Financial or property donations signed before a notary have grown by 20% to "all-time highs," and the Notarial College of Catalonia links this to the housing crisis and the need for assistance to buy a home. "They respond greatly to the desire to help a son or family member who wants to acquire a home, and donations can be the solution: either money to buy one or property if parents are fortunate enough to have more than one," explained the vice-dean of the College, Raquel Iglesias, at the presentation of the data from the V Notarial Observatory of Catalonia. "Donations out of pure generosity, without need, do exist, but we don't see them as much," she clarified.

One option when making a will is to give the estate, or a portion of it, to charitable organizations. However, in practice, very few people who leave an inheritance choose this option. Last year, 61,854 inheritances were registered in Catalonia, and only 0.32% included a charitable donation, although these totaled €56.73 million. Of these, 55% went to NGOs and 45% to the Church, according to data from the Notarial Association of Catalonia.

Home purchases by foreigners increased by 7% last year in Catalonia compared to 2023 levels. In total, foreigners purchased 21,642 properties in Catalonia, compared to 20,177 the previous year. This represents 14% of total sales, as 145,878 homes were sold in the Principality for the year as a whole, 11% more than in 2023. The price per square meter of homes also rose, up by 5%.

An average of 50 hours of study per week for five years. This is the amount of time devoted by the 92 people who passed the latest public notary exams. It is estimated that at least 3,000 hours of study are required to pass this exam, and it is considered one of the most difficult exams. Catalonia is where most of the most recent passers will work in the entire country: 28 will practice starting this spring, and of these, ten are Catalan. ARA has spoken with three of them now that they have the goal they have been pursuing for so long.