More than half of these over 55 years of age financially help their family members, in keeping with a Mapfre examine | Economy | EUROtoday

More than half of Spaniards over 55 years of age recurrently present monetary help to their surroundings, and this effort is overwhelmingly directed in the direction of the generations which can be already, or needs to be, totally built-in into the labor market. Far from focusing on the youthful inhabitants that has not but began their skilled life, the majority of financial transfers go to adults between 31 and 54 years of age, in keeping with the VI Senior Consumer Barometer of Fundación Mapfre.
Specifically, 38% of the beneficiaries of this help are between 31 and 40 years outdated, whereas one other 32% are between 41 and 54 years outdated. This implies that just about seven out of ten financial helps are channeled in the direction of the millennial and X generations, exactly those that, in idea, ought to already help themselves with their very own revenue. The knowledge reveals a really completely different image from that normally related to household help. It is just not a lot about dad and mom serving to younger kids of their first steps, however about structural help for adults with jobs, dependent kids and, in lots of instances, excessive mortgages or rents. The help thus turns into a hard and fast revenue complement for households that, regardless of being of their stage of best work exercise, have growing difficulties in sustaining their way of life with the present wage.
In complete, 52% of individuals over 55 years of age acknowledge having helped a member of the family or shut individual financially over the past yr, a proportion that has remained roughly secure since 2021, when this query was included for the primary time within the barometer. The solely time wherein this development elevated in a worrying method was in 2022, within the midst of the inflation disaster. That yr, 63% of these surveyed admitted to having helped these round them financially.
The report doesn’t enable us to attract a development on which inhabitants teams this help is directed in the direction of, since it’s the first time that the barometer incorporates such an in depth query concerning the recipients. Despite this lack of historic perspective, the noticed sample suits with the financial actuality of Spanish households. The sharp enhance in hire costs, particularly in massive cities, has elevated the burden of housing within the household price range. In the final 5 years, the actual property market has skilled a continuing enhance in costs. At the nationwide stage, the worth supplied for an residence for hire has gone from 10.7 euros per sq. meter to 14.7 euros, which represents a rise of 37%, in keeping with the provide studies offered by the Idealista actual property portal. This means going from 856 euros per thirty days for a median residence of 80 sq. meters to paying 1,176 euros.
Added to the rise in housing costs are meals and companies, which additionally contribute to lowering the buying energy of households. Last yr closed with a median inflation of two.7%, removed from the goal of two% imposed by the European Central Bank. In this context, it’s logical to assume that folks’ cash is extra continuously used to cowl fundamental prices than to finance particular initiatives. The report itself factors to this stress on consumption. When respondents are requested what they’d spend an additional 500 euros per thirty days on, the bulk choice is to allocate it to bettering high quality of life, with a notable weight being spent on meals. That is, even with further revenue, the precedence wouldn’t be leisure or financial savings, however important items.
On the opposite hand, it’s noticed that even in hypothetical eventualities, the precedence of older folks is to ensure the financial safety of their progeny. When requested what they’d do in the event that they obtained 400,000 euros within the lottery, 57% of these surveyed said that they’d use at the least a part of the cash to assist their kids or different relations. 41% say they’d use the cash to journey and 24% would reserve it.
From a macroeconomic viewpoint, these revenue transfers have a stabilizing impact as a result of they help consumption and keep away from conditions of vulnerability. But additionally they signify an anomaly within the financial mannequin, which a priori ought to protect the inhabitants with public insurance policies that assure entry to housing and promote emancipation. On the opposite, the barometer factors to a dependence on the household that lasts past 30 years.
https://elpais.com/economia/2026-01-27/mas-de-la-mitad-de-los-mayores-de-55-anos-apoyan-economicamente-a-sus-allegados-segun-un-estudio-de-mapfre.html