The European Commission Representation in Ireland published the report today. The fieldwork was carried out between 9 October and 3 November 2025 and was prepared by Ipsos B&A. It is based on the findings of the latest EU-wide Standard Eurobarometer (104) Report.
The report reveals that concerns around housing and immigration are intensifying among Irish people, with housing remaining the dominant issue at 65% (up from 63% in Spring 2025), the highest across the EU27 compared to an average of just 13%. Meanwhile, concerns about immigration have jumped significantly, with 26% now identifying it as one of the two most concerning issues facing the country, up 8 percentage points since Spring 2025, and higher than the EU27 average of 15%.
Despite these concerns, Irish people continue to place considerable trust in the EU (59%), ranking in the top five member states, and maintain a very positive view towards the EU at 63%, second only to Portugal (69%).
Peter Power, Head of the European Commission Representation in Ireland said:
"Irish people continue to hold the European Union in high regard. Housing, cost of living, and immigration are the big concerns in Ireland. The European Commission remains committed to addressing these challenges whilst building a competitive and prosperous European Union."
The report covers the following topics:
- Satisfaction with life
- Main concerns at national level
- Main concerns at EU level
- Trust in the EU and image of the EU
- Trust in certain types of media
- Satisfaction with how democracy works in Ireland
- Attitudes towards migration
- Attitudes towards EU enlargement
- EU budget priorities
Key Findings: Ireland
Satisfaction with life
- Irish people show near universal satisfaction with life according to this survey (96%). This figure has remained largely stable across recent Eurobarometer polls.
- Ireland is positioned in second place, alongside Slovenia, Finland, and Sweden, just behind Denmark (97%).
Main concerns at national level
- For Irish people, the most important issue facing Ireland is housing at 65%, up from 63% in Spring 2025. On average across the EU, only 13% of respondents said housing was a key national concern.
- Rising prices/inflation/cost of living is the second most important issue facing Ireland with 38% of Irish respondents citing this as a key concern. Across the EU, on average, 31% cite the rising cost of living as one of the most important issues facing their country.
- Immigration is cited by 26% as a top two issue, up 8 percentage points since Spring 2025, compared to the EU27 average of 15%.
Main concerns at EU level
- Immigration and the war in Ukraine are tied as the most important issues facing the EU for those interviewed in Ireland (both at 35%).
- Irish concern about immigration at the EU level is well above the EU27 average of 20%. Only Cyprus has a higher rate of concern regarding immigration (45%).
Trust in the EU and image of the EU
- Ireland's trust in the EU remains at 59%, ranking in the top five member states. The EU27 average level of trust stands at 48%. Portugal (71%), Lithuania (66%), and Denmark (64%) are most trusting of the EU.
- Ireland continues to hold a very positive image of the EU (63%), coming in second highest in the EU after Portugal (69%).
Trust in certain types of media
- 88% of Irish people agree that the existence of false news or information poses a problem for democracy (up from 85% in Autumn 2024).
- The Irish public displays higher levels of trust in most traditional forms of media than the EU27 average (with the exception of the written press), whilst newer digital formats such as websites and online social networks are seen as less trustworthy both in Ireland and across the EU27.
Satisfaction with how democracy works in Ireland
- 71% of Irish people show satisfaction with the way democracy works in Ireland, significantly higher than the EU27 average of 54%, with Ireland ranking sixth among the EU27.
- However, this represents a notable decline of 8 percentage points since Spring 2025, marking the lowest level of satisfaction with how democracy works in Ireland since Spring 2022.
Attitudes towards migration
- 78% of Irish people believe their country should help refugees, compared to the EU27 average of 73%.
- 73% of Irish people agree that immigrants contribute positively to their country. This puts Ireland in the top three member states, after Sweden (88%) and Luxembourg (82%) and well above the EU27 average of 57%.
Attitudes towards EU enlargement
- 59% of Irish respondents are in favour of EU enlargement, broadly in line with the EU27 average (52%) but representing a 5-percentage point decline since Spring 2025.
EU budget priorities
- Irish respondents want housing to be reflected as a budgetary priority for the EU (59%). Ireland stands out here, as the EU27 average is only 26%.
- Other main EU budget priorities listed by Irish respondents are employment (43%) and education and training (34%).
More Information
The fieldwork for the survey was undertaken by Ipsos B&A Ireland between 9 October and 3 November 2025.
The data for the Irish report is contained in the latest EU-wide Standard Eurobarometer (104) Report.
Eurobarometer report: Ireland
Details
- Publication date
- 17 December 2025
- Author
- Representation in Ireland