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BUSINESS & POLITICS IN THE WORLD GLOBAL OPINION REPORT NO. 699-700 Week:
July 12 –July 25, 2021 Presentation:
July 30, 2021 A
Total Of 26.2 Percent Of Workers Said They Were Not Worried About Contracting
COVID-19 60%
Indians Said They Are Likely Or Very Likely To Consider Investing In This
Asset Class In 2021 Nearly
Two-Thirds Of Hindus (64%) Say It Is Very Important To Be Hindu To Be Truly
Indian 58%
Respondents Expressed Dissatisfaction Over Government Health Services In Azad
Kashmir 77%
Of The Turkish Society Is Aware Of The Delta Variant Of The Coronavirus More
Than Six In 10 Gambians (61%) Say The Public Should Have Access To Government
Information More
Than Three-Fourths (78%) Of Tanzanians Believe The Country Is Going In The
Right Direction Eight
In Ten Think Britain Will Learn To Live With Coronavirus In Future 3
In 4 Britons Believe Wearing Face Masks In Public Is Very Important Only
17% Of Brits Are Interested In Using The E-Scooters On Pavements Half
Of English People Say They're Overweight, Obese Or Morbidly Obese; The Nhs
Says It’s Two Thirds One
In Four Businesses Want Furlough Scheme Extended Beyond September One
In Five NHS Covid-19 App Users Have Contact Tracing Turned Off Six
In Ten Brits Would Back An Identification Scheme For Cyclists 59%
of French people found Emmanuel Macron convincing during his television
intervention on July 12 9
Out Of 10 Active French People Want To Be Able To Reduce The Environmental
Impact Of Their Trips 56%
of Americans support more regulation of major technology companies Sixty-Four
Percent Of Americans Believe Racism Against Black People Is Widespread In The
US In
Brazil, 83% Say They Will Continue To Wear Masks In Public Even After Being
Vaccinated INTRODUCTORY NOTE
699-700-43-42/Commentary:
Only
2 % Of America's Young Adults (Age 17-24)Are Eligible And Keen To Serve
American Military;70 % Are Ineligible Due To Physical And Mental Health And
Other Reasons
The
withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan signals the end of a war that
involved close to 800,000 American service members. Defending against new
threats will require the U.S. to replenish its all-volunteer force with fresh
recruits — a task made harder by the dwindling number of Americans willing
and able to serve. The U.S.
currently has 1.3 million active-duty service members. Due to attrition and
retirement, the military needs to find more than 150,000 new recruits every
year to meet its overall “end strength” goal. In 2020, the Army, Navy, Air
Force and Marines all hit their annual recruitment goals – but those figures
were distorted by a historically weak job market, as active-duty service
members delayed plans to re-enter the civilian sector, reducing the need for
new hires. Last year’s target of 61,200 new Army enlistees, for instance, was
20% lower than in 2018, when the Army failed to meet its goal. Recruiting
isn’t easy. At least 70% of Americans between 17 and 24 are ineligible for
military service due to obesity, mental-health issues, past drug use,
criminal records or lack of a high school degree. Overall, only 13% of
young adults express a positive propensity to serve, with women about
half as likely as men to consider enlisting. The Defense Department estimates
that just 2% out of 20.6 million 17- to 21-year-olds have the desired
combination of strong academic credentials, adequate physical fitness and an
interest in serving. This limited
supply compromises national security. In recent years, the Army has only just
barely met the Pentagon’s minimum cognitive-aptitude benchmark for new
personnel. What’s more, recruits tend to be drawn from
a shrinking segment of the population – from a small number of mostly
southern states and families of veterans, a group whose share of the
population is lower than
at any time since World War II. The armed forces continue to enjoy public
support, but this skewing of the recruiting pool risks widening the divide between
service members and the citizens they’re sworn to defend.
The U.S.
needs to persuade a broader cross section of Americans to consider military
service. More generous enlistment bonuses should be offered to candidates who
are qualified for critical positions and willing to sign up for six-year
contracts. The services should expand outreach beyond
recent high-school graduates to community-college and technical-college
students, who are more likely to have specialized skills and score higher on
aptitude tests. More recruiters should be stationed in communities with low
military participation, and those who bring in high-performing recruits
should be rewarded. To attract enlistees from non-traditional backgrounds, a
greater share of the Pentagon’s $500 million advertising budget should be
spent on social-media campaigns emphasizing the career benefits of joining
the military, as a new YouTube series for
the Army aims to do. Boosting
recruitment shouldn’t come at the expense of military rigor. Relaxing
enlistment standards by opening the force to those with histories of truancy
or drug use, for instance, would be a mistake. New waivers were
granted to Army recruits at the height of the Iraq War; the result was higher
attrition and lapses in discipline, and the Pentagon was forced to rethink. Expanding
the pool of qualified recruits, to be sure, isn’t a job for the military
alone. Addressing childhood obesity,
substance abuse and poor academic achievement requires greater investment in
the country’s K-12 education and public-health systems. Even so, the forces can
do a lot on their own account. The effort is critical — not just for the
preservation of American power but also for the strength of America’s
democracy. (Bloomberg) July 12,
2021 699-700-43-43/Country Profile:
SUMMARY
OF POLLS
ASIA (Japan) A Total Of 26.2 Percent Of Workers Said They Were Not
Worried About Contracting COVID-19 A total of 26.2 percent of workers said
they were not worried about contracting COVID-19, up nearly 10 percentage
points from January, according to a recent online survey by the Japan Productivity
Center. The survey also found 76.9 percent had “little” or “no” trust in the
government, the highest in the past six surveys. The results showed states of
emergency and pre-emergency measures have become less effective in changing
people’s behavior as the measures have been repeatedly imposed. (Asahi Shimbun) July 21, 2021 (India) 60% Indians Said They Are Likely Or Very Likely To Consider
Investing In This Asset Class In 2021 Although a third of the 1000 polled already
own some cryptocurrency; overall close to 60% Indians said they are likely or
very likely to consider investing in this asset class in 2021. This number is
