According to data published by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), the number of mortgage foreclosures on primary residences in Spain reached 3,703 in the second quarter of the year. This figure represents a 10,3% increase compared to the previous quarter and a 27.5% rise over the same period in 2025, marking the highest level of primary residence foreclosures since the first quarter of 2017.
Mortgage Foreclosures Reach Nine-Year Highs Across Spain
Official statistics from the INE indicate that total mortgage foreclosures initiated and registered in property registries climbed to 7,141 procedures during the second quarter. This marks an 8.3% increase in quarterly terms and a 12.2% rise compared to the same timeframe in 2025. Out of the urban procedures, 4,869 affected residential properties, showing an 8.3% increase over the previous quarter and a 20,9% jump year-over-year.
Detailed breakdowns from the INE show that 4,358 of those residential foreclosures involved properties owned by individuals, reflecting a 10,2% quarterly increase and a 23,6% annual surge. Meanwhile, foreclosures on homes owned by legal entities dropped by 3,5% from the first quarter but rose 5% annually to 631. Used homes constituted the vast majority of residential foreclosures at 91,7%, totaling 4,574 cases, whereas new home foreclosures declined slightly by 0,7% annually to 415.
Eviction Statistics and Regional Breakdowns
While mortgage foreclosures track legal procedures initiated in courts, actual evictions—known in Spain as lanzamientos—follow separate administrative and judicial paths. According to the Consejo General del Poder Judicial (CGPJ), courts recorded a total of 24,540 evictions throughout the previous year. Data from the judicial governing body indicates that 75% of these evictions, or 18,317 cases, stemmed from rental default procedures governed by the Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos (LAU). Meanwhile, mortgage foreclosures accounted for 18% of evictions, totaling 4,346 cases, with the remaining 1,877 cases driven by other causes.
Catalonia recorded the highest concentration of total evictions nationwide last year with 6,814 cases, representing 27,8% of the total. Andalucía followed with 3,782 cases, the Valencian Community with 2,992 cases, and Madrid with 2,267 cases, according to CGPJ figures. Judicial data for the first quarter of 2026 shows that courts carried out 4,005 evictions between January 1 and March 31, marking a 45% decrease compared to the first quarter of 2025.
Distinguishing Foreclosures From Actual Evictions
Legal experts and official bodies emphasize that a registered mortgage foreclosure certification does not automatically result in an eviction. While property registries recorded 31,416 mortgage execution cases presented in courts—a 35% increase compared to 2024—many of these procedures are resolved before reaching the final launch phase. Debtors frequently manage to clear outstanding balances, renegotiate loan terms with financial institutions, reach private agreements, or sell the property independently to avoid losing their homes.
Related reading