Being celiac in Spain: a disease that also punishes the wallet with almost 1,000 extra euros per year

Following a gluten-free diet is not a fad or a choice for people diagnosed with celiac disease. It is the only possible treatment. However, complying with this medical prescription continues to have a significant economic impact that barely occupies space in political and social debate.

The latest reports from the Spanish Federation of Celiac Associations (FACE) reveal that a celiac person must bear an additional cost of close to 1,000 euros per year to be able to eat safely. According to the study for 2026, the average extra cost reaches 996 euros annually, a figure that has barely changed in recent years and continues to be an economic burden for thousands of families.

The difference is mainly found in basic products such as bread, pasta, flours, or breadcrumbs. Although many foods are naturally gluten-free, specific products intended to replace them have much higher prices than their conventional equivalents. Some items even double or triple their cost.

For a family with several diagnosed members, the situation can become a real economic problem. The extra cost is around 83 euros per person per month, an amount that adds to the generalized increase in food prices recorded in recent years.

Patient associations have been denouncing for years that celiac disease continues to be one of the few chronic diseases whose treatment must be fully financed by those who suffer from it. While other medical treatments are covered by the healthcare system, the gluten-free diet falls exclusively on affected families.

Added to this is territorial inequality. Some administrations offer specific aid or subsidies, but most autonomous communities lack stable economic support programs for celiac people. In Spain, there is currently no state benefit that compensates for the extra food cost derived from the disease.

Beyond the price, affected individuals also report difficulties in finding suitable products, labeling problems, and limitations when eating out or traveling. FACE itself has warned on several occasions about the barriers that celiac people continue to encounter in different areas of daily life.

While the price of the shopping basket makes headlines every week, associations demand that a reality affecting hundreds of thousands of people in Spain be made visible: for those with celiac disease, eating is not only a medical necessity, but also an extra expense that still finds no answer on the political agenda.

Although the situation in Andalusia seems to have experienced progress with the entry into force of the regional deduction of 100 euros in income tax for celiac people and families with diagnosed members, the measure has a limited scope in economic terms. It is the first specific fiscal recognition of this reality in the community and will benefit thousands of taxpayers, but its real impact on structural spending is reduced. The Andalusian Federation of Celiac Associations (FACA) has positively valued the initiative, albeit with reservations. The organization has recalled that the average extra cost of a gluten-free diet is around 1,000 euros per person per year, so the deduction would barely cover about one month of that additional expense. Consequently, more than 90% of the annual cost would still fall on families, which keeps open the demand for broader and more structural measures.

The collective's demand goes beyond tax deductions. Many associations demand direct aid, a reduction in the VAT on specific gluten-free products, or a model similar to that of other European countries where there are periodic subsidies to compensate for the increased cost of food. Meanwhile, thousands of families continue to face an extra expense that does not depend on a personal choice, but on a permanent medical necessity.