Most Icelanders would rather cuts be made to the social welfare system than to have their taxes raised, a new poll shows.
According to the poll, which was conducted by Fréttablaðið and Stöð 2, 62.9% said they would rather see government budget cuts made rather than have their own taxes raised in order to deal with difficult economic situations. Broken down by party lines, only the majority of Leftist-Greens voters – or 78.4% – said they would rather pay higher taxes than see cuts made to the social welfare system. By contrast, support for budget cuts over tax hikes was strongest among conservatives, at 77.3%. Progressives and Social Democrats had about the same level of support for reduced spending over tax increases, at 60% and 60.8% respectively.
By gender, 60% of women and 66% of men said they would rather see budget cuts made than have their taxes raised. Regionally, those living in the capital area were more likely than people living in the countryside to be of the same opinion.
According to the latest Gallup poll, the conservatives continue to be the party with the greatest level of support, at 34.3% and holding steady.
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