largely driven by people who have already invested in cryptocurrencies in the
past while those who have never bought any form of cryptocurrencies are also
less likely to buy it this year. (YouGov India) July 16, 2021 Nearly Two-Thirds Of Hindus (64%) Say It Is Very Important
To Be Hindu To Be Truly Indian Hindus are far more likely than members of
other religious groups to link Indian and Hindu identities: Nearly two-thirds
of Hindus (64%) say it is very important to be Hindu to be truly Indian. Far
fewer respondents among other religious communities in the country answer the
same way, including 27% of Muslims who say being Hindu is very important to
being truly Indian. (PEW) JULY 20, 2021 (Pakistan) 58% Respondents Expressed Dissatisfaction Over Government
Health Services In Azad Kashmir Broken and poorly maintained roads cited as
the biggest problem by 24% respondents in AJK. 13% say lack of clean drinking
water while 10% say electricity load shedding. 8% say inflation. 53% are
satisfied with government school/colleges in the area. 55% are satisfied with
the transport services in their area. 47% have a positive opinion of Nawaz
Sharif. 68% respondents in AJK have a positive opinion of Imran Khan. (Gallup Pakistan) 23/7/2021 (Turkey) 77% Of The Turkish Society Is Aware Of The Delta Variant Of
The Coronavirus 8 out of 10 People Know the Delta Variant. 77% of the society is aware of the
Delta Variant of the Coronavirus, which has started to spread rapidly in the
world and is increasing in Turkey. However, 23% of the society states
that they have not heard of this issue, which is constantly on the
agenda. Especially in those who do not intend to have the vaccine, the
rate of not hearing about this variant rises up to 40%. (Ipsos Turkey) 12 July 2021 AFRICA (Gambia) More Than Six In 10 Gambians (61%) Say The Public Should
Have Access To Government Information More than six in 10 Gambians (61%) say the
public should have access to government information. Only 31% believe that
information held by public authorities is only for use by government
officials and should not have to be shared with the public. Economically
well-off citizens (74%), urban residents (69%), and youth (64%) are most
likely to insist that the government should have to share information with
the public. (Afrobarometer) 19 July 2021 (Tanzania) More Than Three-Fourths (78%) Of Tanzanians Believe The
Country Is Going In The Right Direction More than three-fourths (78%) of Tanzanians
believe the country is going in the right direction. A majority of Tanzanians
approve of the government’s performance on a wide range of issues, including
84% who say the government is handling the economy “fairly well” or “very
well.” These assessments have improved across the board compared to 2017. (Afrobarometer) 14 July 2021 WEST
EUROPE (UK) The Majority Of Brits Overall (71%) And A Similar
Proportion Of Ethnic Minorities (68%) Support Social Media Platforms Removing
Posts That Are Racist The majority of Brits overall (71%) and a
similar proportion of ethnic minorities (68%) support social media platforms
removing posts that are racist. Around seven in ten Brits (68%) also support
financial penalties for social media companies who fail to remove racist
comments or posts. Among ethnic minorities, support for this measure is 63%.
Of all the measures we asked about, there is slightly lower support –
although it is still backed by the majority – for social media platforms to
add warnings to posts that people may consider racist (61%). This level of
support is the same among ethnic minorities (59%). (Ipsos MORI) 12 July 2021 Eight In Ten Think Britain Will Learn To Live With
Coronavirus In Future The public
are less sure about the near-term future with approximately one in three
(34%) saying they are confident that life in Britain will be back to normal
by Christmas. This number is larger than the one in ten (10%) that said the
same about Christmas 2020 this time last year but two-thirds still say they
are not confident. Similar differences by age are observed here with 28% of
18-34s confident things will mainly be back to normal by Christmas, compared
to 42% of those aged 55 and over. (Ipsos MORI) 12 July 2021 3 In 4 Britons Believe Wearing Face Masks In Public Is Very
Important New polling by Ipsos MORI shows widespread
support for the use of face coverings in certain public situations. Three in
four (73%) say wearing masks in places such as shops and public transport is
very important in stopping the spread of coronavirus, including 43% who say
it is essential, up from 37% who said the same this time last year. Older
Britons are most likely to view face masks as essential. Over half (54%) of
55-75s believe they are essential to preventing the spread of the virus while
42% of 35-54s and only a third (32%) of 18-34s say the same. (Ipsos MORI) 13 July 2021 Six In Ten Britons Think Keir Starmer Has
Done A Bad Job At Setting Out A Clear Alternative To The Government 59% of Britons think that Labour leader
Keir Starmer has done a bad job at setting out a clear alternative to the
current government to voters. 18% say he has done a good job and 23% don’t
know. Among Labour voters, 33% think he has done a good job and 48% say he
has done a bad job. There is slightly more positive news for Sir Keir
elsewhere in the poll. His leadership satisfaction ratings remain negative
but have recovered slightly following the Batley and Spen by-election. 27%
Britons are satisfied with the job he is doing as Labour leader (+5 points
from June) but half (50%) are dissatisfied (Ipsos MORI) 15 July 2021 Only 17% Of Brits Are Interested In Using
The E-Scooters On Pavements Overall, only 17% of Brits are interested
in using the devices on pavements, and 15% are interested in using them on
the roads. The vast majority are not interested, including two thirds
(65-67%) who are not interested “at all” in using them in either scenario.
The scooters do have much greater appeal among the young – with around a
quarter of adults aged 18 to 24 interested in using E-scooters on the
pavements (29%) and on the roads (26%). This compares to less than one in ten
of those aged 65 and over (8-9%). (YouGov UK) July 15, 2021 Three In Five Smartphone Owners Say It’s
Likely That Their Device Is Actively Listening To Them Without Being Prompted Smart home device owners are the most
inclined to think their gadget is snooping on them, with seven in ten saying
it’s either very (40%) or fairly (30%) likely. Many smartphone owners have
the same concerns, with three in five believing it’s fairly (30%) or very
(31%) probable. Two thirds of Britons (66%) say they have noticed receiving
targeted adverts for a product online after having talked about it in person.
