More than 20% of young Spaniards are now considering leaving big cities for small towns, according to a study by Fotocasa Research. High housing costs in major urban centers are pushing more people to look at smaller municipalities as an alternative.
Among people under 25, 23% said they are already considering moving to a municipality with fewer than 10,000 residents, the study found. The option is linked not just to a search for calm but also to the difficulty many young people face in accessing housing in large cities.
Housing costs reshape young people's preferences
Housing has become one of the key factors behind this shift in residential preferences, according to the study. Compared with the cost of settling in certain urban markets, rural municipalities are emerging as an option some young people are weighing when deciding where to build their lives.
The trend is not limited to those under 25. The study found that six in ten Spaniards between 18 and 44 are already considering the same option. Despite this growing interest, Spain still has a relatively small share of its population living in rural areas compared with other European Union countries, with only 14% doing so.
Maria Matos, director of studies and spokesperson for Fotocasa, said interest in rural living no longer stems only from a search for calm or quality of life. She said Spain is witnessing a shift in residential preferences, with price pressure in urban markets pushing many citizens, especially young people, to broaden their residential horizons and consider rural municipalities as an alternative for building their lives.
Cheaper housing alone is not enough
The possible return of population to small towns does not depend only on housing becoming more accessible, the study noted. For the shift to hold over time, these municipalities also need conditions that allow residents to carry out their daily lives there.
Matos said it is essential to invest in improving infrastructure, services and communications in rural areas, as well as to create job opportunities that can keep people settled there.
Matos said that for the trend to take hold, it will need to be accompanied by jobs, services, connectivity and infrastructure. She said access to more affordable housing can act as a trigger, but that revitalizing rural areas will depend on the right conditions existing to keep people settled there in a stable way.
