Vote for Socialists in Catalan election rises in lower-income areas

In last week’s Catalan election, the Socialist Party, who won most votes and seats, obtained more votes in regions with lower incomes and with a smaller proportion of their populations holding higher education certificates, according to an analysis by the Catalan News Agency (ACN).   

This trend contrasts with that of Catalan pro-independence party Junts+, which came in second place, where they found less support in lower-income areas. Generally, their support increased in line with increases in income level.  

In towns where the Socialists got the most votes, where they won between 40%-60% of the ballots, mostly came from households earning between €10,000 to €20,000, although the majority of their support came from areas with incomes exceeding €20,000. 

The Socialist Party, led by Salvador Illa, also experienced a growth in their support in areas with higher unemployment rates, while the trend for Junts+, led by Carles Puigdemont, was the opposite. 

In areas where the Socialists got 40%-60% of the vote, less than 40% of voters have a university degree. Above this level, the support for the Socialists drops to around 20%-30%. On the other hand, higher education correlates with stronger support for Junts+ 

Far-right Vox wins more votes among the unemployed 

Support for far-right Vox increased where there are lower incomes and higher unemployment.  

Vox also gained support where there are more foreigners, but less than parties with an ideology defending migration, such as Comuns-Sumar.   

In contrast, this trend did not occur in the vote for Aliança Catalana, the other far-right party that entered the Catalan parliament for the first time.