Student protests over school conditions in France have spread across Europe, fuelled by anger over the cost of living, unaffordable housing and cuts to public services.
01Summary
- 01Prices for everyday items rose 59–78% in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal since 2000, with Spain recording the steepest increase at 78%.
- 02Real wages in Italy fell nearly 5% between 2000 and 2025, while they rose 7% in Spain, 11% in France and 20% in Portugal.
- 03Spain's house price-to-income ratio is 56% higher than in 2000; Portugal's ratio has risen 67% since 2015.
- 04France's public education spending fell from 5.6% of GDP in 2000 to 5.1%; Portugal's dropped from 4.8% to 4.3%.
- 05Student protests in France began in September over overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages, escalating into wider demonstrations across Europe.
02Why it matters
These figures show that young people in southern Europe face higher living costs, stagnant or falling real wages and less affordable housing, which is driving protests and eroding the expectation that each generation will be better off than the last.
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