The Different Speeds of Gentrification in Spain: a Comparative Approach

Carlos Sanz Pérez , Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics
Antonio López-Gay, Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics - Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Riccardo Valente, UNIVERSITAT AUTÒNOMA DE BARCELONA

This study examines the evolution and spatial dynamics of gentrification in Spain’s ten most populated cities between 2011 and 2021. While early research on gentrification in Spain focused on central neighbourhoods of Madrid and Barcelona, the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis – characterised by renewed housing financialization and rising international mobility – triggered a broader and more complex urban transformation. Despite growing academic attention, empirical analyses from a comparative perspective between neighbourhoods and cities have been scarce. To address this gap, this research develops a systematic and comparative approach to measure gentrification intensity and expansion across 10 major Spanish cities. We construct a Gentrification Index integrating eight indicators that capture demographic, socioeconomic, and housing market prices from Census and Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda data. The analysis, based on 705 spatial units for 10 cities, identifies both the pace and spatial diffusion of gentrification. Results reveal that Madrid and Barcelona remain the epicentres of urban transformation, showing the highest intensity and speed of gentrification, largely due to their global economic and political prominence. Nonetheless, the process has increasingly extended to medium-sized cities, indicating a nationwide spread of gentrification beyond traditional urban cores. Spatial patterns reveal a progressive expansion from historic centres toward adjacent and well-connected neighbourhoods, often reaching formerly working-class areas and reshaping long-standing social and spatial divides. In coastal cities, gentrification tends to advance along coastal areas. Overall, the findings show that the 2010s marked a decisive phase in the diversification and territorial expansion of gentrification across the Spanish urban system.

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 Presented in Session 37. Internal Migration and Urbanization