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9 out of 10 people in Spain think extreme heat can be a health risk
The CSAI Foundation has published a new study conducted by GAD3 with the aim of understanding the public’s perception of the effects of extreme heat and its link to climate change. The research was based on interviews conducted throughout the country.
Among the main findings, it is noteworthy that 92% of the population believes that extreme temperatures can greatly or significantly affect health and put people’s lives at risk. Only 1% believe that they have no effect.
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What effects does extreme heat have on health?
Respondents identified multiple consequences associated with heat waves. The most frequently mentioned were heatstroke or fainting (84%) and dehydration (83%). They also highlighted insomnia or fatigue (70%), nausea or dizziness (58%) and the worsening of chronic diseases such as heart or respiratory conditions (56%). To a lesser extent, symptoms such as confusion or disorientation (52%), increased stress or psychological distress (51%), skin rashes (34%) and muscle cramps (28%) are also mentioned.
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Is it related to climate change?
En cuanto a la relación entre las olas de calor y el cambio climático, el 86% de la población considera que existe un vínculo directo o parcial. Solo un 10% descarta completamente esa relación, y un 3% no tiene una opinión formada al respecto.
Technical specifications
Universe: Spanish population over 18 years of age.
Scope: National.
Information collection procedure: Computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) and computer-assisted web interview (CAWI)
Sample size: 1,274 interviews.
Quotas: Non-proportional allocation by gender, age and climate zone.
Sampling error: ±2.8% (n=1,274); for a confidence level of 95.5% (two sigmas) and in the most unfavourable hypothesis of P=Q=0.5 in the case of simple random sampling.
Interview duration: approximately 4-5 minutes
Fieldwork dates: 7 to 14 July 2025.
