The low quality of employment added to the difficulties in accessing housing create deep unease among the Spanish population. These are the main causes that lead 27% of Spaniards to consider that their income level does not allow them to have a decent life, according to data from the 1st Oxfam Intermón Multiple Inequalities Survey carried out on 4,102 people, at the end of the year. last summer.
40% of those interviewed respond that their life “is not good” and 50% say they are not satisfied with their economic situation, a percentage that rises to almost 60% in the case of women. Oxfam Intermón’s research indicates that, “regardless of the good results in terms of job creation in recent years, there is labor discontent that hinders the positive perception of these achievements.” Likewise, more than a third of workers say they would need another job. Not in vain, close to 70% emphasize that they do not make ends meet.
Half of citizens with a mortgage and more than 60% of those who rent rent invest more than 30% of their income to pay for housing. Job insecurity and the high cost of having a home have forced half of Spaniards to cut their spending on food and energy. 40% say they cannot afford to go on vacation for at least one week a year.
Investment in health has also suffered since 40% of those interviewed indicate that they have had to give up expenses in this area, mainly psychological and dental treatments, in addition to wearing glasses or hearing aids.
Another relevant fact is that almost half of those surveyed would have liked to be able to continue studying but that the need to have a salary and the costs linked to their own education prevented them from doing so.
Oxfam remembers that Spain is the fifth most unequal country in Europe. Only Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania have worse results. It is also worth noting that, in 2022, “more than half of the value of wealth will be concentrated in just 10% of the population and 22% in the richest 1%.”