According to the barometer published by the CIS in February 2025, 58.5% of Spaniards consider that they have a favorable economic situation, while 20.8% see it as unfavorable. 40.2% would say that they belong to the middle class, and 16.5% to the lower class. Does the perception of those surveyed correspond to reality? Not in all cases.
To identify the socioeconomic level of an individual, one should consult the report of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which defines social class according to different income ranges.
The OECD identifies the middle class as the group of the population whose income ranges between 75% and 200% of the median household income. Currently, this income is €18,316 per year in Spain (on average), so workers with incomes between €13,737 and €36,662 gross per year can be said to be middle class.
However, the median income can give higher figures in certain autonomous communities: in the case of Madrid, the Basque Country and Navarre, it is higher than in the rest of Spain. In the Community of Madrid, the average annual income stood at €24,991 in 2023, 36.44% higher than the national median income.
Following the OECD analysis and taking into account the average income in the capital, to be middle class in Madrid it would be necessary to earn between 1,500 and 4,000 euros per month. That is: between 18,000 and 48,000 euros gross per year.
Why do so many Spaniards identify with the middle class?
Professor and economist Luis Ayala Cañón explained to Newtral that Spaniards tend to identify with the middle class because “it provides high levels of integration“, while belonging to lower classes “generates a series of barriers” at a social level. Curiously, when it comes to identifying with the upper classes, barriers also appear. According to Ayala, “although it has many social advantages, it can have a certain negative social stigmatization”.