According to the CIS, the Center for Sociological Research, 63.7% of the Spanish population acknowledges knowing little about the history and culture of the Roma people, but more than 66% believe that it should be included in compulsory education [editar]

• 53.3% of those surveyed consider that the Roma population has contributed quite a lot, or a great deal, to Spanish culture.
• The questions have been prepared jointly by the CIS and the Fundación Secretariado Gitano as part of a collaboration that seeks to measure Spanish society's knowledge and perception of the Roma population.

On the occasion of the declaration of 2025 as the Year of the Roma Population in Spain on the occasion of the 600th anniversary of the presence of the Roma population on the Iberian Peninsula, the April Barometer of the Sociological Research Centre (CIS), coinciding with the celebration of 8 April as International Roma Day, includes for the first time a series of questions on knowledge of the history and culture of the Roma population, on their symbols of identity, or cultural contributions, among others.

Among the main conclusions, it is worth highlighting that the Barometer confirms the great lack of knowledge in Spanish society about the history and culture of the Roma population. 88% of those surveyed did not know that this year marks the 600th anniversary of the presence of the Roma population on the Iberian Peninsula. 63.7% acknowledged knowing little about the history and culture of the Roma population, and 11% acknowledged knowing nothing at all.

When asked about their knowledge of any of the symbols of the Roma population, 55% of the people surveyed did not know any of them. 28.7% know the Roma flag, 11.7% know the Roma anthem (Gelem Gelem) and only 24.2% know that 8 April is the International Roma Day.

In contrast, the data show an interest in reversing this situation: more than 66% of those surveyed believe that the history and culture of the Roma population should be included in compulsory education.

On the other hand, 53.3% of those surveyed considered that the Roma people have contributed a great deal to Spanish culture. The contributions to music (quite a lot or a lot, 90%) and flamenco (quite a lot or a lot, 95%) stand out above all.

This CIS Study was carried out among 4,009 people over 18 years of age between 1 and 8 April 2025 in 1,144 municipalities in 50 provinces.

Opinion from Fundación Secretariado Gitano

The Fundación Secretariado Gitano appreciates the fact that the CIS Barometer includes specific questions on the Roma population, especially this year, which marks the 600th anniversary of the arrival of the Roma population on the Iberian Peninsula, and we are grateful for the willingness and interest of this public body in the collaboration that we have established with a view to continuing this line of work to measure the evolution of the perception of the Roma population in Spanish society.

The data from this Barometer allow us to confirm the empathy of a large part of Spanish society that shows interest in knowing more about the Roma population about which it acknowledges knowing little. The data show that the great lack of knowledge about the Roma population, its history, its culture, its symbols of identity, is at the root of the generalised negative image of the Roma population and, therefore, of the processes of discrimination suffered by Roma people. For this reason, this 600th anniversary should serve, among other objectives, to promote measures that ensure progress in the knowledge and recognition of the Roma population.

The full and effective incorporation of the history and culture of the Roma population into the school curriculum should be one of them. Although it is formally recognised in the LOMLOE, in practice, it is not widely taught. The data show that it is a measure that has broad social support (more than 66%) and, therefore, now requires an institutional response from the educational administrations, but also a commitment on the part of schools, teachers and textbook publishers.

‘We would like to thank the CIS for including several questions on the Roma population in the Barometer survey for the first time. Having data on the perception of Spanish society helps us to break down stereotypes and to better orientate the work of the different actors towards a more cohesive society’, in the words of the Director General of the Fundación Secretariado Gitano, Sara Giménez. ‘In contrast to the negative social imaginary that society seems to have about the Roma population, the data show us a society that empathises with the Roma population, that wants to get closer and learn more about our history and culture. I would like to express my gratitude for society's support for a historic demand, which has even more weight on this 600th anniversary: the effective incorporation of the history and culture of the Roma population into compulsory education’.