Inflation in Catalonia continues to rise, despite the slowdown in fuel prices in recent weeks. In fact, the prices of goods and services consumed by families recorded the highest increase since February 2023, according to data from the Consumer Price Index (CPI, the indicator that measures the evolution of the cost of living) published this Friday by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

Salaries are not always enough to live without struggle. In fact, the term "working poor" has been used for some time, meaning workers who, despite having a job, do not make it to the end of the month. The fact is that to lead a "dignified" life or one without financial suffocation in the Barcelona metropolitan area, one must earn at least 1,891 gross euros per month in 12 payments, but it is higher in the Catalan capital (2,020 euros) than in its metropolitan area (1,772 euros). Furthermore, different types of families also require different amounts. For example, a couple with two children, 2,326 euros; and a single-parent family, 2,680 euros, since it depends on a single salary, in both cases within the metropolitan area. These are the conclusions of the study Living Wage 2026 prepared by public policy evaluation consultants KSNET and public strategy and management consultancy Daleph, which are part of the international Global Living Wage Movement network.

The general strike called this Wednesday in the Spanish state is expected to gather thousands of people to protest the cost of living, with special emphasis on the price of housing. But the unrest behind it is shared beyond the border. The feeling of suffocation in the face of an unexpected bill, the race against time to save faster than inflation rises, the frustration before a supermarket shelf with soaring prices, and the uncertainty of a truncated future run through all of Europe. And this unrest has crystallized into mobilizations across the continent.

The 2008 economic crisis ended, at least theoretically, in 2013. It was the last year in which the Spanish economy recorded negative growth. The consequences of the recession still persist today, and are exacerbated by the more recent rise in the price of a very specific group of products in the shopping basket. They are fundamentally two: housing and food, as clarified by the Generalitat in the 2025 Social Report.

Next Wednesday we are called to a general strike to demand better wages, affordable housing, and measures against the rising cost of living. And this at a time when Catalonia is recording one of the lowest unemployment rates since 2008, the minimum wage has increased by almost 66% since 2018 and monetary poverty has decreased in recent years. And yet, many families continue to have difficulty making ends meet. How is this explained?

The prices of goods and services that families usually consume have continued to rise this month of October in the State, according to advance data from the Consumer Price Index (CPI, the indicator that measures the cost of living for families) published this Friday by the National Statistics Institute (INE), despite a moderation in fuel prices. Furthermore, the state statistical body has also published preliminary data on the evolution of the Spanish economy between July and September, which maintained its growth rate and continues to expand above the European average.

With the drop in autumn temperatures, most Catalan households have either already had to turn on the heating and stoves, or are about to do so. Faced with the rise in electricity and gas bills, however, now is a good time to consider which are the best systems to heat a home with the minimum possible consumption.

“How much do your neighbors earn?”, asks us the headline, alluring, of ARA, to show us this statistic, from every year, of the per capita income municipality by municipality. Matadepera, Sant Just Desvern and Sant Cugat del Vallès, as every year, are those that have the most income per inhabitant, taking into account that the average is made with the chicken statistic: if I eat a chicken and you eat none, both of us have eaten half a chicken. In the case that we are offending the vegan collective, let's do it with other foods, but then, I say it now, the statistic won't come out right because I won't eat a whole plant-based protein.

The cost of living for families continues to rise due to the increase in energy prices. In August, the prices of the set of consumer goods and services in Catalonia shot up by 4% annually, the highest figure since January 2023, but lower than the Spanish average, according to data from the Consumer Price Index (CPI) published this Tuesday by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

The Spanish economy maintained its high growth rate of recent years in the second quarter of 2026, above the European average. However, at the same time, the cost of living for families continues to rise, and this July will close at its highest levels since May 2024.

The cost of living in Spain remains high this June. The prices of goods and services consumed by families have accelerated their growth, mainly due to the end of tax reductions on electricity and gas that the Spanish government had approved last March and which expired from June 1st.

The cost of living in Catalonia moderated last May despite the upward pressures of fuel costs on family economies caused by the energy crisis derived from the war in Iran. Nevertheless, the measures approved by the Spanish government to cut taxes on electricity and natural gas curbed price increases.

The cost of living for families has maintained this May the slowdown recorded the previous month, despite the continuation of the war in Iran and instability in energy markets, according to provisional data advanced this Friday by the National Institute of Statistics (INE).

The effects of the war in Iran continue to tighten the screws on the fruit and vegetable sector, which finds it increasingly difficult to contain the costs of fruit and vegetables. This Wednesday, companies in the sector - through a survey by the main association of manufacturers and distributors in the State (Aecoc) - have warned of the possibility of new price increases in the not-too-distant future if the conflict in the Middle East drags on.

The reduction in electricity and natural gas bills moderated the increase in the cost of living in April, both in Catalonia and in Spain as a whole. The measures approved by the Spanish government to reduce some taxes on electricity and gas had the desired effect, although, on the other hand, the cost of fuel continued to rise due to uncertainty in international energy markets because of the war in Iran.

The fiscal measures to reduce the cost of electricity and fuels approved a month ago by the Spanish government have had a positive effect on the prices of goods and services consumed by families, which has allowed to moderate the inflation that had skyrocketed in March as a consequence of the energy crisis derived from the war in Iran.

The fiscal measures to reduce the cost of electricity and fuel approved a month ago by the Spanish government have had a positive effect on the prices of goods and services consumed by families, which has allowed to moderate the inflation that had soared in March as a consequence of the energy crisis derived from the war in Iran.

The rise in fuel prices caused by the war in the Middle East sent the cost of living soaring in Catalonia and Spain in March, the first month with the war's effects, according to consumer price index (CPI, the indicator that measures the cost of living for families) data published this Tuesday by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

The cost of living for Catalan families rose slightly in February, despite remaining within the limits set by the European Central Bank (ECB). Last month was the last before the outbreak of the war in Iran, which is expected to have an upward impact on prices due to the resulting increase in the cost of oil and natural gas. Specifically, prices in Catalonia rose by 0.5% compared to January, a figure that stands out in contrast to the previous month, when the cost of living decreased compared to December. However, compared to a year ago, the growth was 2%, the same annual rate as in January, according to data from the Consumer Price Index (CPI, the indicator that measures the evolution of prices of consumer goods and services) published this Friday by the National Institute of Statistics (INE). Across Spain, the INE has confirmed the data that I had already shared two weeks agoThus, in Spain, prices rose on average in February by 2.3% compared to the same month last year and by 0.4% compared to January. The rise in inflation is mainly due to the increase in fuel costs, which is expected to be even more pronounced in the coming months, with a monthly increase of 1.7%. Tourism and hospitality also became more expensive in February, with an average increase of 1.2%.

The Spanish economy accelerated its growth rate during the last three months of 2025, nearly doubling the expected growth rate for the eurozone, according to preliminary data released Friday by the National Statistics Institute (INE). This placed Spain among the leading growth countries in the European Union for another quarter. Meanwhile, the cost of living for families moderated in January after three consecutive months of price increases.