A mailbox in a 40m² flat | MADRILLÍN

Population density in small homes is a complex issue. While 4.4m² per person may sound like very little, actual livability depends on many factors.

## Square metres per person: a reliable indicator?

Each person having just over **4 square metres** to live in doesn't exactly sound like luxury, does it? Do the maths: in a **40 square metre** flat with **9 people** living in it, the result is **4.4 square metres** per head. At first glance, things look bad. People talk about "overcrowding", "insanitary conditions" and "precariousness" as if it were the only possible reality. But is it really as simple as adding and dividing? The truth is, it isn't. Occupancy density, measured in square metres per person, is only part of the story.

A lot of things come into play here: the layout of the space, the quality of the construction, access to basic services, ventilation, natural light... A well-designed **40m²** flat with good light can feel far more spacious and livable than a poorly laid-out, dark **60m²** one. What's more, a family living together in a traditional arrangement, where there is a bond and an organisation, is not the same as a shared rental situation where the dynamics are different. The perception of "overcrowding" isn't just physical; it also has a strong psychological and social component.

## A trend or an isolated reality?

The debate about housing size and occupancy has become fashionable, especially in cities with skyrocketing rents like **Madrid**. The difficulty of accessing decent housing pushes many people to look for cheaper solutions, which often means smaller spaces or living with more people. It's certainly not an ideal situation. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a minimum of **7 square metres** per person for a home to be considered healthy, although this figure can vary depending on the context and conditions.

In **Spain**, the average size of homes has been shrinking in recent decades. Looking at data from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE, Spain's national statistics institute) for **2022**, the average size of newly built homes stood at around **90-100 square metres**, but the existing housing stock is far more heterogeneous. There are many older, smaller homes, and in high-demand areas the pressure on space is enormous. This doesn't justify overcrowding, but it does explain how these situations come about.

## The livability debate

The discussion over whether **4.4m²** per person is "normality" or "precariousness" is, at its core, a debate about what we consider an acceptable standard of living. Hearing that **9 people** live in **40m²**, it's easy to picture a packed flat. But it's worth bearing in mind that in some countries, such as **Hong Kong**, high population density in very small homes is an everyday reality, and people have adapted to living in tight spaces with ingenious solutions.

The key is whether these conditions are temporary, a necessity, or whether they persist over time with no chance of improvement. The lack of affordable housing in many cities pushes people into extreme situations. The question is whether we are normalising a standard of living below what is desirable, or whether people are simply finding creative solutions to structural problems of housing access. It's a sensitive issue, where economics collides head-on with the social and the human.