But only a fifth (22%) believe it’s because their device is eavesdropping on
their conversations. (YouGov UK) July 16, 2021 Half Of English People Say They're
Overweight, Obese Or Morbidly Obese; The Nhs Says It’s Two Thirds Two in five people in England (41%)
describe their body weight as “normal”. But only a third of English adults
(34%) fit this category according to the Health Survey for England 2019, which was published last December. In fact, two thirds of English adults (64%)
are either overweight (36%), obese (25%) or morbidly obese (3%), according to
the NHS. But when surveyed by YouGov, only half of people in England (52%)
classed themselves as such (40% overweight, 9% obese, 3% morbidly obese). (YouGov UK) July 20, 2021 One In Four Businesses Want Furlough Scheme
Extended Beyond September A survey of 1,061 senior business decision
makers shows one in four companies (23%) would prefer the COVID-19 support
measures to be extended further – up from 16% in March. Meanwhile,
approaching half of business leaders (46%) are content with the support
measures ending in September – a fall of 5 points. A fifth (19%) would like
to see them end sooner, similar to in March (22%). (YouGov UK) July 20, 2021 One In Five NHS Covid-19 App Users Have
Contact Tracing Turned Off YouGov data finds that one in ten online
Brits (10%) have deleted the app, having previously installed it. This is on
top of the 31% who have never downloaded it despite owning a smart phone and
the 9% who don’t have the technology to download anyway. “App deserters” are
more likely to be in the younger age group, with 17% of those aged 18-24
deleting the app having previously installing it. (YouGov UK) July 20, 2021 8 In 10 Say British Society Is Divided, But
Most Would Rather Be A Citizen Here Than Anywhere Else In The World A new survey by Ipsos MORI shows widespread
agreement when it comes to division in Britain. Eighty per cent of Britons
say British society is at least fairly divided these days, including 26% who
say it is very divided. Only 16% disagree. Those who voted for Labour in
the 2019 General Election are significantly more likely to believe there are
divisions in the country nowadays, 90% agree this is the case, compared with
77% of Conservative voters. (Ipsos MORI) 21 July 2021 Seven In Ten Football Fans In England (71%)
Now Think That Professional English Football Has A Serious Problem With
Racism Following the racist abuse hitting the
headlines, seven in ten football fans in England (71%) now think that
professional English football has a serious problem with racism, a rise of 17
percentage points since the opening stages of the tournament in June. This
represents a significant conversion among those who had previously
acknowledged that racism existed in English football, but did not consider it
to be serious: 36% previously had held this view, but this has now shrunk to
24%. (YouGov UK) July 22, 2021 Six In Ten Brits Would Back An
Identification Scheme For Cyclists Some six in ten of the general public (60%)
would support cyclists donning numbered identification tabards – including
31% who would “strongly support” this idea. While support is higher among
Conservative voters (71%), Labour voters would also broadly support the idea
(55%).Freeman argues the proposal would make cycling safer, but around a
quarter of people (28%) would be opposed to the identification scheme, with
15% “strongly” opposed. (YouGov UK) July 22, 2021 Messenger RNA Vaccines 86% Effective
Against The Alpha Variant And 77% Against The Beta Variant Of SARS-CoV-2 In February 2021, researchers adapted the
questionnaire to add information on the vaccination against Covid-19, the
existence of infections prior to SARS-CoV-2, and the nature of the variants
responsible for the infection. This information was used to assess the
efficacy of two doses of mRNA vaccines against variants, alpha and beta,
circulating in France, and to assess the protection provided by previous
SARS-COV-2 infections. All infected people were invited to participate
in the survey by the National Health Insurance Fund. (Ipsos France) July 16, 2021 (France) 59% of French people found Emmanuel Macron convincing
during his television intervention on July 12 In detail, a clear majority of French people approve of the health measures
announced by the Head of State : 69% are in favor of
compulsory vaccination from September 15 for people working in contact with
the elderly or frail, 69 % to the implementation of vaccination campaigns for
middle school, high school and college students at the start of the school
year, 63% to the fact that PCR tests become chargeable in September and 62%
to the implementation of the "health pass". (Ipsos France) July 16, 2021 9 Out Of 10 Active French People Want To Be Able To Reduce
The Environmental Impact Of Their Trips While nearly 9 out of 10 French people have
kept the same means of transport as before the health crisis, the car
remaining largely predominant, they now show a strong desire to significantly
reduce the carbon footprint linked to their trips. More than 1 in 2
workers are now ready to take the plunge by purchasing an electric vehicle
within 5 years. However, major obstacles still need to be lifted to
accelerate this ecological transition. (Ipsos France) July 22, 2021 (Germany) The Painkillers That Are Considered Most Of The Time Are
Voltaren (38.3 Percent), Aspirin (34.5 Percent) And Paracetamol-Ratiopharm
(32.3 Percent) For the customer status question "And
from which of these brands have you taken or bought an over-the-counter
medicine in the last 30 days?" Voltaren ranks first in the second
quarter of 2021 with 12.4 percent. Paracetamol Ratiopharm followed with
11.2 percent and aspirin with 9.0 percent. Compared to the second
quarter of the previous year, more consumers said they were customers of the
respective brand: At Voltaren, the customer status value rose by 1.9
percentage points, at Paracetamol-Ratiopharm by 1.6 and for aspirin by 0.7
percentage points. (YouGov Germany) July 14, 2021 (Hungary) About One-Third Of The Minority (37%) Believe That The
Hungarian Government Can Lift Domestic Restrictions By September At The
Latest About one-third of the minority (37%)
believe that the Hungarian government can lift domestic restrictions by
September at the latest, while another 28% expect an autumn or later
date. Fears that our lives will never be as free as they were before the
pandemic remain realistic, according to a significant population group (16%)
- and one in five residents is uncertain about the issue of full opening. (Ipsos Hungary) June 17, 2021 NORTH AMERICA (USA) Only 2 % Of America's Young Adults (Age 17-24)Are Eligible
And Keen To Serve American Military;70 % Are Ineligible Due To Physical And
Mental Health And Other Reasons At
least 70% of Americans between 17 and 24 are ineligible for military service
due to obesity, mental-health issues, past drug use, criminal records or lack
of a high school degree. Overall, only 13% of young adults express a positive
propensity to serve, with women about half as likely as men to consider
enlisting. The Defense Department estimates that just 2% out of 20.6 million
17- to 21-year-olds have the desired combination of strong academic
credentials, adequate physical fitness and an interest in serving. (Bloomberg) July 12, 2021 Since The Beginning Of 2020, 56 Members Of Congress
Produced Nearly Six-In-Ten Facebook And Twitter Posts Mentioning China Or The
Chinese People But starting in 2018, lawmakers began to
mention China more than any other Asian country. And from the beginning of
2020 through the end of April 2021, the 27,611 congressional Facebook and
Twitter posts that mentioned China or the Chinese people far surpassed the
number of posts mentioning all other places in Asia combined. In fact, posts
mentioning China made up nearly 2% of all social
media posts produced by members of Congress during that time. (PEW) JULY 14, 2021 56% of Americans support more regulation of major
technology companies Some 56% of Americans think major
technology companies should be regulated more than they are now, and 68%
believe these firms have too much power and influence in the economy. The
latest survey represents a statistically significant increase of those who
say there should be more regulation, up from 47% in June 2020 and 51% in May
2018. (PEW) JULY 20, 2021 Only 10% Republicans Call Climate Change A Top Personal
Concern, Compared With 49% Democratic Leaners Few Republicans and Republican-leaning
independents express deep concern about addressing climate change: Only 10%
call it a top personal concern, compared with a much larger share of
Democrats and Democratic leaners (49%), according to a recent Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults. In last year’s
presidential election, just 11% of those who supported Donald
Trump said
climate change was very important to their vote. By contrast, a majority of
Joe Biden’s supporters (68%) described climate change as a very important
issue. (PEW) JULY 23, 2021 Sixty-Four Percent Of Americans Believe Racism Against
Black People Is Widespread In The US At the same time, more Americans than a
year ago believe civil rights for Black people in the U.S. have improved in
their lifetimes, though the 69% holding this view remains lower than Gallup's
pre-2020 readings. A majority of Americans believe Black people are treated
less fairly by police in their community than White people are, but most do
not believe Black people are treated less fairly in other situations. (Gallup USA) JULY 23, 2021 Americans Divide Almost Evenly On Whether Immigration To
The US Should Be Increased (33%), Decreased (31%) Or Kept At Its Present
Level (35%) Americans divide almost evenly on whether
immigration to the U.S. should be increased (33%), decreased (31%) or kept at
its present level (35%). These preferences are similar to last year's readings but reflect greater support for
increased immigration since the early 2000s, reaching a high of 34% in 2020.
