The impact of the cost of living on large families has once again gained attention at a time when food, energy, clothing and day-to-day expenses continue to weigh increasingly heavily on European homes. In Spain, the topic gained new prominence with the testimony of Raquel and Francisco, a couple with 12 children and another on the way, who told on the program Espejo Público how they manage a house with many members without radically changing their lifestyle, despite the general increase in prices.
The family admits that the increase in the cost of living is being felt, but rejects the idea of living on permanent accounts. Francisco explains that, in a house of this size, there are always unexpected expenses and that the rise in prices ends up being just one pressure among many others, according to the Spanish digital newspaper.
Even so, the couple has a clear idea of the total weight of the budget. Without luxuries, it points to an annual expenditure of around 40 thousand euros, a value that helps to understand how the size of the household turns any price increase into a more visible problem.
A big house where every choice can make a difference
In a family with so many children, the impact of inflation is not limited to the supermarket. There is more food to buy, more clothes to replace, more school fees and more unforeseen events than in a smaller household.
Raquel and Francisco explain that, for this reason, they end up adjusting consumption whenever necessary. Taking advantage of clothes between siblings, limiting purchases to what is really needed and accepting that not all requests can be satisfied is part of the daily management of the house.
“They see the reality themselves. Sometimes, they don’t dare say they want to go to all the birthdays or things like that”, explains the mother, highlighting that, in a large family, even small decisions have an impact on the budget.
Money is important, but not decisive
Despite the demanding bills, the couple, with 12 children, says they never considered giving up having them for economic reasons, according to the same source. More than the numbers, it highlights a way of living based on adaptation, containment and a vision less centered on consumption. “Since we got married, we have never lacked for anything,” says Raquel, associating this stability with the way the couple views life and organizes their priorities at home.
The case shows that, even in a context of financial hardship, there are families who try to respond to rising prices without completely changing their life plan. This does not mean the absence of difficulties, but rather an attempt to absorb them with more prudent choices, says Noticias Trabajo.
In Portugal, pressure also exists
In March 2026, the inflation rate estimated by the National Statistics Institute (INE) rose to 2.7%, a sign that the pressure on family budgets is still far from disappearing.
Official data also show that the average annual expenditure of households in Portugal was 23,900 euros in 2022/2023 and that around two thirds of this amount was concentrated on housing, food and transport. Housing alone represented 39.3% of average expenditure and food 12.9%, which helps to understand why any increase in these items weighs so heavily at the end of the month.
Furthermore, INE indicated that households with dependent children spend, on average, 8,861 euros more per year than households without dependent children. In a country where 15.4% of people were at risk of poverty in 2024, managing a large family therefore becomes an even more demanding exercise.
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