Cancer has officially become the leading cause of death in Spain, a shift that has coincided with a dramatic rise in citizens choosing to dedicate portions of their estates to cancer research. According to figures from the CRIS Contra el Cáncer foundation, interest in charitable wills surged by 49% in 2025 compared to the previous year. This trend has seen a nearly fivefold increase over the last five years.
Data provided by the Haz Testamento Solidario platform highlights the growing scale of this movement, with a record 9,413 people registering an interest in creating a charitable legacy during 2025. Throughout that same year, partner organizations successfully processed 548 charitable wills, representing a combined value of nearly €50 million.
The profile of those choosing to leave such legacies is distinct, as 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.
