Homeless people in Barcelona die 34 years earlier than city average

A total of 682 who lived or had lived on the streets died in Barcelona between 2015 and 2025, according to a report by the Arrels Foundation, a nonprofit that works with people experiencing homelessness.

Of those, 204 were living on the streets when they died, at an average age of 49. For every three deaths, around two happened before the person turned 55. 

In 2025, the average age of death in Barcelona was 79.9 for men and 85.8 for women, an overall average of 83. That is a gap of about 30 years for men and 40 years for women, the report states.

The report, titled "Living on the streets kills: People on the streets who died in Barcelona 2015-2025," was presented Wednesday as part of the foundation's 10-year remembrance ceremony for the people it supports.

Living and dying on the streets

The study found that 60% of those living on the streets also died while unsheltered. As a result, dying on the streets is nearly 20 times more common among people living without shelter than among those who had some form of accommodation.

"This finding highlights the extent to which lacking a place to live leaves a person exposed, even during periods of severe physical or mental decline," Arrels said in the report. 

At the same time, 35% of these people died in hospitals or social-health facilities, which highlights that "living on the streets does not necessarily mean being completely disconnected from the healthcare system."

The foundation also pointed to the "fragmentation" between healthcare services, social services and access to alternative housing as a key part of the problem. That gap exists whether a person is leaving a hospital or facing a serious decline in health.

Causes of death

The causes of death support that interpretation, according to the report. Medical issues account for 43% of deaths among people living on the streets, but violence, overdoses and suicide also play a significant role.

Together, those three factors, which the report categorizes as "external causes," account for 27% of deaths. Among women, overdoses are a particularly notable cause, while among young people, external causes account for a very large share of known deaths.

Beatriz Fernández, the director of Arrels, said the mortality rate among people living on the streets "is not solely due to deteriorating health." She said it also reflects the exposure, violence and risks of life in public spaces, which she stressed are numerous.

Living on the streets versus having accommodation

Comparing people who had found some form of accommodation with those still on the streets when they died was "especially revealing," the report says. The average age at death for the first group was 62, 13 years older than for those who stayed on the streets.

"A person's housing situation is strongly linked to where they die, and it also relates to the cause of death," the organization said. "People living on the streets are more likely to die on the streets, and to die from causes that are external rather than related to their physical health." 

Fernández said that finding accommodation does not "automatically erase" the cumulative effects of years of homelessness, but it can give people a chance to recover their health, stability and social connections.

"It also helps to reduce avoidable exposures and to address physical decline and the end of life in settings that offer greater possibilities for care, privacy and companionship. Ensuring that no one has to live on the streets is also a matter of health policy and the protection of life and dignity," she said.

Proposals to reduce deaths

"It is necessary to take action regarding the conditions that increase exposure to risk, improve the capacity of services to prevent deaths, and put in place systems that allow us to learn from each death," Arrels representatives said.

The foundation insisted on the need to cut the time people spend on the streets by expanding residential resources, including more housing and stable residential options suited to individual needs. It also called for mortality prevention to be built into policies on homelessness.

Arrels also asked for better coordination among healthcare, social and homelessness services, and for stronger harm-reduction policies and overdose prevention. 

In addition, it urged the creation of a "stable" registry of deaths, with "common" definitions, "standardized methodologies" and "better coordination among health, social and forensic sources, as well as various organizations."

"A stable system for reviewing mortality associated with homelessness must be established. a forum involving representatives from public health, hospitals, social services, homelessness support services and social organizations," it said

Finally, Arrels called for "clear" protocols on how to notify loved ones when a person experiencing homelessness dies, how to handle their belongings, how to provide bereavement support and how to share lessons across services. 

"It is essential to care for those left behind and to maintain spaces for remembrance and tribute," the organization said.