European citizens have once again expressed their main concerns for the second time in 2024 with some changes marked by events experienced in recent months. Specifically, in Spain, the sharp rise in housing, inflation, and the dramatic situation of the migratory crisis being experienced in areas like Canary Islands, -already with historic figures- or Ceuta are the main causes of concern in Spain, with the latter considered the main issue facing the European Union, followed by the war in Ukraine and the international situation.
On Wednesday morning, the EU presented its second annual Eurobarometer study, the report that gathers the main concerns of citizens from the 27 member states of the European Union. The autumn report shows how immigration has become the main worry for 34% of Spaniards, who consider the migratory situation the most important issue facing the European community.
For European citizens in general, immigration ranks second among the most important issues facing the EU. It worries 28% while the war situation in Ukraine is in the first place, concerning 31% of member citizens. However, although Spaniards also consider the war in Ukraine concerning (27%) -placing it in second position among the major challenges facing the community- immigration has surged 13 points compared to the last report published in spring (21%), marking the highest increase in the entire report.
In the EU context, the international situation (27%) is considered by Spaniards as the third most worrying issue that the European Union must face, having increased by five points compared to the previous publication (22%), followed, at a distance of 10 points, by the economic situation.
In this October edition, the most important issues facing Spain have undergone some notable changes compared to the previous one presented in spring: while in the first part of the year inflation was the main concern for Spaniards, now in autumn it drops one position and housing sharply rises from fifth to first place in Spain.
For 35% of Spanish citizens, housing is the most concerning issue at the national level. This has seen a sharp increase of 18 points compared to the previous report. When comparing this data with the rest of European neighbors, only 13% of the total EU population consider housing the current main concern.
The second significant aggravation has been experienced by immigration, which has increased by seven percentage points compared to spring 2024 (14%): for 21% of Spaniards, the current migratory situation is their main concern.
What has decreased is the concern about the cost of living, inflation, and price increases, which goes from being the main cause for 38% of citizens to 30%, causing it to drop from first to second place.
Outside the podium, the European survey shows that around 20% of Spaniards have among their concerns the economic situation (20%) in the country and unemployment (19%), which decrease by one and two points, respectively.
In contrast, among the current issues the country is facing considered less important by Spaniards themselves are climate change (5%), the current educational system (4%), the Spanish electricity supply (2%), and, in last place, terrorism, which only 1% of the surveyed population considers to be the most alarming issue for Spain.