The average salary went from €1,505 to €1,602, while the minimum wage grew from €760 to €820. However, housing expenses have accelerated in recent years, with the weight of housing costs jumping from less than 20% in 2000 to more than 39% in 2023.

According to Expresso, which uses data from the National Statistics Institute (INE), extending the time period to 2015, the difference in the average real salary is not that different when compared to that seen in 2023 (1,163 euros against 1,261 euros), having registered, in fact, a greater increase compared to 2024, of 280 euros (+24%).

“Price increases mainly affect those on low incomes, who have been relying on state support mainly for rent,” says Natália Nunes, coordinator of the financial protection office at the DECO Proteste association, quoted by the publication. “The middle class is now poorer than it was 10 years ago and is shrinking, leading to an increase mainly in the lower class,” he adds.

INE figures also allow us to conclude, for example, that in 2000, families spent 19.8% of their budget on housing-related expenses (in addition to rent or bank credit, current expenses are also included). But with rising house prices, the weight of these charges has soared to 39.3% in 2023.