How much emergency food and water should you keep in Spain?

Short answer. Spain's national civil protection authority names a 72-hour basic kit but gives no quantities ¹. The figures come from Catalonia: at least 1.5 litres of drinking water per person per day, 3 litres recommended for drinking and cooking, for at least 3 days, and long-life food for at least one week for the whole family ². Both rely on 72 hours of self-sufficiency ¹³.

What does the national authority recommend?

The Ministry of the Interior's family emergency plan template (May 2025) includes a "Kit básico de emergencias (72 horas)" with seven items: a portable charger, a torch, a radio, batteries, bottled water, non-perishable food and regular medication ¹. It gives no quantities ¹.

The national citizen guides published in 2024 on self-protection, floods, adverse weather and industrial accidents contain no household kit list ⁴. For a quantified list, the official reference in Spain is regional.

How much water does Catalonia recommend?

Catalonia's civil protection guide "Prepara't per a les emergències" (December 2025) sets two levels ²:

The guide's own wording is "Aigua potable (1,5 litres per persona i dia, com a mínim)" ². Multiply the daily quantity by the number of people in your household and by the number of days.

How to store and treat water is covered in our guides on water per person and water purification.

How much food should you keep?

Catalonia asks for long-life food that needs no cooking, enough for at least one week for the whole family ². Examples given: canned vegetables, pulses, fish and meat; cereals, pasta, rice, biscuits, nuts and energy bars ². This is longer than the 72 hours used for the kit as a whole ²³. See our guide on food shelf life to plan rotation, and on cooking without power.

What else belongs in the home stock?

Catalonia's guide also lists, among other items ²:

• a first-aid kit and extra regular medication for at least 7 days;
• a reasonable amount of cash for at least one week, preferably in small notes, plus a bank card;
• candles, lighters or matches, and spare batteries;
• hygiene products: wet wipes, hand sanitiser, soap, toilet paper, rubbish bags, nappies and feminine hygiene products.

Catalonia's kit page adds a torch with spare batteries, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, personal documents in a waterproof bag, a mobile phone with charger and power bank, and any assistive products a household member needs ⁵. The full list, line by line, is on our Spain kit checklist.

Why 72 hours?

The national template and Catalonia's campaign "Prepara't. Protegeix-te. El teu equip sempre a punt!" are both built on 72 hours, the time a household may need to manage on its own ¹³. Catalonia's quantities go further for water (at least 3 days) and food (at least a week) ².

Frequently asked questions

How much water per person does Spain recommend?

The national list says only "bottled water" ¹. Catalonia gives the figures: a minimum of 1.5 litres per person per day for drinking, 3 litres recommended for drinking and cooking, for at least 3 days ².

Do other autonomous communities give different quantities?

Phaenyx's data file covers the national template and Catalonia only. Check your own community's civil protection service for regional guidance.

How much medication should I keep?

Catalonia recommends extra stock of regular medication for at least 7 days ². Ask your doctor or pharmacist how to build it up.

Should I keep cash?

Yes, according to Catalonia: a reasonable amount for at least one week, preferably in small notes, plus a bank card ².

Sources

1. Dirección General de Protección Civil y Emergencias, Unidad de Psicología (Ministerio del Interior) — Plan Familiar de Emergencias (plantilla, con «Kit básico de emergencias (72 horas)») — https://ficheros.proteccioncivil.es/unidadesFormativas/Plan_Familiar_Emergencias_Creacion_propia_UnidadPsicologiaDGPCYE.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
2. Generalitat de Catalunya, Protecció Civil (Departament d'Interior i Seguretat Pública) — Prepara't per a les emergències. Guia per a la preparació i la resposta davant de situacions d'emergència — https://interior.gencat.cat/web/.content/home/030_arees_dactuacio/proteccio_civil/consells_autoproteccio_emergencies/1.preparat_emergencies/2.subcanal_equip_emergies/documents/Preparat-per-a-les-emergencies.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
3. Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament d'Interior i Seguretat Pública — Equip d'emergència (campanya «Prepara't. Protegeix-te. El teu equip sempre a punt!») — https://interior.gencat.cat/ca/actualitat/campanyes/equip-demergencia/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
4. Secretaría General de Protección Civil y Emergencias (Ministerio del Interior) — Publicaciones — https://www.proteccioncivil.es/documentacion/publicaciones (accessed 2026-10-20)
5. Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament d'Interior i Seguretat Pública — Kit d'emergències — https://interior.gencat.cat/ca/arees_dactuacio/proteccio_civil/consells_autoproteccio_emergencia/preparat_per_les_emergencies/equip_emergencies/ (accessed 2026-10-20)