Saturday, July 25th 2026
Is the economy, housing, immigration or health care the biggest concern facing your country?
Europe is facing a range of challenges related to geopolitical security, economic hardship and environmental pressures, causing great concern among citizens across the continent.
A survey carried out by YouGov in six European countries shows that there is no single issue dominating public opinion across the continent. Europe. Instead, top concerns vary from country to country, reflecting local priorities and challenges.
However, the economy remains one of the most important topics for most European citizens, alongside concerns about security, migration and climate change.
Where does the economy rank as a top concern?
Economic concerns continue to be among the top concerns for citizens in some of Europe’s largest economies.
According to survey, 47 percent of respondents in France and 44 percent of those in Germany ranked the economy among the two biggest concerns facing their countries.
In both countries, immigration was also listed as one of the most important issues, ranking second on the list of concerns. It was mentioned by 27 percent of participants in France and 26 percent in Germany.
The data shows that, despite the differences between countries, economic pressures remain one of the main factors influencing the perception of European citizens about the challenges facing their societies.
In Spain, the main concern of citizens is related to another highly sensitive issue: housing.
According to the survey, 49 percent of respondents ranked housing among the two biggest problems facing the country, making it the issue with the highest level of concern among the six European countries analyzed.
After housing, health care and the economy topped the list of top concerns, each cited by 25 percent of respondents.
The data shows that the housing affordability crisis has become one of the biggest social challenges in Spain, surpassing even traditional concerns about the economy.
These results reflect the housing crisis that has been at the center of political debate in Spain over the past year.
Data from Spain’s National Institute of Statistics (INE) shows that house prices rose by around 13 percent on an annual basis at the end of 2025.
This represented the fastest rise in property prices in Spain in several years and one of the highest housing market growth rates in all of Europe.
Rising buying and renting costs have added pressure on Spanish households and made housing one of the main concerns of citizens.
Italians worried about health care
Italy, meanwhile, was the only country surveyed where health care was ranked as the main concern of citizens.
About 43 percent of respondents named health and the health system among the two biggest problems facing the country, placing them ahead of the economy and immigration.
This result comes at a time when the public health system in Italy is facing increasing pressure, due to a shortage of medical personnel, increasing demand for services and the continued aging of the population.
According to previous Euronews reports, Italy faces a significant shortage of health personnel, with an estimated deficit of about 175,000 nurses.
Low wages, high workload and limited opportunities for professional advancement have influenced the departure of many trained health professionals to other European countries, increasing the pressure on the country’s public health system.
Denmark was the only country in the survey where the economy, housing and health care were not listed as the main concerns of citizens.
In instead, international terrorism or threats of aggression, as well as climate change, topped the list of concerns.
Both issues were cited by 27 percent of respondents as the biggest problems facing the country.
They were followed by immigration at 24 percent, while concerns about health care and the economy received lower percentages compared to other countries surveyed.
Source: prizrenpost
