Surging Housing Costs Spark Nationwide Unrest: Spain Sees Largest Strike in 14 Years

Editorial staff

12 November 2026, 11:26

Surging Housing Costs Spark Nationwide Unrest: Spain Sees Largest Strike in 14 Years

Photo Author: REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura

Nearly 4 million workers in Spain - roughly one-fifth of the country's workforce - staged a massive strike protesting housing shortages and soaring rents, Reuters reports.

Organized by major labor unions (UGT, CCOO) and tenants' associations, this marks Spain's first nationwide general strike since 2012. While initially peaceful, demonstrations turned violent by evening in Madrid and Barcelona, where police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds, leaving 20 people injured and 73 arrested.

The walkout shut down major retailers, disrupted public transit, and halted production at Volkswagen and SEAT factories. According to the Bank of Spain, the country faces a deficit of 750,000 homes, while average rents (€1,176) consume 98.7% of a young worker's monthly salary.

The unrest was triggered by the death of an 87-year-old pensioner in Madrid following a forced eviction, alongside parliament's recent rejection of government rent-cap decrees.

Surging Housing Costs Spark Nationwide Unrest: Spain Sees Largest Strike in 14 Years

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