At the same time, there has been a decline in recent years in the percentage
of Americans who want immigration decreased, with last year's 28% the lowest
in the trend. (Gallup USA) JULY 23, 2021 (Canada) The Truth Is Out There -- Two In Three Canadians (65%)
Believe In Alien Life Forms; Belief In UFOs At 56% When it comes to life in other worlds, new
Ipsos research suggests that most Canadians want to believe. The latest
survey for Blue Ant Media finds that a majority of Canadians – two in three
(65%) – believe that intelligent life exists somewhere else in the universe.
This opinion is more prevalent among men (70%) than women (61%), and among
Millennials (70%) and Gen Xers (70%) than Boomers (58%). One in ten Canadians
(11%) say they don’t believe intelligent life exists elsewhere in the
universe, leaving one in four (24%) who aren’t sure. (Ipsos Canada) 19 July 2021 One-Third (32%) Of Canadians Plan To Spend More Than
Normal, As Pent-Up Pandemic Spending Finds Outlets With vaccination continuing apace and
business re-opening after a long hiatus, it seems that the country is
welcoming summer with open (and vaccinated) arms. Those who have been
fortunate enough to have their income remain relatively stable during the
pandemic are reaping the benefits; half (49%) of Canadians say their debt
situation is better now than it was before the pandemic started. Travel
restrictions and non-essential business closures have meant that apart from
the essentials, there has been little for Canadians to spend their money on
for the past year and a half. (Ipsos Canada) 19 July 2021 (Brazil) In Brazil, 83% Say They Will Continue To Wear Masks In
Public Even After Being Vaccinated The vaccination process against Covid-19 is
progressing in Brazil and in the world, but the behavior and care brought
about by the pandemic must remain even after the end of the health
crisis. This is what a survey carried out by Ipsos for the World Economic
Forum with 9 countries points out. Among Brazilians, 83% said they
should continue wearing masks in public even after being vaccinated. It
is the second highest index among the 9 nations evaluated, only behind Mexico
(85%). 20 July 2021 MULTICOUNTRY STUDIES Less Than A Fifth Of Consumers (18%) Globally Are Planning
An International Vacation In The Next 12 Months Apart from travelling for leisure, people
in the Middle Eastern countries have also shown higher interest in business
trips. Consumer sentiment data shows that respondents in the MEA (18%) and
APAC (14%) regions are more likely to travel for business, both domestically
and internationally than consumers in Europe (6%) and North America (11%).
This makes them a favourable target market for airlines and hotels,
particularly those offering premium products. (YouGov MENA) July 12, 2021 Source: https://mena.yougov.com/en/news/2021/07/12/international-travel-sentiment-strongest-among-uae/ Worldwide, 37% Of Those Surveyed Consider
That This Event Will Affect Minors, Worsening Their Mental Health And
Well-Being Worldwide, 37% of those surveyed consider
that this event will affect minors, worsening
their mental health and well-being, followed by a decrease in qualifications (35%) and
even higher rates of unemployment and
loss of income (30% ). In the case of Spain, the highest
rates of unemployment and job loss (46%) are the main negative impact, thus
positioning itself as the first European country and the second in the world
to perceive it the most. The impact on mental health and well-being
(44%) and worse physical health linked to the decline in physical performance
(30%) would make up the top three of the greatest long-term effects that
Covid-19 would cause in children and young people for the Spanish population. (Ipsos Spain) 15 July 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/es-es/world-youth-skills-day-2021 Almost Four In Ten Across 29 Countries (A
Global Country Average Of 37%), Think Worse Mental Health And Wellbeing Among
Children And Young People Will Be A Long-Lasting Outcome Of The Pandemic Almost a third on average in 29 countries
think adjusting to changes in the school environment and reintegrating with
other pupils, teachers and staff will be among the biggest issues facing
children aged under 11 (mentioned by a global country average of 32% and 31%,
respectively), while maintaining good behaviour and discipline is expected to
be a bigger issue for children aged 12-15 (mentioned by a global country
average of 32%). (Ipsos Bahrain) 15 July 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-bh/world-youth-skills-day-2021 More Than Six-In-Ten Japanese Adults (64%) Say Japan Has
Done A Bad Job Dealing With The Coronavirus Outbreak Among all 17 publics included in the
Center’s spring 2021 survey, those in Japan report the most negative
assessment of how their country has handled the pandemic. More than six-in-ten Japanese adults
(64%) say Japan has done a bad job dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. The
next-most negative reviews of how their own countries handled the pandemic
come from Americans (58%) and Spaniards (55%). Among the five other publics
surveyed in the Asia-Pacific, majorities rate their own handling of the
pandemic as good. In fact, about half or more in New Zealand, Singapore,
Australia and Taiwan rate responses where they live as very good. (PEW) JULY 20, 2021 Across The 17 Publics, A Median Of 64% Say
That When Children Grow Up, They Will Be Worse Off Financially Across the 17 publics, a median of 64% say
that when children grow up, they will be worse off financially, while about a
third (32%) say that children will be better off than their parents’
generation. Only in Singapore and Sweden do half or more hold this optimistic
view. In the U.S., fully 68% think children will be worse off than their parents.
The most pessimistic publics surveyed are France and Japan, where 77% say
children will be worse off. (PEW) JULY 21, 2021 Between 30 And 60 Percent Of Women In Most
Countries In MENA Agreeing That Men And Women Should Be Separated In The
Workplace In five out of the seven countries, at
least half of all men and women agree or strongly agree with the statement
“taking care of the home and children is a woman’s primary responsibility.”
