A wave of ‘fleeing the big city,’ led by the younger generation, is currently sweeping across Spanish society. As housing prices and rents in major urban centers continue to climb, a growing number of young professionals are turning their attention to sparsely populated small towns. This phenomenon is reshaping Spain’s demographic landscape, completely overturning the traditional image of ‘neorurals’ as primarily retirees.
High Housing Costs Drive ‘Counter-Urbanization’ Among Youth
Recent data from the Spanish real estate platform Fotocasa reveals that among all house hunters nationwide, 13% plan to move to a town with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants in the coming months. Demographically, this group is notably young. Those aged 25-34 make up 38% of the group, while the 18-24 age bracket accounts for 23%. This means over 60% of these potential ‘neorurals’ are under the age of 35.
The root cause of this youth exodus is the exorbitant cost of living in cities. According to data from the Spanish Youth Council (CJE), only 14.5% of young Spaniards currently live independently. The national average monthly rent has reached €1,176, consuming nearly 98.7% of the average young person’s salary. Faced with the unbearable cost of housing in metropolitan areas, moving to the countryside has become a practical strategy for the younger generation to cope with the urban housing crisis.
Low and Middle-Income Groups Lead the Exodus
From an economic perspective, this ‘counter-urbanization’ movement is primarily composed of low and middle-income individuals. Fotocasa’s data shows that about 50% of those planning to move have a household monthly income between €1,001 and €3,000. In contrast, high-earners with monthly incomes over €4,000 represent only 9% of the group. Notably, among the lowest income bracket—those earning less than €1,000 a month—13% also plan to move to small towns.
To alleviate financial pressure, some property investors are also advising young people to adjust their home-buying strategies. For instance, experienced investors are urging young buyers to look beyond core cities like Madrid (Comunidad de Madrid) and Barcelona, and instead consider more affordable surrounding markets like the Valencian Community (Valencia), where properties can be found for around €50,000. Geographically, among those preparing to move to small towns, 22% are from Catalonia (Catalunya), 19% from Andalusia (Andalucía), and 18% from the Community of Madrid.
The Dual Challenge of Family Structure and Public Services
The family structures of this migrating group further reflect the real-world difficulties faced by young people. Nearly half of those planning to move are single. Among them, about 30% currently live with their parents, 31% live with their children, 16% are couples without children, another 10% live alone, and 8% share housing with non-relatives.
However, low housing prices alone are not enough to ensure the long-term revitalization of rural populations. Fotocasa points out that to transform this short-term ‘escape from the city’ into a sustainable force for rural development, all levels of Spanish government must simultaneously improve infrastructure in small towns. This includes creating more job opportunities and upgrading core public services such as healthcare, education, public transport, and high-speed internet connectivity. Only by fundamentally addressing these infrastructure gaps can young people be expected to truly put down roots in rural areas.
