Most people associate Spain with sunshine and heat, but it gets bitterly cold in many parts of Spain at this time of year, and many Spanish families can’t afford to turn on the heating this winter.
Just under 20pc of Spanish families can’t afford to turn on the heating this winter, an increase of 4pc on last year, according to the latest Conditions of Life survey by the National Institute of Statistics (INE).
However, if an increasing number of Spaniards can’t afford to heat their homes, a thumping majority of 88pc report they are happy with the home they live in. That percentage is highest in Asturias (94pc), Galicia (93pc) and Aragon (93pc), all regions in the north of Spain.
Just 13pc of respondents complained about a lack of living space at home, down from 16pc in 2007. 14pc complained about problems with noise, 10pc about crime or vandalism, and 8pc about contamination. Contamination and noise were a bigger problem in municipalities with larger populations.
