Spain Sees Record High Average Age for Independence: 30.3 Years
The most recent report from Spain's Youth Council's Emancipation Observatory highlights a troubling trend: young people in Spain find themselves deferring their independence until an average age of 30.3 years, the highest figure in the past two decades.
Despite a 4.6% rise in the average annual salary of young individuals, reaching 13,079.19 euros net per year, rental housing prices surged by 7.55%. This translates to an average rental rate of 912 euros, requiring a significant 83.7% of a young person's earnings. Added to the average monthly cost of utilities and housing services (141 euros), the total reaches 1,053 euros per month, absorbing 96.6% of their income. This leaves a mere 36.93 euros for essential expenses like food and clothing.
Amid these financial challenges, one in five individuals under 30 with a job experiences poverty or social exclusion. This alarming phenomenon calls for immediate political attention, as it not only affects young people's material circumstances but also their mental well-being.
Higher education does not guarantee independence either, as only 22.9% of young individuals who completed higher-level vocational training or university studies managed to achieve emancipation. The cost of renting a house or apartment went up a lot in 2022, and one in three young renters have to live with someone else because it's too expensive. The average rent for a room stood at 282.19 euros in Spain, dangerously close to the recommended 30% threshold of one's salary.
Fixed discontinuous contracts, where young individuals with indefinite contracts only work certain months due to their job's nature, saw a sharp rise from 23,569 to 233,828 within a year. Permanent part-time contracts also tripled, despite nearly half of those under this category preferring full-time employment.
Andrea González Henry, President of the Youth Council of Spain, highlights the urgency of housing policy reform, noting that young people's declining emancipation rates coincide with escalating housing costs. Juan Antonio Báez, Vice President of Socioeconomic and Communication at CJE, emphasizes the need for policies addressing youth challenges like housing and employment, which contribute significantly to mental health issues among young people.