Flash Eurobarometer 473: The euro area

For this survey carried out on 15- 16 October 2018, some 17 500 respondents across the 19 euro area countries were interviewed by phone. Compared with last year, the results confirm the strong support for the euro. A euro area majority of 64% thinks that having the euro is a good thing for their country. This is for the second consecutive year the highest proportion since the start of the survey in 2002. It is the view of the majority of respondents in all 19 euro area countries. There are nevertheless some important differences between the 19 countries. The highest increase in support compared with the 2017 results was noted in Austria and Italy, each with a raise of 12 percentage points to 76% and 57% respectively, followed by Latvia with a raise of 10 points to 63%. Highest support for the euro remains to be in Ireland at 85%. On the other hand, strongest decrease was noted in Germany by 6 percentage points to now 70%. An equally stable euro area majority of 74% sees the euro as good for the EU as a whole, the same level of support as expressed in 2017. Asked about economic policy coordination in the euro area, an overall majority of 69% thinks there should be more coordination while 7% think there should be less of it. An unchanged overall majority of 64% supports abolishing 1-cent and 2-cent coins combined with mandatory rounding of the final sum of purchases. However, a relative majority in Greece (48%) is against this proposal, while in 16 euro area Member States an absolute majority supports this idea. Citizens replied to a set of questions focusing on issues ranging from perception and practical aspects of the euro to their assessment of the economic situation, policy and reforms in their country and in the euro area. In addition, citizens were asked about their views and expectations regarding household income and inflation. #####The results by volumes are distributed as follows: * Volume A: Countries * Volume AA: Groups of countries * Volume A' (AP): Trends * Volume AA' (AAP): Trends of groups of countries * Volume B: EU/socio-demographics * Volume B' (BP) : Trends of EU/ socio-demographics * Volume C: Country/socio-demographics ---- Researchers may also contact GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences: [https://www.gesis.org/eurobarometer](https://www.gesis.org/eurobarometer)