In Libya and Lebanon, about one in three women agree or strongly agree with
the statement. Lebanon is the only country surveyed where fewer than half of
men agree or strongly agree with the statement (35 percent). (Arabbarometer) July 23, 2021 ASIA
699-700-43-01/Polls A Total Of
26.2 Percent Of Workers Said They Were Not Worried About Contracting COVID-19
Workers in Japan are losing their fear of
catching the novel coronavirus, have a record-high lack of trust in the
government and teleworkers are heading back to the office, a new survey
shows. A total of 26.2 percent of workers said
they were not worried about contracting COVID-19, up nearly 10 percentage
points from January, according to a recent online survey by the Japan
Productivity Center. The center surveyed 1,100 employees aged 20
or older at companies or organizations nationwide on July 5 and 6 to assess
the impact of the pandemic on workers. The figure rose not only among senior
citizens, many of whom have been vaccinated against COVID-19 as a priority
group, but also in younger generations. That apparently reflects people’s
growing complacency toward the virus and fatigue from being asked to exercise
self-restraint to contain the pandemic. The survey also found 76.9 percent had
“little” or “no” trust in the government, the highest in the past six
surveys. The results showed states of emergency and pre-emergency measures
have become less effective in changing people’s behavior as the measures have
been repeatedly imposed. The center began conducting the survey in
May last year. It also asked workers about their concerns about infections in
the January and April surveys. In January, 35.2 percent of respondents
said they were “very" worried about getting infected, but the figure
dropped to 25.5 percent in April and to 23.5 percent in July. Meanwhile, 20.5 percent said they were “not
much” concerned about contracting the virus in the latest survey, up from
17.4 percent in April and 13 percent in January. The percentage of those who said they were
“not at all” worried about becoming infected also rose from 3.6 percent in
January to 4.4 percent in April and 5.7 percent in July. The latest survey was conducted as the
government has been striving to inoculate as many elderly people as possible.
But the figure of those who said they were “not much” or “not at all”
concerned about infections rose across all age groups, reaching 30.2 percent
in people in their 20s and 32.2 percent in those in their 30s. As for outings, 15.3 percent said they were
“not much” or “not at all” refraining from going out for nonessential
purposes, up from 12.3 percent in April and 10.8 percent in January. Meanwhile, 20.4 percent said they were
teleworking, down from 31.5 percent recorded in May 2020, when the survey
first asked the question about the work style. The figure has since remained at around 20
percent, showing that teleworking has not been widely adopted. The government
has encouraged teleworking to help curb the spread of COVID-19. Of those working remotely, 57.6 percent
said they have reported to work for “three days or more” over the most recent
week. That was up 8.8 percentage points from
April and the highest in the past surveys, indicating that people are working
more frequently at the office than from home. (Asahi Shimbun) July 21, 2021 Source: https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14400219 699-700-43-02/Polls 60% Indians
Said They Are Likely Or Very Likely To Consider Investing In This Asset Class
In 2021
YouGov’s latest study reveals that cryptocurrencies
as an asset class have generated a fair amount of awareness as well as
purchase intention amongst urban Indians. Although a third of the 1000 polled
already own some cryptocurrency; overall close to 60% Indians said they are
likely or very likely to consider investing in this asset class in 2021. This
number is largely driven by people who have already invested in
cryptocurrencies in the past while those who have never bought any form of
cryptocurrencies are also less likely to buy it this year. Having said that, almost a fourth of all
respondents (23%) are unsure about investing in cryptocurrencies; only 18%
have firmly made up their minds and are unlikely to invest in the same.
The idea of investing in virtual coins is more popular among younger
generations such as millennials (64%) and Gen Z (62%) as compared to the Gen
X (55%) respondents. Among the different kinds of
cryptocurrencies available, Bitcoin (50%) is the most sought-after virtual
currency that people are likely to invest, followed by Dogecoin (31%) and
Ethereum (30%). Other popular altcoins include BCH, Litecoin, USD coin, TRON
and Binance. When asked about the platform they are most
likely to use to invest in cryptocurrencies, Wazir X emerged as the most
popular choice, with one is five saying they are likely to invest through
this. Roughly one in seven are likely to use CoinSwitch Kuber (13%) or
Coinbase (11%). Interestingly, Wazir X is more popular among millennials
while CoinSwitch Kuber has a greater appeal among Gen Z respondents. The key driver for most urban Indians to
invest in digital currencies is primarily the promise of high returns in a
short time (58%). The other two top reasons to invest are high liquidity,
through which one can easily buy and sell cryptocurrencies in case of need
(48%) while 45% claim that their interest has piqued due to higher
awareness of all the marketing information on cryptocurrencies via ads,
social media etc. But there are still various reasons that
deter people from investing in cryptocurrencies. More than half (51%) of
urban Indians find lack of government regulations on cryptocurrencies to be a
key factor discouraging them from investing in them. Unlike many other
emerging markets, the government in India is yet to issue a regulatory stance
on this new asset class and it seems this will enhance people’s confidence in
digital money. Many urban Indians find lack of information
and cyber threats related with digital currency (41% each) to be a barrier.
Interesting, price volatility (39%) and lack of an inherent value (35%) of
cryptocurrencies are cited less of a concern as compared to the other
factors. The rapid increase in digitization in the
past few years has created a ripe environment for digital currency. Almost
half of the surveyed respondents said they would start or increase their
investments in cryptocurrencies if there was more awareness about benefits of
investing in them or if it was more widely accepted as a mode of payment (46%
each). Many believe increasing awareness about the
investment apps for crypto trading might encourage them (38%), while others
said they would be lured if the price volatility of the cryptocurrencies
could be controlled (29%) or if there was an increase in sign up bonuses for
investing in these instruments (28%). When asked about their source of
information for cryptocurrencies, people who have invested in
cryptocurrencies tend to rely more heavily on the information shared on
social media (by influencers and celebrities, social media communities, etc.)
about cryptocurrencies (33% crypto investors vs. 24% of the non-investors)
while both investors & non-investors alike (26%) follow podcasts or blogs
by investment leaders/market experts and the recommendations of their friends
and family (22%). Interestingly for the people still on the fence about
cryptocurrencies, the non-investors, are more likely to trust news channels
and portals (19% vs. 9% of crypto investors). (YouGov India) July 16, 2021 Source: https://in.yougov.com/en-hi/news/2021/07/16/urban-indians-likely-invest-cryptocurrency-demand-/ 699-700-43-03/Polls Nearly
Two-Thirds Of Hindus (64%) Say It Is Very Important To Be Hindu To Be Truly
Indian
At least since the Bharatiya Janata Party’s
(BJP) electoral victories in 2014, the term “Hindu nationalism” has been
frequently invoked in both Indian and Western media, with Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and his ruling party often described as promoting a Hindu nationalist agenda. But there is no widely
accepted definition of what the term means, and little data exists on how
common Hindu nationalist attitudes are in India and how they vary across the
country. A new Pew Research Center survey of nearly 30,000 Indian adults sought
to measure multiple dimensions of Hindu nationalism by asking people how important
certain attributes or behaviors are to “true” Indian identity. This survey
was conducted several months after the BJP’s victory in the 2019
parliamentary elections and before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hindus are far more likely than members of
other religious groups to link Indian and Hindu identities: Nearly two-thirds
of Hindus (64%) say it is very important to be Hindu to be truly Indian. Far
fewer respondents among other religious communities in the country answer the
same way, including 27% of Muslims who say being Hindu is very important to
being truly Indian. Hindu nationalism in India also has a
linguistic dimension. Hindus are more likely than other Indians to associate
national identity with the Hindi language. While India has dozens of major
languages, a majority of Hindus (59%) feel that being able to speak Hindi is
very important to being truly Indian. Hindus who link their religion with
national identity tend also to link the Hindi language with being authentically
Indian. Altogether, about half of Hindus (51%) say
being Hindu and speaking Hindi are both very
important to being truly Indian. A substantial share of Jains (36%) also
express both these sentiments, but Buddhists (25%), Muslims (23%), Sikhs
(18%) and Christians (15%) are less inclined to offer these definitions of
national identity. By contrast, large majorities of Indians across all major
religions generally agree that respecting elders, respecting all religions,
and respecting the country’s institutions and laws are each paramount to
being truly Indian.
