Recognition of Same-sex Unions in Europe - Public Opinion

Public Opinion

Public support for same-sex marriage from EU member states as measured from a 2006 poll is the greatest in the Netherlands (82%), Sweden (71%), Denmark, (69%), Spain (66%), Belgium (65%), Luxembourg (58%), Finland (54%), Germany (52%) and the Czech Republic (52%). However, other polls have also placed Germany and France between 54% to 65%, the UK at 61%.

After the approval of same-sex marriage in Portugal in January 2010, 52% of the Portuguese population stated that they were in favor of the legislation. In 2008 58% of the Norwegian voters supported the Marriage Act, which was introduced in the same year, and 31 percent were against it. In January 2013 54.1% of Italians respondents supported same-sex marriage. In a late January 2013 survey 77,2% of Italians respondents supported the recognition of same-sex unions.

In Ireland, a 2008 survey revealed 84% of people supported civil unions for same-sex couples (and 58% for same-sex marriage), while a 2010 survey showed 67% supported same-sex marriage by 2012 this figure had risen to 73% in support

In Croatia, a poll conducted in June 2013 revealed that 55,3% of Croats think that marriage should be constitutionally defined as a union between a man and a woman, while 31,1% do not agree with the idea.

In Poland a 2013 public poll revealed that 70% of Poles reject the idea of registered partnerships. Another survey in February 2013 revealed that 55% were against and 38% of Poles support the idea of registered partnerships for same-sex couples.

In comparison, support tends to be the lowest in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Latvia and Romania. The average percentage of support for same-sex marriage in the European Union as of 2006 when it had 25 members was 44%, which had descended from a previous percentage of 53%. The change was caused by more socially conservative nations joining the EU.