Average household spending in Spain rose to €35,101 in 2025, up 3.1% from the previous year, according to final results from the Household Budget Survey published by Spain’s National Statistics Institute. Average spending per person reached €14,066, up 3.2%. Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels represented the largest share of household budgets at 33.2%, while food and non-alcoholic beverages accounted for 16.0% and transport for 11.5%. Lower-spending households allocated a much larger share of their budgets to housing and food, highlighting the pressure of essential living costs.
Average household spending in Spain increased again in 2025. According to final results from the Household Budget Survey published by Spain’s National Statistics Institute on June 25, 2026, average household spending reached €35,101 in 2025, an increase of 3.1% from the previous year. In absolute terms, households spent €1,057 more than in 2024.
Average spending per person also rose. In 2025, per capita spending in Spain reached €14,066, up 3.2% from the previous year. The figures show that household consumption continued to grow, while also reflecting the higher cost burden faced by many households.
The largest increase came from housing-related expenses. According to INE, average household spending on housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels rose by 5.8% from the previous year. In absolute terms, this category increased by €636 compared with 2024. It was also the largest item in household budgets in 2025.
The structure of household spending shows the weight of essential costs. Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels accounted for 33.2% of total household spending. Food and non-alcoholic beverages represented 16.0%, while transport accounted for 11.5%. Together, these three categories represented more than 60% of household budgets.
Food spending also increased. Average household spending on food and non-alcoholic beverages reached €5,626 in 2025, up 4.4% from the previous year. This represented an increase of €236 compared with 2024. Major food categories included meat, bread and cereals, milk, cheese and eggs, fish, vegetables, potatoes, and fruit.
Transport accounted for 11.5% of household spending. In Spain, transport costs are directly linked to the living expenses of commuters, vehicle-owning households, residents of large cities, and families that frequently travel between regions. Fuel, public transport, vehicle maintenance, and insurance can all affect household budgets.
Some spending categories declined. Spending on alcoholic beverages and tobacco fell by 3.4% from the previous year. Restaurants and accommodation services declined by 2.7%, while furniture, household equipment, and home maintenance fell by 2.1%. Information and communication spending decreased by 2.0%. These changes suggest that some households may have adjusted discretionary spending while essential costs continued to rise.
By household type, couples with children recorded the highest average spending. In 2025, this group spent an average of €44,438, up €1,275 from the previous year. In comparison, single-person households aged 65 or over spent an average of €23,024, while single-person households under 65 spent €23,784.
Spending growth was particularly notable among single-person households under 65. Their average expenditure increased by 7.0% in 2025, or €1,558 more than the previous year. This suggests that housing, food, transport, and personal services may be putting greater pressure on younger or working-age single-person households.
Differences by spending level were also clear. INE divided households into five groups based on spending level. The lowest-spending 20% of households allocated 61.5% of their budget to housing, water, electricity, gas, and food and non-alcoholic beverages. This indicates that households with less spending capacity have limited room to reduce essential expenses.
The highest-spending 20% of households allocated a larger share of their budget to transport, restaurants and accommodation services, leisure, sport, and culture. This group spent 33.6% of its budget on these categories. The data show a clear difference between lower-spending households, whose budgets are concentrated on essential items, and higher-spending households, which have more room for discretionary spending.
Regional differences also appeared in the data. In 2025, the Basque Country recorded the highest average spending per person at €16,642. Madrid followed with €16,124. At the lower end, Andalusia recorded €12,197, while Extremadura and Murcia also showed lower levels of per capita spending.
Per capita spending in the Basque Country was 18.3% above the national average. Andalusia, by contrast, was 13.3% below the national average. The figures show that income levels, prices, housing costs, and consumption patterns vary significantly across Spain.
The increase in household spending reflects both consumption activity and cost-of-living pressure. Higher spending can indicate stronger consumption, but when essential categories such as housing and food account for a large share of budgets, the financial burden on households can also rise. Housing and food are difficult to reduce, which means they can have a stronger impact on lower-income households, young people, older adults, and single-person households.
The figures are also relevant for international students and long-term residents. When calculating the cost of living in Spain, tuition fees and visa-related costs are not enough. Rent, utilities, food, transport, and daily expenses must also be considered. In major cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and Málaga, housing and living costs can represent a large part of total stay expenses.
For foreign residents, regional choice is also an economic factor. Spending levels differ significantly between the Basque Country, Madrid, Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, Andalusia, Murcia, and Extremadura. The most suitable region may vary depending on whether a person is coming to Spain for study, work, remote work, retirement, or business.
For the broader Spanish economy, household spending is closely tied to domestic demand. Consumption is an important component of GDP growth. However, the economic meaning of higher spending depends on whether it is driven by wage growth and improved purchasing power, or by increases in essential costs.
When housing and food absorb a large share of household budgets, discretionary spending can become more limited. The decline in spending on restaurants, accommodation, household equipment, and information and communication may reflect this adjustment. As essential costs rise, households may reduce spending in other areas.
There may also be indirect effects on tourism and services. Spain’s economy relies heavily on tourism, restaurants, accommodation, culture, and leisure. If domestic households reduce spending on restaurants and accommodation, local service businesses may feel changes in domestic demand, even when foreign tourism remains strong.
The 2025 Household Budget Survey shows that economic activity and cost-of-living pressure are moving together in Spain. Average spending increased, and some categories continued to grow, but the largest burden remained concentrated in housing and food. Future analysis of Spain’s economy will need to look not only at consumption growth, but also at the composition of household spending, regional differences in living costs, and the burden of essential expenses on lower-spending households.