Andorrans Take 30% of Rent Aid Grants in H1 2026, Behind Spaniards

One in three rent assistance grants awarded in the first half of 2026 went to Andorran nationals, placing them second behind Spanish residents, based on provisional figures from the Statistics Department released on Thursday.

The data spans aid for housing rental costs from January 1 to June 30. Out of 1,658 applications processed, 852—or 51.4%—received approval, while 806 (48.6%) were rejected. Andorran citizens secured 261 grants (30.6% of approvals), with Spanish nationals leading at 337 (39.6%) and Portuguese at 128. French recipients totalled 18. Spanish and Andorran applicants together claimed nearly two-thirds of the awards.

Rejections largely stemmed from households spending less than 30% of income on rent, a key eligibility requirement under stricter rules introduced earlier in 2026. In the second quarter (April to June), 273 requests arrived, yielding 152 approvals (55.7%) and 121 denials (44.3%). Payouts for that period hit €392,266.44, with an average of €2,580.70 per beneficiary. Against Andorra's estimated population of 89,752 on June 30, this equated to 1.7 recipients per 1,000 inhabitants.

Andorra la Vella saw the most second-quarter approvals at 57 (37.5% of the total), followed by Escaldes-Engordany (36, or 23.7%), Sant Julià de Lòria (18, or 11.8%) and Encamp (15, or 9.9%). Ordino and La Massana each had 10, while Canillo recorded six.

Women received 71% of grants overall, including 106 of the 152 second-quarter approvals (69.7%). Elderly people claimed nearly half of second-quarter awards (72, or 47.4%), followed by those with disabilities (17, or 11.2%) and accredited single-parent families (9, or 5.9%). Single-person households dominated at 58.6% of approvals (89 cases), with the 65-69 age group leading (28 cases, or 18.4%).

Among second-quarter denials, 83 cases (68.6%) failed the 30% rent threshold, 26 (21.5%) exceeded income limits, and others cited short residency, contract mismatches, aid incompatibilities or excess savings. The figures, from the Ministry of Social Affairs and processed by the Statistics Department, remain subject to review.