76.8% of Spaniards say their 'greatest fear' is living through war: Survey

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - A new nationwide survey by Spain's Centre for Sociological Research (CIS) showed Thursday that 76.8% of Spaniards identify living through a war as their "greatest fear," making it the top concern among respondents in the institute's latest barometer on fears and uncertainties.

The study, carried out between Nov. 3 and 11 with 2,052 interviews, painted a picture of a population that views global risks with considerable anxiety even as most described themselves as generally optimistic.

According to the survey, concerns about future conflict are widespread. As many as 66.2% said they have thought about Spain being drawn into a war, most often imagining conflict with Russia (57%), followed by Morocco (42.2%) and the US (30.4%).

Majority of those who took part in the survey, 76.9%, said they are “rather optimistic,” 14.5% consider themselves “rather pessimistic,” and 7.1% are “neither optimistic nor pessimistic.”

Women, people aged 35 to 44, residents of large cities and those with higher education levels are among the most likely to identify as optimistic.

Health also emerged as a major source of fear as 72.6% worry about physical health and 69.9% about mental health among those who experience general feelings of fear.

Overall, according to the survey, 73.9% said they do not usually feel fear or anxiety, while 23% reported that they do.

When assessing global conditions, 68% believe pessimistic factors outweigh optimistic ones, and 67.7% said the same about Spain’s current situation. Despite that, 59.2% said they are “very or fairly satisfied” with the era they live in.

Looking ahead, 71.7% believe people today live better than in any previous era. However, 54.6% think life will be worse in the future, compared with 33.1% who believe it will improve.