Survey finds health is top concern for voters

7 months ago 27

Eurobarometer’s latest survey ahead of European elections in June shows that health is one of the top issues for voters.

Eurobarometer carried out more than 26,000 in person face-to-face or video conference interviews for the survey. The results were weighted according to the population of each member state. It shows that 60% of Europeans are interested in the forthcoming elections, an 11% increase on the same survey ahead of the last elections in 2019, they are also much more likely to vote.

The top issues were fighting poverty (33%), supporting public health (32%), strengthening the economy (31%) and bolstering EU defence and security (31%). Public health did not appear at all in the survey of spring 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic put it in the spotlight during the current mandate. Other Eurobarometer surveys have shown that the EU reached historical levels of support during the pandemic.

Public health was mentioned most in Greece (56%), Ireland, Spain, Hungary and Slovenia. This mirrors the support for the EU taking more action in the field of health, highlighted by the Conference on the Future of Europe.

Demographic divide

While the survey shows strong interest in public health, the importance given to it varies markedly between different segments of the population.

Women are much more likely than men to prioritise health (35% vs 28%); older respondents, those aged 55+, consider it to be more important than younger population segments (34% for 55+, 28% for 15 – 24).

Income and level of education are also influential. Those respondents who left full-time education at the age of 15 gave health much more importance than those who had spent more time in the education system (43% vs 27%). Likewise, those who had trouble paying bills were also more likely to place greater importance on health (41% vs 29%). However, the issue did not feature so highly for those who describe themselves as likely to vote in the upcoming elections.

[Edited by Rajnish Singh]