Among Hindus, opinion varies widely in
different parts of the country on the importance of Hindu identity and
speaking Hindi in relation to national identity. Hindus in the Northern (69%) and Central (83%) regions are the most likely to say
being a Hindu is very important to be truly Indian, while Hindus in the South
(42%) and Northeast (39%) express the weakest association between national
and religious identities. Similarly, Hindus in the Northern (71%) and Central
(87%) regions – which include the country’s “Hindi belt,” where Hindi is most
prevalent – are the most likely to say it is very important to be able to
speak Hindi to be truly Indian. Hindus with a college degree are less
likely to connect language and religion with national identity. Roughly half
of Hindu college graduates (53%) tie being Hindu with being truly Indian,
compared with nearly two-thirds of other Hindus (65%). Religious observance
plays a role as well: Among Hindus who say religion is very important in
their lives, 70% say being Hindu is very important to being truly Indian,
compared with 34% among less religiously committed Hindus.
These beliefs about Hindu nationalism are
strongly reflected in political behavior. Roughly half of Hindus who say they
voted in the 2019 election say they voted for the ruling BJP (49%), but
support for the BJP is considerably higher among those who say both being
Hindu and speaking Hindi are very important to be truly Indian. Six-in-ten
Hindu voters who place great importance on both of these attributes say they
voted for the BJP in the 2019 parliamentary election. By comparison, 33% of
those who say neither being Hindu nor being able to speak Hindi is very
important to national identity reported voting for the party. Although this group of Hindu BJP voters may
see a special place for Hindus in India, they are just as likely as other
Hindus to say respecting other religions is crucial to being truly Indian.
And they are even more likely to say that religious diversity benefits India.
Nearly two-thirds (65%) of this group – Hindus who say that being a Hindu and
speaking Hindi are very important to be truly Indian and who voted for the BJP in 2019 –
say religious diversity is a good thing for the country, compared with about
half (47%) of other Hindu voters who say the same. At the same time, Hindus who express this
combination of Hindu nationalist positions also are more inclined to support
a religiously segregated India – by opposing interreligious marriage, for
instance. More than eight-in-ten in this group (83%) say it is very important
to stop Hindu women from marrying into another religion, compared with
roughly six-in-ten (61%) among other Hindu voters. (PEW) JULY 20, 2021 699-700-43-04/Polls 58%
Respondents Expressed Dissatisfaction Over Government Health Services In Azad
Kashmir
Section 1: Problems in the area Broken and poorly maintained roads cited as
the biggest problem by 24% respondents in AJK. 13% say lack of clean drinking
water while 10% say electricity load shedding. 8% say inflation. Section 2: Perception about services in the
area 58% respondents expressed dissatisfaction
over government health services in the area. 53% are satisfied with government
school/colleges in the area. 86% respondents in AJK are satisfied with
the peace and security situation in their area. 59% have expressed dissatisfaction with the
situation of roads and streets in their area. 55% are satisfied with the transport
services in their area.
44% in AJK expressed satisfaction with the
electricity supply in their area while 52% expressed dissatisfaction in this
regard. 71% in AJK say that gas supply is not
available in their area. 18% respondents are dissatisfied with the gas supply
in their area while 10% are satisfied.
68% respondents in AJK have a positive
opinion of Imran Khan. 47%
have a positive opinion of Nawaz Sharif. 48% have a positive opinion of Shahbaz
Sharif. 45% have a positive opinion of Maryam
Nawaz. 49% have a positive opinion of Bilawal
Bhutto Zardari.
Section 4: Perception on performance of
President and PM 60% respondents in AJK are satisfied with
the performance of Azad Kashmir’s current Prime Minister, Raja Muhammad
Farooq Haider Khan. 44% respondents in AJK are satisfied with
the performance of Azad Kashmir’s president, Sardar Masood Khan. Section 5: Voting Intention and Expected
Voting Behavior Intention to vote: (High intention to vote in the upcoming
elections) 94% respondents are likely to vote in the upcoming
election while 6% have no intention to vote. Expected winners: 44% in AJK
think that PTI will win the election on 25th July 2021. 12% say PML-N while
9% say PPP. Section 6: Perception about general topics 39% people from AJK say that someone from
their immediate family lives abroad.
23/7/2021 699-700-43-05/Polls 77% Of The Turkish
Society Is Aware Of The Delta Variant Of The Coronavirus
8 out of 10 People Know the Delta
Variant.
Those who think that the Delta Variant will
have a negative impact on the epidemic are in the majority. 48% of those who are aware of the delta
variant think that the epidemic will last much longer due to the delta variant,
and 35% think that it will last a little longer. In total, 8 out of 10
people think that the duration of the epidemic will be prolonged due to this
variant.
The Majority of People Over 50 Intend to
Have the 3rd Vaccination.
Sidar Gedik, CEO of Ipsos in Turkey,
conveyed the following assessments: “While we
thought that we have made progress in the fight against the epidemic with
restrictions, use of masks, cleaning measures and vaccination, the virus has
started to appear with new variants. The latest variant is
“delta”. Experts state that vaccines are also effective against this
variant. However, this new situation continues to be disturbing and
worrying for many people.
