The study was carried out by Marktest at the request of MEP Francisco Guerreiro, of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance. About 1500 people, aged between 18 and 65 years, were inquired to know the opinion of the Portuguese population regarding a possible implementation of the Unconditional Basic Income in Portugal.
This study shows that 76% of respondents are in favor of implementing this social and economic measure in Portugal. The majority also considers it would be beneficial to advance, in the first place, with a pilot experiment that would allow a broad national public debate, as well as the assessment of the respective impact at the municipal or regional level.
The Portuguese socioeconomic context (worsened by the pandemic) is reflected in the opinions expressed, which highlighted the following capital benefits related to a measure of this kind: the contribution to the payment of basic needs that may be difficult to pay, greater financial independence and a tremendous impact on Social Justice, broadly agreeing that, compared to the Social Integration Income (RSI), the UBI would be more effective when looking for a job, as the RSI can encourage continued unemployment (in addition to stressing that many of the people who are entitled to an RSI do not receive it).
Finally, it is worth noting the clear predisposition of the Portuguese to adopt more sustainable behaviors, should an income such as the UBI be implemented, with about 59% of individuals stating that they would buy environmentally friendly products, to reduce their environmental impact.
