Madrid, January 29, 2026 – Residents of Madrid have once again given their city a notable score of 7.7 for satisfaction with living in the capital, according to the latest Quality of Life and Satisfaction with Public Services Survey. This score mirrors the results from the previous survey conducted in 2024, indicating a stable and positive perception among its inhabitants.
Consistent High Satisfaction Across Districts
The survey, which gathered data from 8,593 individuals, with approximately 400 interviews in each of the city’s districts, reveals a consistent high level of satisfaction across the board. Inma Sanz, Deputy Mayor and Municipal Spokesperson, highlighted that these results “reflect a city with a positive assessment by its residents, with high levels of satisfaction in all districts and a stable perception of the quality of life.” She added that “these results also serve as an incentive to continue improving public services and addressing the main concerns of Madrid residents.”
The Salamanca district achieved the highest satisfaction rating with 8.1, followed closely by Chamartín, Barajas, and Hortaleza, each scoring 8. While Puente de Vallecas, Villa de Vallecas, Vicálvaro, and Tetuán recorded the lowest scores at 7.4, these figures still represent a high level of satisfaction.
Regarding the overall quality of life in Madrid, the average rating remains at 6.9, consistent with the previous four years. Madrid also maintains a positive rating as an LGBTQ-friendly city with a score of 7.1 and has improved its score for child-friendliness, reaching 7. Perceptions for adolescents and the elderly stand at 6.7 and 6.5, respectively.
Housing Emerges as Primary Concern, Traffic and Pollution Decline
A significant shift in residents’ concerns has been observed. The importance of traffic and congestion as a primary issue has substantially decreased, now ranking among the top three problems for only 10% of citizens, a sharp drop from 22.8% in 2024. Similarly, concerns about pollution have fallen from 18.7% last year to 10.3%, and cleanliness concerns have slightly decreased from 16.4% to 15.3%.
Conversely, housing has solidified its position as the main problem for Madrid residents, with a significant increase in the percentage of citizens who place it among the top three issues, rising from 37.5% in 2024 to 57.6% in 2025. Healthcare has moved into second place, while the high cost of living, which was not among the top concerns last year, now ranks as the third most pressing issue.
Sanz affirmed that “the City Council is focusing its efforts on increasing the supply and improving access to housing, especially for young people and families.” She noted that the Municipal Housing and Land Company (EMVS Madrid) currently manages approximately 10,000 affordable rental homes, representing an increase of over 60% since 2019.
Highly Rated Municipal Services and Evolving Mobility Patterns
Among municipal services, Firefighters received the highest rating with 8.3, followed by SAMUR-Civil Protection at 7.8, and SAMUR Social at 7.5. The 010 municipal information telephone service is the most well-known and highly rated, scoring an average of 6.8, with all municipal information services exceeding a passing grade.
Out of 46 evaluated municipal services and facilities, only three received a satisfaction rating below 5: public housing promotion, actions against illegal occupation, and aid and incentives for SMEs and freelancers. Notably, municipal theaters and libraries, EMT Madrid bus service, tourist information and promotion, and the protection of monuments and heritage all received excellent ratings.
In terms of mobility, the metro remains the most used mode of transport by Madrid residents (68.8%), followed by urban buses, which saw a 5-point increase to 65.1%. Private car usage decreased by one point to 49.8%. Commuter rail (Cercanías) use is lower at 22.3% but has increased compared to 2024.
The perception of safety in Madrid remains stable compared to 2024, with a rating of 7.7 during the day and 6 at night. Finally, regarding the functioning of public administrations, the Madrid City Council is the most highly rated public administration, increasing its score by four tenths compared to the previous year.
