Cost of Living Crisis Sparks Youth Protests Across France, Italy, Spain and Portugal

Student demonstrations that began in France over overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages have evolved into a wider wave of protests across Europe, drawing thousands of young people into the streets over the soaring cost of living and planned cuts to public services.

What started in September in France has spread to countries including Albania, Belgium, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. Demonstrators in these nations are rallying against a severe lack of affordable housing, rising daily expenses, and failing public services. Many young participants report that they no longer expect to achieve a higher standard of living than their parents.

The unrest places pressure on leaders with diverse political backgrounds, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro—both conservative-leaning centrists—alongside Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the right and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on the left. Despite their differing political philosophies, all four leaders face mounting public frustration over economic pressures.

Data from Eurostat, the European Union’s statistics agency, shows that prices for everyday items such as food, energy, transport, and bills have risen between 59 percent and 78 percent since 2000 across France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Spain recorded the steepest overall increase at 78 percent, followed by Portugal at 71 percent, Italy at 68 percent, and France at 59 percent.

These increases mean that a basket of goods and services costing 100 euros in 2000 now requires about 178 euros in Spain, 171 euros in Portugal, 168 euros in Italy, and 159 euros in France. While prices generally rose by about two percent annually for years, inflation spiked sharply in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Annual inflation that year reached 8.7 percent in Italy, 8.3 percent in Spain, 8.1 percent in Portugal, and 5.9 percent in France, marking the highest rates in all four countries since at least 2000.

Energy costs drove much of this surge, soaring after the outbreak of the war. By October 2022, eurozone energy prices were nearly 42 percent higher than a year earlier, alongside steep increases in food costs. Between 2021 and 2023, overall prices increased by 12 percent to 15 percent across the four nations. Because wages have failed to keep pace and price levels do not drop when inflation eases, households continue to face severe financial strain.

According to OECD wage data adjusted using Eurostat’s price index, average full-time wages in Italy actually fell by nearly 5 percent between 2000 and 2025 once inflation is taken into account. Over the same period, real wages rose by 7 percent in Spain, 11 percent in France, and 20 percent in Portugal.

Experts note that headline wage figures mask structural labor market challenges. In Spain, many newly created jobs were concentrated in tourism and services, often remaining seasonal and poorly paid. Meanwhile, aging populations across high-income economies have squeezed out opportunities for younger workers, widening the pay gap between older and younger generations over decades and eroding the promise of generational economic advancement.

Housing affordability has also deteriorated significantly since 2000, according to the OECD price-to-income ratio. Spain experienced the largest overall shift, with its price-to-income ratio standing 56 percent higher than in 2000, even following a sharp correction after the 2008 financial crisis. In France, the ratio is 39 percent higher than in 2000, though it has eased slightly since peaking in 2022. Italy remains an exception where house prices have largely kept pace with incomes, leaving the ratio just 5 percent higher than in 2000.

Portugal has seen the most dramatic recent shift in housing. Its price-to-income ratio fell steadily for 15 years after 2000, making homes progressively more affordable, but has surged by 67 percent since 2015.

Public expenditure on education has also drawn scrutiny amid the protests. Eurostat data indicates that France’s public spending on education stands at 5.1 percent of its gross domestic product, down from 5.6 percent in 2000. Italy spent 4.4 percent of its GDP on education compared to 4 percent in 2024, while Spain maintained spending at 4.1 percent in both 2000 and 2024. Portugal’s education spending dropped from 4.8 percent of GDP in 2000 to 4.3 percent in 2024.