Cancer now accounts for 26.3% of all deaths in Spain. Against this backdrop, more people are choosing to include social causes in their wills, with interest in charitable legacies reaching record levels in 2025.
Cancer has become the leading cause of death in Spain and, at the same time, an increasing number of people are choosing to leave part of their estate to support cancer research. Interest in charitable wills grew by 49% in 2025 compared with the previous year, a trend that has almost quintupled in the past five years, according to CRIS Contra el Cáncer foundation.
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According to data from the Haz Testamento Solidario (Make a Charitable Will) platform, 2025 saw a record 9,413 people registered their interest in this type of legacy. In the same year, participating organisations received 548 charitable wills, with a combined value of nearly €50 million.
Cancer has firmly established itself as the main cause of death in Spain. According to the latest data from the National Statistics Institute (INE), the disease accounts for 26.3% of all deaths and has been the leading cause of mortality in the country for three consecutive years.
Based on the foundation's experience, three out of four people interested in making a charitable will are women and, in many cases, they are patients, survivors or relatives who have had a close experience with cancer.
Common assets included in these legacies range from homes, savings and pension plans to shares or rural properties. These are often distributed between family heirs and cancer research projects.
