Thousands of pensioners take to the streets in Madrid demanding a 6% pension increase

Thousands of pensioners marched in Madrid on 24 October 2026 to demand a 6% pension increase in 2027, better wages and affordable housing, in a march called by Coespe together with the Tenants' Union.

The Coordinadora Estatal por la Defensa del Sistema Público de Pensiones (**Coespe**, a state coordinator for the defence of the public pension system) brought its people out onto the streets of Madrid on an October Saturday. The attendance figure depends on who is counting: **25,000 people** according to the Government Delegation, **50,000** according to the organisers. The difference is large, but the demand was the same for everyone there.

## A 6% rise for 2027 and rejection of privatisation

The core of the protest was economic and very specific: a **6% pension increase for 2027**. It is not a round figure chosen at random. The organisers justify it by the accumulated loss of purchasing power and by the cost of living having eaten into benefits. Under banners such as "Wage and pension rises with the real CPI" and "Protect public pensions", the march mixed the wage demand with the defence of the public system.

The other front was privatisation. The protesters reject any formula that shifts part of the system towards the private sector, in the midst of the debate over its sustainability. Coespe is also calling for a public audit of the system, arguing that there are "many poverty-level pensions", and that minimum benefits be matched to the **minimum wage**.

## Pensioners and tenants, on the same banner

The novelty of this demonstration was the alliance with the housing movement. The **Confederación de Sindicatos de Inquilinas** (Confederation of Tenants' Unions) joined the march with a simple argument: the rising cost of living hits pensioners and workers alike. The organisation warned that the increase in the cost of living is "devouring the incomes of millions of people".

They also pointed out that the housing crisis affects older people, especially those who live in rented accommodation or financially support their relatives. Their argument is that the difficulty of making ends meet is not a conflict between generations, but a problem that requires measures to guarantee decent living conditions.

## The electoral calendar sets the pace

The date was no coincidence. The demonstration took place just over a month before the **general election of 29 November**, and Coespe's national spokesperson, **Damián Rodríguez**, made it clear: the future of pensions after that vote is a worry. "Pensions are shrinking every day relative to the cost of living, and it shows in our homes," he lamented.

That is why the march ended with a demand addressed to the whole parliamentary spectrum: protect public pensions. It is not a new request, but it comes at a time when any electoral promise on pensions will be scrutinised closely. And with a street that has already shown it can mobilise.