The Tarragona Urban Property Chamber has warned that housing construction in Amposta and across Tarragona province is failing to keep pace with significant population growth between 2020 and 2024, leading to a severe housing shortage.
According to data compiled by the Chamber, the increase in population has substantially outstripped the number of new homes completed in most major municipalities in the province. This imbalance between residential supply and demand is directly contributing to current market tension.
In Tarragona city, for instance, 976 homes were completed during this period, while the population grew by 6,636 people. This translates to 6.8 new residents for every home built, significantly higher than the city's typical residential occupancy ratio of around 2.5 people per main home.
Extreme Disparity in Housing Supply
The situation is particularly acute in other areas. In Tortosa, the ratio rises to 24 people per completed home, in Reus it is 14.1, Salou sees 15.1, Torredembarra 16.5, Alcanar 16.4, La Ràpita 17.2, and Cambrils 5.1. El Vendrell recorded an even higher 24.9 people for every newly constructed home.
The most extreme cases are in Valls and Amposta, where over the past five years the proportion has been 49.1 and 52.8 people respectively for each completed home. The Chamber states that these figures demonstrate the current pace of building is far from meeting the real needs arising from demographic growth.
This lack of new supply is considered a structural factor explaining the progressive increase in prices and the reduction of available properties for both purchase and rental. The analysis is reinforced by comparing it with the existing residential stock, where most municipalities maintain an average occupancy of 2.4 to 2.6 people per main home, far below the ratios seen with recent growth versus new construction.
Call for Administrative Action
The Tarragona Urban Property Chamber argues that the housing debate must consider these factual realities. They believe the current problem cannot be addressed without acknowledging that for years, the production of new homes has been clearly insufficient relative to population growth.
In this regard, the Chamber calls on administrations to implement measures aimed at facilitating the promotion of new construction, streamlining urban planning procedures, and incentivising the rehabilitation and incorporation of new properties into the market. The shortage of available housing, according to the Chamber, cannot be understood without recognising that more people are arriving than the residential market can absorb at the current construction rate.
