioneer in Europe, has hosted over 300 people from 39 nationalities since its 2018 launch. "En Kalart hemos comprobado que vivir de manera comunitaria, con personas afines y en un entorno rural en plena naturaleza beneficia enormemente el bienestar personal y el desarrollo profesional," says co‑founder Nohemí González. Seventy‑three percent of participants extend their stay, averaging 1.7 years, and 19 % eventually settle in the valley. The new Kalart Seeds incubator will offer a four‑week, fully‑scholarship programme to train future leaders of intentional rural coliving communities, aiming to alleviate tele‑work loneliness, housing shortages and rural depopulation.