Catalonia and Madrid concentrate a good part of the construction of protected housing in Spain, although with a significant difference between both communities. Catalonia represents 47% of the new protected homes qualified during the first half of 2026, compared to 26% of the Community of Madrid, according to the data released this Thursday based on the statistics from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda.
Between both communities, they account for 73% of the national total, while Andalusia and the Basque Country represent 6% each. In the Catalan case, the evolution of Barcelona stands out particularly, where the construction of protected homes has quadrupled compared to the same period of the previous year.
The data arrives at a time of strong growth of protected housing in Spain. During the first six months of 2026, 11,270 protected homes have been completed, 96% more than a year earlier, while the start of new promotions has increased by 108%.
Barcelona drives the growth of protected housing in Catalonia
The difference between Catalonia and Madrid occurs in a semester marked by the increase in completed protected homes. According to the figures provided, the construction of this type of housing in Barcelona has quadrupled compared to the first half of 2025, which helps to explain the weight of Catalonia in the national total.
The Catalan advance was already visible during the first months of the year. In the first quarter, 3,073 protected homes were completed in Catalonia, compared to 1,127 in Madrid, according to the ministerial statistics published in June.
However, the number of completed homes does not equate to the number of new promotions started. The data from the first quarter showed, in fact, that Madrid had started more protected homes than Catalonia, so the comparison between both communities depends on the indicator used.
Affordable rent surpasses ownership for the first time
Another of the novelties of the statistics from the first half is the change in the destination of protected homes. For the first time, homes qualified for affordable rent surpass those intended for ownership, after the former have tripled their volume compared to the previous year.
This evolution coincides with the orientation of housing policies towards the expansion of the affordable rental supply. Among the planned instruments is the State Housing Plan 2026-2030, endowed with 7 billion euros, which reserves at least 40% of its resources for the construction of affordable housing with permanent protection.
Protected housing could reach its highest volume since 2012
The growth recorded during the first six months opens the possibility that 2026 will end with more than 25,000 completed protected homes, provided that the construction pace is maintained during the second half.
If this projection is met, Spain would reach its highest annual figure since 2012. However, this is an estimate conditioned on the evolution of the coming months and not a definitive result.
For its part, the construction of free housing shows more moderate growth. In the first half, 40,136 free homes were completed, 0.8% more, while the works started increased by 10.5%, to 67,564 units.
At the end of June, there were at least 244,362 free homes under construction in Spain, which represents 23,086 more than a year earlier, with a year-on-year increase of 10.4%.