(Ipsos Turkey) 12 July 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/tr-tr/delta-varyanti-endise-veriyor AFRICA
699-700-43-06/Polls More Than
Six In 10 Gambians (61%) Say The Public Should Have Access To Government
Information
By a 2-to-1 margin, Gambians support
citizens’ right to access government information, in agreement with a bill
that recently gained approval by the National Assembly. The latest
Afrobarometer survey in the Gambia shows widespread popular support for key
elements of an access to information bill that will allow journalists, civil
society organizations, and ordinary citizens to obtain many types of
information held by the government. The bill still awaits assent by President
Adama Barrow. In the past, many Gambians have expressed little confidence in
their ability to obtain information on local school and development plans and
budgets. Key findings ▪ More than six in 10 Gambians (61%)
say the public should have access to government information. Only 31% believe
that information held by public authorities is only for use by government
officials and should not have to be shared with the public (Figure 1). ▪ Economically well-off citizens
(74%), urban residents (69%), and youth (64%) are most likely to insist that
the government should have to share information with the public (Figure 2). ▪ In the past, many citizens have
expressed little confidence that they could obtain government information. In
a 2018 survey, fewer than four in 10 said they were “somewhat likely” or
“very likely” to be able to find out about local development plans and budgets
(38%) and school budgets (38%). Larger proportions thought they could obtain
information about who owns a piece of land (46%) and how to register a new
business (62%) (Figure 3). (Afrobarometer) 19 July 2021 699-700-43-07/Polls More Than
Three-Fourths (78%) Of Tanzanians Believe The Country Is Going In The Right
Direction
Despite a pandemic that has slowed economic
growth, most Tanzanians say the government is managing the economy well and
the country is moving in the right direction, a recent Afrobarometer survey
indicates. Citizens’ assessments of the government’s performance on a wide
range of issues have improved compared to 2017. And although only one-third
describe their personal living conditions as good, a majority are optimistic
that economic conditions will improve over the coming year. Tanzania formally
graduated to lower-middle-income country status in July 2020, but the
pandemic-induced global economic shock slowed real GDP growth. Key findings §
More than three-fourths (78%) of Tanzanians believe the country is going in
the right direction (Figure 1). §
A majority of Tanzanians approve of the government’s performance on a wide range
of issues, including 84% who say the government is handling the economy
“fairly well” or “very well.” These assessments have improved across the
board compared to 2017 (Figure 2). §
About half (49%) of citizens – twice as many as in 2017 – say present
economic conditions in the country are “fairly good” or “very good.”
Assessments of citizens’ personal living conditions have also improved, but
still only one in three describe them as “fairly” or “very” good (Figure 3). §
A growing share of Tanzanians are optimistic about the future: More than half
(53%) now believe that the country’s economic situation will be “better” or
“much better” in 12 months’ time (Figure 4). (Afrobarometer) 14 July 2021 WEST
EUROPE
699-700-43-10/Polls The Majority Of Brits Overall (71%) And A Similar Proportion Of
Ethnic Minorities (68%) Support Social Media Platforms Removing Posts That
Are Racist
After Sunday night’s European Football Championship there have been
many reports of racist and abusive behaviour -particularly on social media.
New polling by Ipsos MORI shows that there is strong support for a range of
measures to stop racism on social media. The majority of Brits overall (71%) and a similar proportion of
ethnic minorities (68%) support social media platforms removing posts that
are racist. Around seven in ten Brits (68%) also support financial penalties
for social media companies who fail to remove racist comments or posts. Among
ethnic minorities, support for this measure is 63%. Of all the measures we
asked about, there is slightly lower support – although it is still backed by
the majority – for social media platforms to add warnings to posts that
people may consider racist (61%). This level of support is the same among
ethnic minorities (59%).
The study also finds that the majority ethnic minorities say they
have seen or heard racist posts on social media over the last year. More than
half (55%) of Britons from an ethnic minority background say they have
personally seen or heard posts or messages on social media that were racist.
For Black people this rises to 62% and for Asian people this is 51%.
Among the public this figure is just 36%. This comes within a new, extensive report by Ipsos MORI looking into
public perceptions of institution racism in Britain, set to be released next
week. Kelly Beaver, Managing Director of Public
Affairs at Ipsos MORI, said: These findings illustrate that witnessing
racist posts on social media is fairly commonplace for ethnic minorities in
Britain today. However, there is strong support from all sections of the
public to tighten measures to reduce racism on social media platforms –
including financial sanctions for social media companies who don’t act. (Ipsos MORI) 12 July 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/majority-brits-support-measures-reduce-racism-social-media
699-700-43-11/Polls Eight In Ten Think Britain Will Learn To Live With Coronavirus In
Future
The latest wave of the Ipsos MORI Political Monitor shows that 8 in
10 Britons think that Britain will be able to ‘learn to live’ with
coronavirus in future, with 25% saying they are ‘very confident’ and 55% saying
that they are ‘fairly confident’. Younger people are less confident than
older age groups. Among 18-34s, one in four (25%) are ‘not confident’, almost
twice as many as the proportion of over 55s that say the same (13%). However,
74% of 18-34s are confident, reflecting that the overwhelming majority of
this age group are optimistic overall. The public are less sure about the near-term future with
approximately one in three (34%) saying they are confident that life in
Britain will be back to normal by Christmas. This number is larger than the
one in ten (10%) that said the same about Christmas 2020 this time last year
but two-thirds still say they are not confident. Similar differences by age
are observed here with 28% of 18-34s confident things will mainly be back to
normal by Christmas, compared to 42% of those aged 55 and over.
Ipsos MORI Director of Politics Keiran Pedley
said: The public appear pretty confident about
Britain’s ability to learn to live with the virus in the long run. Although
younger Britons are slightly less confident than older Britons, clear
majorities of all age groups are confident overall. The public are less sure
about the short term though, with just one in three confident things will be
back to normal by Christmas and only 5% very confident. Our research
consistently shows the public are more cautious and accepting of restrictions
than the public debate sometimes suggests. How public opinion evolves from
here will ultimately depend on what happens with the virus once the remaining
restrictions are eased in the coming days. (Ipsos MORI) 12 July 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/eight-ten-think-britain-will-learn-live-coronavirus-future
699-700-43-12/Polls 3 In 4 Britons Believe Wearing Face Masks In Public Is Very Important
New polling by Ipsos MORI shows widespread support for the use of
face coverings in certain public situations. Three in four (73%) say wearing
masks in places such as shops and public transport is very important in
stopping the spread of coronavirus, including 43% who say it is essential, up
from 37% who said the same this time last year. Older Britons are most likely to view face masks as essential. Over
half (54%) of 55-75s believe they are essential to preventing the spread of
the virus while 42% of 35-54s and only a third (32%) of 18-34s say the
same.
