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75% of Barcelona residents support removing tourist-flat licences
Housing again appears as Barcelona's main problem in the first 2026 Municipal Barometer. Thirty-one per cent of residents place it as their principal concern, at a time when buying or renting remains one of the hardest decisions for those wishing to stay in the city.
The figure is slightly lower than in the previous year, but housing remains far above all other concerns. Pressure on prices, the lack of affordable supply and the presence of tourist flats continue to weigh on daily life in many neighbourhoods.
The barometer also shows broad support for withdrawing tourist-housing licences. Three out of every four residents support this measure, a clear sign of accumulated discontent in a city where tourism is part of the economy, but also of the daily tension over the use of space and housing.
Insecurity remains the second concern, at 26.3%. Problems linked to immigration rise to third place, while cleanliness improves in perception and falls to fifth place. Tourism, meanwhile, gains importance amid the debate on overcrowding, coexistence and the city model.
The overall perception of Barcelona remains negative. Some 57.2% of respondents believe that the city has worsened over the past year, compared with 22.7% who consider that it has improved and 16.7% who see no change. Even so, almost half trust that the situation may improve soon.
Municipal management is holding up better than the city's mood. Mayor Jaume Collboni receives a score of 5.1 and 48.4% of citizens rate the City Council's work positively, compared with 35% who disapprove of it. A passing grade does not erase the criticism, but it shows that part of the electorate separates management from the general discontent.
Politically, the barometer points to a possible Collboni victory in the 2027 municipal elections, with a voting intention of 13%. ERC emerges as the party growing most and moves into second place, while other parties lose support or barely improve their results.
The urban reading is clear: Barcelona cannot be understood today without housing at the centre of the debate. Every tourist licence, every rent increase and every changing neighbourhood affects how people live in the city, stay in it or leave it. The barometer does not only measure political opinion; it portrays a concern that already shapes family decisions, routines and expectations for the future.