The sixth dirtiest city in Spain is Barcelona. This is confirmed by a recent study conducted by the Association of Consumers and Users (OCU), which reveals that the Catalan capital is one of the ten dirtiest cities in the country.
This news has generated consternation among residents, as the city has lost 11 points compared to the same survey conducted a year ago.
OCU: Barcelona is the sixth dirtiest city in Spain
The OCU study was carried out by interviewing 7,000 inhabitants of up to 70 municipalities throughout the country.
In this context, Barcelona is just ahead of Madrid, which ranks seventh in terms of urban cleanliness.
The top-rated cities in this respect are Palma, Alicante and Seville, which lead the ranking.
The survey
The residents surveyed in Barcelona gave a score of 40 out of 100 for the cleanliness of the city.
This represents a significant decrease of 11 points compared to the previous survey.
This result positions Barcelona as the dirtiest city in Catalonia and reflects the concern of citizens about the lack of hygiene in their streets.
This situation is also replicated in Madrid, as well as in other Catalan cities such as Lleida, Tarragona, Badalona, Terrassa and L’Hospitalet de Llobregat.
Among the items highlighted by respondents as the main littering problems were dog excrement on sidewalks and graffiti.
Also the garbage accumulated around the dumpsters.
These factors have been identified as the most detrimental to the cleanliness of the city and represent a constant concern for residents.
In contrast, the city of Sabadell obtained an outstanding score in the survey, reaching 64 points out of 100.
On the other hand, the highest rated cities in terms of cleanliness in Spain are Oviedo, Bilbao, Vigo, Pamplona and Albacete, according to the OCU study.
OCU analyzes the dirtiest city in the world
The OCU points out that there is no direct correlation between a higher investment in cleanliness and a higher score.
For example, Pamplona and Albacete, two of the highest rated cities in terms of cleanliness by residents, invest less than 46 euros per resident per year in this area.
This compares to more than 80 euros in other capitals such as Seville, Barcelona or Madrid.
However, the frequency of cleaning tasks and rainy days do seem to positively influence the ratings.
The higher the frequency of sweeping and cleaning, the better the score.
In addition, they have pointed out that the number of fines for not picking up dog excrement is minimal and have warned that in most cities this action is considered a minor offense.
