Survey Finds Spaniards are More Confident About Economy

Survey Finds Spaniards are More Confident About Economy

Spain is back and every sector is on the up.

Over half of Spanish people now believe that the economy of the country is doing well almost a decade after one of the worst recessions to ever hit the country.

The survey was carried out by international consulting firm GAD3 and it showed 52.5% of Spaniards had confidence that Spain will be one of the best-performing economies of Europe, a claim supported by leading economists who believe the country really is leading the way for growth.

This represents an 11.3% increase in optimism since the survey was put out last year, and it reflects the experiences of the average Spaniard, as more jobs and improved job security are becoming reality for many people across the country.

A poll that covered just Barcelona conducted by the City Hall discovered Barcelona residents no longer consider being employed and their working conditions to be their primary concern. This is the first that job security hasn’t been the main concern since 2009.

However, the poll also showed that Barcelona residents are starting to feel the pressure of tourism. The city continues to grow as a cultural, beach, and party hub of the world. It’s bringing plenty of prestige and money to the city, but it’s also starting to infringe on the livelihoods of residents.

Tourism concerns hit the top of the polls for the first time in history, causing Deputy Mayor Gerardo Pisarello to declare that the issue has nothing to do with some kind of “tourism phobia” ad that people in Barcelona remain fans of travel and seeing tourists. The condition is one of concrete malaise caused by overcrowding.

Barcelona recorded nine million official overnight stays in 2016, but the City Hall estimates that the real number is closer to 30 million after accounting for rental options including AirBnB and private lets.

Barcelona famously announced that they planned to limit tourism numbers; as the city council have begun to refuse to grant new hotel licenses.

Barcelona’s success has been great for the economy of the city – as it has been great for the entire country – but, much like with the improved job market, the country needs to do some additional work to ensure as many people as possible are helped by the economic benefits.

Leading Experts Confident in Health of Spanish Property Market

Leading Experts Confident in Health of Spanish Property Market

The next few years look very promising as the Spanish property

market continues to grow from strength to strength.

With more new homes being built, more homes being sold, and all the growth, some people were sceptical that the property market could continue into the long term, even though the early signs suggested the recovery was as sustainable as it was steady.

Now some leading analysts of the Spanish property industry are now speaking of their confidence in the health of the property market, and that it wasn’t another bubble about to burst. The latest data on house prices for March shows property prices across the country have risen between 1.8% and 4.5%. This regional variation is the driving force behind the confidence in the long-term health of Spain.

Real estate expert Mark Stücklin analysed the data from the Tinsa index. His analysis led him to the conclusion that average asking prices are very healthy right now, and are showing no signs of overheating.

He added that the Balearics is the only place where the higher price increases – as much as over 4% - are an outlier. The reason for this is that there is less landmass there, meaning there is less property and higher premiums.

The mainland of Spain is much more sober market – a fact agreed on by the Bank of Spain. Juan Antonio Gómez-Pintado – the head of the Spanish Developers’ Association – said the recovery is “normal” thanks to the average price increase of 3% in February over last year. To contrast this, a 3% gain would have been considered a small growth for a month back in the peak of the property boom in 2006.

The market this time is much more stable, secure, and attractive.