The number of foreign home buyers in Spain’s northeastern region fell by 9 percent during the first six months of 2026 compared to the same period last year, according to new data from the Notarial Observatory of Catalonia.
Statistics from the Notarial Observatory of Catalonia have revealed that there were a total of 10,293 property transactions between January and June of 2026. This represents 18.5 percent of the total transactions during the first half of the year.
This is the first year-on-year decrease seen in Catalonia since 2023, putting an end to the upward trend seen in recent years.
Despite the decline, Catalonia still sees some of the highest number of property purchases by foreigners in the country.
READ ALSO: Property purchases by foreigners in Spain see sharpest fall since 2020
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Nationwide, 62,327 purchases by foreign nationals were recorded, representing a 13 percent decrease.
Of all property sales involving foreigners in Spain during the first half of the year, 16.5 percent took place in Catalonia.
This figure places Catalonia among the regions with the highest concentration of foreign buyers, despite the recent drop in purchases by non-Spaniards.
When it comes to cost, it seems like foreigners continue to pay increasingly more for property in Catalonia.
The price per square metre paid by foreign buyers in Catalonia reached €2,880, which is three percent higher than in the same period of 2025.
It’s worth noting though that this increase is six percentage points lower than the national figure, where the price per square metre rose by 9.4 percent to reach €2,644.
Despite the difference in percentages, the average price per square metre paid by foreigners in Catalonia was above the national average.
This reveals that although prices have risen less in Catalonia than in Spain as a whole, property costs remain higher in the northeast region.
READ ALSO: Moroccans replace Brits as main foreign property buyers in Spain
With regards to non-resident foreign buyers, French citizens came out on top as the nationality who bought the most property in Catalonia during the first of the year.
This year, they so far account for 35 percent of all transactions in the region, followed by the Germans, who made up 9.3 percent.
This was not the same case as for foreigners who are Spanish residents, however. In this case, it was the Italians that led the way with 11.8 percent of the transactions. They were followed closely behind by the Moroccans who made up 11.3 percent of the foreign resident buyers.
The figures reveal that the nationalities and the numbers change dramatically depending on whether the buyer is a resident or is wanting to buy a holiday home.
Another key question that remains – Where are foreigners buying property in Catalonia?
According to the Barcelona Chamber of Urban Property in its report on Housing Purchases Foreign Participation, which was released earlier this year, Roses in the Costa Brava comes out far above anywhere else, accounting for a whopping 70 percent of home purchases by foreigners, with 87 percent of these being non-residents, showing a continued demand for holiday homes in the region.
READ ALSO: The reasons why Brits are buying far fewer homes in Spain
Further along the coast, Cadaqués accounted for 54 percent of foreign home purchases, 21 percent of these were residents, but a huge 79 percent were non-residents, showing again the popularity of second home purchases in the area.
Barcelona, of course, also attracts many foreign home buyers. According to the report, in the Catalan capital, 33 percent of purchases are made by foreigners. This combines both residents and non-residents, although in this case it’s residents who lead.
According to real estate agency Aquí Lujo Internacional, the Costa Brava is remains one of the most popular areas for foreigners to buy in.
Along with Roses and Cadaqués, Begur and L’Estartit are also popular choices. These towns mainly attract French, Swiss, and Central European investors.
It’s worth noting that Catalonia is not the only region to have seen a decline in foreign buyers this year. According to recent data from Spain’s General Council of Notaries, property purchases by foreign nationals across the country has seen the sharpest decline since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Transactions fell by 13 percent to 62,327 sales, compared with the 71,625 recorded in the same period the previous year.
That represents 9,298 fewer transactions and the sharpest year-on-year decline since the first half of 2020, when Covid-19 restrictions caused the market to plummet.
The decline was particularly sharp amongst foreigners who were non-residents in Spain.
There are several possible reasons behind the decline. The first is quite obviously that Spanish properties have become a lot more expensive in recent years and are not the bargain second home prices that they once were, meaning many can no longer afford to buy here.
According to data from online real estate agency Fotocasa, homes in Spain have experienced a price increase of 13.2 percent in just one year, going from €223,129 to €252,652 for an average 80m2 home in October 2026.
Property portal Idealista has revealed an increase of 11.8 percent during the same period.
Another reason is that foreign buyers are often blamed for the housing crisis and many housing protests have been focused on them. Some regions such as the Canaries and Balearics have even been looking into ways of limiting non-resident foreign buyers. This has perhaps caused some to consider buying elsewhere.
Thirdly is the fact that the Spanish government has brought in many measures to try and put a stop to the housing crisis, most of them unsuccesful.
These mean that the country is no longer as attractive for investors as it once was. There are now rules against renting properties out to tourists, laws against temporary rentals and potential regulations making the rental market a lot more favourable for tenants than for landlords.
