Corruption Concerns in Spain Double OECD Average

Concern over corruption in Spain is significantly higher than in most comparable European nations, according to a 2025 report on public trust in institutions. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) found that 38% of Spaniards identified corruption as one of the country's three main challenges, more than double the OECD average of 18%.

This level of concern places Spain at the top among its European peers. Only Greece matched Spain's figure among European OECD members. In contrast, countries like France (10%), Italy (17%), and Portugal (28%) reported substantially lower levels of public anxiety regarding corruption.

The report also highlighted significant concerns in Latin American countries, with Peru (64%), Brazil (53%), Colombia (52%), Costa Rica (47%), and Chile (32%) all reporting higher worries about corruption than Spain. However, inflation was identified as a greater concern by 40% of Spaniards, although this figure remained lower than the overall OECD average of 52%.

Beyond corruption and inflation, Spaniards also expressed greater concern than the OECD average regarding housing (29% vs. 20%), employment (28% vs. 23%), and immigration (29% vs. 25%). Immigration was a particularly pressing issue for citizens in the United Kingdom (50%) and the Netherlands (46%).