The Balearic Islands report the highest rate of evictions tied to unpaid rent, recording 23.7 evictions for every 100,000 residents. Close behind are the Canary Islands with 22.5, Catalonia with 21.9, the Community of Valencia at 20.7, and Murcia at 20.6. Regions at the lower end of the spectrum include Navarra at 7.5, the Basque Country at 8, and Extremadura at 8.5.
In the first quarter of 2022, the total number of judicial procedures initiated for this reason stood at 338, a 23.3% decline from 2021 when 441 cases were registered in the same period. The CGPJ released these figures this week, reflecting national trends in eviction and related proceedings.
At the national level, launches remained nearly the same as the previous year, totaling 11,072 and marking a 1% increase. About three out of every four evictions (7,625) originated from proceedings under the Urban Leasing Act LAU. An additional 2,755 cases (24.9%) were connected to liens, while 692 cases arose from other causes.
For foreclosures, the Balearic Islands reported 96 cases in the first quarter, the lowest level since the start of 2021. A year earlier, the same period recorded 107 cases, signaling a downward trend in that metric.
There has also been an uptick in the number of evictions reviewed by the Supreme Court of Justice. In 2022, 1,661 launches were recorded, compared with 1,610 in 2021. Notably, the Balearic Islands accounted for 28.7% of the national total for launches, standing five percentage points above the overall average.
Verbal possession concerns related to illegal occupation of homes declined relative to the first quarter of 2021. The period from 2021 to 2022 shows a drop from 48 to 23 procedures. During the first quarter, 740 verbal possession cases were opened and resolved, while 795 involved illegal occupation of homes, reflecting a 6.3% decrease from the previous year across Spain. Andalusia accounted for the largest share of claims with 173 cases, representing 23.4% of the national total. Catalonia followed with 162 cases, Valencia Community with 91, and Madrid with 56. Since the third quarter of 2018, statistical data on verbal ownership cases for illegal occupation has focused on cases involving homeowners who are natural persons, non-profit entities, or public institutions holding social housing.
The number of layoffs submitted has also declined, dropping from 600 in the first quarter of 2021 to 431 in the current period. In 2022 to date, a total of 30,126 dismissal cases have been filed, which is 12.6% below the same quarter of 2021. Catalonia registered the highest volume with 6,287 cases, constituting 20.9% of the total, followed by Madrid with 5,714, Andalusia with 4,580, and the Valencian Community with 3,309. In the social courts, 31,990 compensation cases were filed, 6.9% fewer than in the first quarter of 2021. Of these, 5,949 were opened in Madrid, 5,280 in Andalusia, and 3,831 in Catalonia.
The count of court competitions held in the first quarter of 2022 reached 5,312, representing a 7.9% rise compared with the same period in 2021.
Source information indicates CGPJ analysis and national judiciary statistics, covering regional and national trends in eviction proceedings, foreclosure filings, verbal possession actions, layoffs, and related judicial outcomes for the first quarter of 2022.