Poll: 'No' to Catalonia Independence Overtakes 'Yes'

Catalans opposed to independence for their region now outnumber those in favor, the first such result ever recorded by the nationalist regional government, a poll indicated on Friday.

It was the first time since Catalonia's regional leaders started polling people in 2011 on whether they want to break away from Spain that the official survey showed a swing against independence.

It was the also first survey by the leaders of the northeastern region since they defied the Spanish government by holding a symbolic vote on independence on November 9.

Of the Catalans questioned, 45.3 percent said they would vote against breaking away from Spain while 44.5 said they would vote in favor of such a move.

Support for secession declined by five points since the last such poll in October.

Just under two million of the 6.3 eligible Catalans who were invited to vote in November's symbolic vote did so in favor of breaking away from Spain.

The regional president Artur Mas held the vote in defiance of legal challenges by Madrid.

Mas is in favor of independence and wants a full referendum on it, but Spain's conservative government has vowed to prevent any breakup of the country.

Pro-independence feeling has surged in the rich region over recent years, fanned by disagreements with the central government and the economic crisis.