2026 has begun with concern about housing at an all-time high, according to the January Opinion Barometer of the Sociological Research Centre (CIS), in which it once again ranks as the main national problem, this time with 42.6% of mentions. Difficulties in accessing housing have topped this table continuously for 13 months, but while in December 2025 they accounted for 22.3%, they now almost double that percentage and smash the previous record of 40% set last November.
Furthermore, on the list of personal problems, housing appears in second place this January, with 28.2%, just two points below the economic crisis. A year ago, housing ranked third on this subjective list, with 17.3%. The second problem in Spain in January is once again the economy in general, which fell by six tenths of a point compared to the previous barometer and scored 21.2%. Completing the podium are the government and political parties, which gained 2.7 points in mentions, moving from seventh to third place with 16.6%.
Fourth place once again goes to immigration, which fell slightly to 15.9%, followed by political problems (15.5%), which fell from third to fifth place, down 3.6 points from December. Just behind are problems related to the quality of employment, which rose by almost one point to 15.3%.
Mentions of corruption and fraud (14.3%) fell two points, and this category moved from fifth to seventh place on the list, while unemployment remains at 13.7%, healthcare ranks as the ninth problem (12%) and the “top ten” is closed by the poor behaviour of politicians with 10.1% of mentions, almost four points less than the previous month.
The list of problems that most affect the people interviewed by the CIS is headed by the economic crisis, with 30.2%, followed just two points behind by housing (28.2%), healthcare (21.7%) and problems related to the quality of employment (16%). 64.4% say their economic situation is good or very good, compared to 24.4% who say it is the opposite. Regarding the country’s economic situation, 38.6% praise it, but 55% see it as bad or very bad.