MADRID (AP) — An opinion poll in the prosperous Spanish region of Catalonia indicates that support for independence is waning less than three months ahead of a planned referendum.

The poll shows that 49.4 percent of Catalans are against seceding from Spain, up one percentage point from a March poll, while 41.4 percent want independence, down 3 percentage points. Others did not know or did not respond.

The poll published Friday by the regional government's Center for Opinion Polls was based on 1,500 face-to-face recent interviews. The margin of error was 2.53 percent.

Also Friday, the Spanish government said it will conduct weekly audits of Catalonia's public spending to ensure no taxpayer money goes to the ballot. The central government says the referendum proposed for Oct. 1 is unconstitutional.