The 78% of the Spanish population rejects bullfighting, according to a new survey

The #NoEsMICUltura Popular Legislative Initiative (ILP) highlights the contradiction in a society that rejects bullfighting as part of its identity, yet falters when presented with the chance to restore decision-making powers to local administrations – enabling them to outlaw the practice.

21 abril 2025
Madrid, España.

Spain, the historical cradle of bullfighting, is experiencing a revealing contradiction today: 78% of its population does not identify with bullfighting, according to the latest Sigma Dos survey for the newspaper El Mundo. However, less than half (48%) support removing its protection as cultural heritage, a status that will be debated in Congress thanks to the Popular Legislative Initiative (ILP) #NoEsMiCultura. These figures reflect a conflict between the ethical evolution of society and the resistance to break with symbols anchored in the past.

The study breaks down an irreconcilable ideological gap. While 92.1% of voters from Sumar—the party of the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun—reject bullfighting, parties like Vox and PP still find support among 37.6% and 31.3% of their electors who declare themselves bullfighting fans. Nevertheless, even in these sectors, the majority does not share the practice: 60.1% of Vox voters and 64.9% of PP voters distance themselves from it.

"Parties that insist on shielding bullfights as supposed ‘culture’ represent a minority even within their own base. It is time for politics to listen to the citizens, not the lobbies," points out Aïda Gascón, director of AnimaNaturalis.

Women and young people: at the forefront of change

The survey also reveals a gender gap. 82.1% of women reject bullfighting, compared to 73.6% of men. Among young people aged 18 to 29, 58.9% support removing legal protection, a figure that decreases among those over 65 (45.1%). "New generations understand that tradition is not synonymous with ethics. Torturing an animal is not art; it is violence," emphasizes Gascón.

The most alarming fact is that, although three out of four Spaniards do not identify with bullfighting, only 48% back the goal of the ILP #NoEsMiCultura. This suggests that many, despite not enjoying the spectacle, still normalize its existence due to historical roots or inertia of custom. "This could be a symptom of social inertia: people accept what has always been there, even if they morally question it," analyzes Gascón. "Very few feel comfortable with the idea of prohibition, but this is not about banning—it is about restoring the freedom to decide what represents us and letting what we no longer wish to maintain with public funds fade into the past," she adds.

It is worth noting that the survey literally asks "Would you be in favor of repealing cultural protection for bullfighting?", rather than explaining that this only means returning authority to autonomous communities and local governments, as well as reducing the subsidies that bullfights receive as part of Spanish culture.

But the question is unavoidable: How can a predominantly anti-bullfighting country continue to protect a practice that involves the suffering and death of thousands of animals each year?

The ILP #NoEsMiCultura seeks not only to eliminate an anachronistic legal privilege but also to reflect the pulse of a Spain that is moving toward animal respect. Although support for the initiative is majority among left-wing voters—even with 87.6% in the PSOE, which is the governing party upon which making the demand to strip bullfighting of cultural heritage protection depends—the authorities seem to fear the more conservative minorities. "Culture is not static. If 78% of the population no longer feels represented by this cruelty, it is time to stop financing and glorifying it," insists Gascón.

The data make it clear that Spain is ready for a serious debate on bullfighting. The ILP #NoEsMiCultura, which received support from more than 715,000 people, does not aim to eradicate a tradition overnight, but to question why a modern state continues to endorse as “heritage” what the majority already rejects. Congress has the opportunity to prove that democracy listens to people, not prejudices.

Technical data: Survey conducted by Sigma Dos with 1,819 people between April 4 and April 15, 2025, with a margin of error of ±2.3%. All information from this survey will be published by the company starting April 23, 2025.