Housing emerges as top concern in Spain

By Alyssa McMurtry​​​​​​​

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - As housing prices continue to surge across Spain, access to shelter has emerged as Spaniards’ top concern, according to a Eurobarometer poll presented in Madrid on Wednesday.

During the third quarter of the year, home purchase prices in Spain rose by 8.1% year-on-year, according to the National Statistics Agency.

Meanwhile, rents have been climbing relentlessly across most of the country. In cities like Madrid and Barcelona, average rental prices have increased by around 15% compared to last year, according to real estate portal Idealista.

In recent months, massive protests have swept across Spain, with demonstrators calling for solutions to the housing affordability crisis.

The Eurobarometer poll found that 35% of Spaniards cited housing as their top concern during the fall quarter, a sharp 18-point increase compared to the last survey in spring.

Other economic issues, like inflation and the cost of living, remained a close second, mentioned by 30% of respondents. However, as inflation continues to cool, this concern dropped by eight percentage points compared to the spring survey.

Immigration emerged as the third-largest concern, cited by 21% of respondents -- an eight-point increase from the previous survey.

The survey, conducted on behalf of the European Commission, found that Spain remains among the top five EU nations with the most pro-European sentiments.

It revealed that 70% of Spaniards feel connected to the EU, and 76% support increased defense cooperation at the European level.

“The positive impact of projects financed by NextGenerationEU funds is felt in every corner of the country. This is something that citizens notice, and it translates into a growing sense of belonging to the European Union,” said Lucas Gonzalez Ojeda, the European Commission’s top representative in Spain, during the presentation.

On an EU-wide level, the survey found that immigration is the most pressing concern, followed by the war in Ukraine.

While Spaniards express strong support for the EU, satisfaction with their national governing institutions remains relatively low. Spain ranked eighth lowest in the bloc, with just 54% of respondents expressing satisfaction with the state of democracy in the country.

However, despite concerns about housing and governance, 88% of Spaniards said they are satisfied with their daily lives -- two points above the EU average.