Eurobarometer: Greeks Say Affordable Housing a ‘Burning’ Issue

The lack of affordable housing stands out as the most pressing issue for Europeans, according to a broad Eurobarometer study across the continent, with people residing in urban regions bearing the brunt of the problem.

The findings revealed that 51% of respondents found the lack of housing to be the most urgent matter.

Greeks also cited the lack of affordable housing as the most urgent matter. However, Greece shows significant differences from the European average when it comes to the housing issue. Residents of small Greek towns are far more concerned about the lack of affordable housing than their counterparts in the rest of the EU, with 45% identifying it as an urgent problem.

This represents a noticeable gap from the European average (an 8-percentage-point difference), highlighting how acute the housing crisis is in tourist areas and islands.

The Eurobarometer findings showed that Greece diverges significantly from the rest of the EU regarding the second most important issue, the lack of quality public services. Urban residents in Greece are much more dissatisfied with the quality of public services, with 44% rating it as an urgent challenge.

In comparison, across Europe, 32% consider it an urgent and immediate problem.

Even worse is the situation for residents of small towns and villages in Greece, with 47% and 53%, respectively, suffering from the lack of quality public services. The equivalent figures in the EU are 30% and 36%. This gap underscores the significant lag in public services (education, healthcare, transport, etc.) in the Greek countryside compared to the European average.

Across Europe, one in three urban dwellers (33%) sees unemployment and lack of job opportunities as an urgent issue. In Greece, this figure rises to 39%.

In small European towns and villages, 29% of residents consider unemployment an urgent concern. In Greece, the respective figures are 36% in small towns and 34% in villages.

Greece ranks at the top in poverty, with 37% of residents identifying it as an urgent issue, compared to 24% in the EU.

The problem is more acute in Greek cities, where 43% of residents consider poverty and homelessness an immediate and urgent issue, versus 32% of the EU average.

When asked which areas need the most improvement, urban residents prioritized the quality of public services (42%) and safety in public spaces (36%).

The availability of affordable public transportation and economic development/job opportunities were also key issues, cited by 29% of respondents.

Greece showed both similarities and deviations from the rest of the EU. A full 50% of Greek city residents believe public services are the area most in need of improvement—a figure significantly higher than the EU average.

Greeks are less concerned about safety in public spaces than other Europeans, according to the Eurobarometer study. An exception is found in Greek villages and rural areas, where one in four residents considers safety the issue most in need of improvement (compared to 14% across the EU).