Housing is now the second biggest problem in Barcelona, with 23% mentions

Access to housing reaches a historic high of 23% in the 2026 Municipal Services Survey, just eight-tenths behind insecurity. When asked about personal problems, housing clearly surpasses insecurity: 16.9% versus 12.5%.

Access to housing has consolidated itself as the second most serious problem in Barcelona, according to the 2026 Municipal Services Survey made public this Wednesday by the Barcelona City Council. The study, conducted by the Municipal Data Office (OMD) based on 6,000 face-to-face interviews carried out between February and April 2026, places housing at 23% of mentions, just eight-tenths behind insecurity, which leads the ranking with 23.8%.

The most relevant data comes when the survey shifts focus: if asked about personal problems rather than city-wide issues, housing comes first with 16.9% compared to 12.5% for insecurity. This means that Barcelonians perceive housing as their main daily difficulty, although when evaluating the city as a whole, security weighs more heavily.

The historical series shows an accelerated growth of this concern. In 2022, only 6.7% of respondents mentioned housing; in 2025, it rose to 20.8%, and now it reaches 23%. This is an increase of 16.3 percentage points in four years. In contrast, insecurity has decreased from the peak in 2024 (27.7%) to the current 23.8%, which is 2.7 points less than in 2025.

The rest of the problems remain far behind: cleanliness repeats in third position with 6.4% (0.4 points less) and tourism is fourth with 6.2% (0.5 points more).

By districts, the map of concerns is very uneven. Insecurity dominates in most areas, peaking in Ciutat Vella (44%), Nou Barris (28.6%), and Sants-Montjuïc (24.2%). In Gràcia, the main problem is housing (11.5%), while in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi and Les Corts, it is cleanliness. Tourism is concentrated in Ciutat Vella (8%) and Eixample (10.6%), and is almost non-existent in Nou Barris (0.3%) and Les Corts (0%).

Despite the perceived shortcomings, the evaluation of municipal management achieves a historic pass mark. The City Council receives a 6.5 out of 10, matching the record from 2018 and one-tenth more than in 2025 (6.4). Satisfaction with living in the city is rated at 7.6, the highest since 2019, and satisfaction with one's own neighbourhood is 7.9.

The best-rated services are the firefighters (8.3), libraries (8.1), and community centres (7.7). Safety in the neighbourhoods receives a 6.2 and city safety a 5.6, despite being the main concern. Parking is the only service that fails, with a 4.2.

The survey also depicts a socio-demographic and linguistic transformation. Only 39% of respondents were born in Barcelona, the lowest figure in the historical series that began in 1989, while 38% were born abroad. Catalan has dropped to 34% as a habitual language, one point less than in 2025 and more than seven points less than a decade ago (41.4% in 2016), compared to 56% who use Spanish and 10% other languages. The gap between homeowners (51%) and renters (46%) is the narrowest in the series.

Demands to the municipal government follow the same pattern: 15.1% request improved security, 14.8% seek better access to housing, and 10.3% want enhanced cleanliness. The first deputy mayor, Laia Bonet, has described the survey as a reflection of the daily lives of residents and has emphasised that housing is the municipal government's priority policy.

"Access to housing is the priority policy because it conditions the opportunities and life project of all citizens," Bonet stated.

Looking to the future, 52% of Barcelonians believe the city will improve in the coming years, compared to 34% who think otherwise. However, 47% feel that the city has worsened in the past year. The complete results can be consulted on the Municipal Data Office website.