Kelly Beaver, Managing Director of Public
Affairs at Ipsos MORI, said: While most Britons appear likely to
continue wearing face masks beyond 19th July, it is clear not all situations
will inspire a majority to keep their mouths and noses covered. With 7 in 10
unlikely to wear face masks inside the homes of friends and family, people
will need to ensure they open windows and ensure air circulation while
hosting others to limit the spread of the virus as we continue into the next
stages of our fight against COVID-19. (Ipsos MORI) 13 July 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/3-4-britons-believe-wearing-face-masks-public-very-important
699-700-43-13/Polls Six In Ten Britons Think Keir Starmer Has Done A Bad Job At Setting
Out A Clear Alternative To The Government
The latest Ipsos MORI Political Monitor shows 59% of Britons think
that Labour leader Keir Starmer has done a bad job at setting out a clear
alternative to the current government to voters. 18% say he has done a good
job and 23% don’t know. Among Labour voters, 33% think he has done a good job
and 48% say he has done a bad job. There is slightly more positive news for Sir Keir elsewhere in the
poll. His leadership satisfaction ratings remain negative but have recovered
slightly following the Batley and Spen by-election. 27% Britons are satisfied
with the job he is doing as Labour leader (+5 points from June) but half
(50%) are dissatisfied (-1 point).
Around one in three (34%) think Labour should change leader before
the next election but this is down 16 points from June. 31% disagree that
Labour should change leader, an increase of 5 points. By way of contrast, 42%
think the Conservatives should change leader before the next election (+2
points) and 30% disagree (-9 points). But among their own party supporters,
38% of Labour voters believe their party should change its leader, compared
with 19% of Conservatives who want a new leader for their party. The poll also asked whether a series of Labour politicians would do a
better or worse job than Keir Starmer as leader. The standout alternative was
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham. 43% of the public overall, and
half of Labour voters, think he would do a better job than Keir Starmer, with
12% and 13% respectively thinking he would do a worse job.
None of the alternative Labour politicians in the poll see
significantly more than one in four Britons thinking they would do a better
job than Sir Keir. In the case of Tony Blair and Jeremy Corbyn, the public
are much more likely to say they would do worse. 42% of Britons think Mr
Blair would do worse than the current Labour leader (25% say better) and 6 in
10 (60%) think Mr Corbyn would do worse (just 15% said better). Ipsos MORI Director of Politics Keiran
Pedley said: Labour’s narrow victory in Batley and Spen
could prove a political lifeline for Keir Starmer in the short-term. Our data
this month shows his public satisfaction ratings ticking up slightly and the
public are much less likely to think he should resign than they were before
that by-election. However, his scores are still much lower than at the start
of his leadership, and don’t stand out as very good historically. With almost
6 in 10 telling us he has done a bad job at setting out a clear alternative
to the current government, Keir Starmer has plenty of work to do to genuinely
turn things around, rather than just stop the rot. (Ipsos MORI) 15 July 2021
699-700-43-14/Polls Only 17% Of Brits Are Interested In Using The E-Scooters On Pavements
E-scooters have soared in popularity recently, possibly as a result
of people looking to avoid public transport during the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, private use of the scooters on roads, pavements, and cycle lanes is
currently illegal, with many police forces taking to social media to
show off their hauls of confiscated
vehicles. They are legal if the rider is taking part in the trials of hireable
E-scooters, which began last month across several towns, cities, and London
boroughs. E-scooters have been hailed by some as a transport
revolution, and denounced as unsafe by
others – but do the general public think such scooters are the saviours or
the scorn of transport? E-scooters are not of interest to most
Britons Overall, only 17% of Brits are interested in using the devices on
pavements, and 15% are interested in using them on the roads. The vast
majority are not interested, including two thirds (65-67%) who are not
interested “at all” in using them in either scenario.
The scooters do have much greater appeal among the young – with
around a quarter of adults aged 18 to 24 interested in using E-scooters on
the pavements (29%) and on the roads (26%). This compares to less than one in
ten of those aged 65 and over (8-9%).
E-scooters do have more appeal to those already on two wheels, some
28% of people who have cycled in the last year would be interested in using
an E-scooter on the roads instead. Brits don’t think E-scooters should use the
pavement… or the roads While the UK is just conducting trials, E-scooters are very popular
in Europe where they are more established – however authorities in Paris have
threatened to outlaw the devices following a woman’s death in
a collision with a scooter user riding on the pavement. Nearly seven in ten people (69%) think that E-scooters should not be
allowed on pavements. Again, this includes at least half of all age groups,
from 53% of 18 to 24-year olds to 79% of those aged 65 and over. Some 32% of
this younger age group think scooterists should be allowed on pavements.
Half of the public (51%) also think the devices should not be allowed
on the roads either, a figure which is consistent across age groups. Only one
in three people (32%) think the E-scooters should be allowed use of the road
alongside other vehicles. Are E-scooters too fast? Or too slow? Scooters in the ongoing trials are limited to a top speed of 15.5
miles per hour, or 25 kilometres an hour – approximately the same as
the average road cyclist. Companies running the trials have created go-slow areas, where
scooters are automatically limited to only 8 miles per hour. However, these go-slow areas are not all-encompassing, and around
eight in ten people (79%) think that the top speed is too fast for pavement
use. This includes a majority of all age groups, including 18 to 24 year
olds, 59% of whom think 15 miles per hour is too fast for walkways despite
their heightened interest in E-scooters. A quarter of this group (23%) think
this speed is about right, and 6% think it's too slow.
Two in five people (38%) say this top speed is about right for the
roads, higher among recent cyclists (48%). Approaching a third of people (32%) think the 15 miles per hour limit
is too slow, higher among 18 to 24-year olds (54%), compared to 26% of recent
cyclists and 19% of those 65 and over Most say legalised E-scooters would make
traffic worse In its announcement of the E-scooter trial, Transport for London said
it hopes the scooters will help reduce
traffic on the roads – despite this Britons are not confident. Some 54% of people think that the legalisation of E-scooters would actually
make traffic on the roads worse, compared to 27% who don’t think they will
make much of a difference. Only 8% of people think the use of E-scooters
would make things better. (YouGov UK) July 15, 2021 Source: https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2021/07/15/britons-opinions-e-scooters
699-700-43-15/Polls Three In Five Smartphone Owners Say It’s Likely That Their Device Is
Actively Listening To Them Without Being Prompted
It’s a conspiracy theory that refuses to go away: are our devices
picking up on our conversations without being prompted and using the data to
better target advertising? While this question has been debated for years,
there are still no clear answers. Experts say it’s
possible – and even easy for
companies to do - while Google, Facebook and Apple vehemently
deny it. Smart home device owners are the most inclined to think their gadget
is snooping on them, with seven in ten saying it’s either very (40%) or
fairly (30%) likely. Many smartphone owners have the same concerns, with
three in five believing it’s fairly (30%) or very (31%) probable. Half of tablet users also believe it’s the case for their device,
including a fifth (19%) who say it’s very feasible. Laptops are the only device included in the survey where more people
who own one than not consider it implausible, with 35% believing it’s likely
compared with 51% who don’t. Most people have been hit with targeted ads
after speaking about a product Two thirds of Britons (66%) say they have noticed receiving targeted
adverts for a product online after having talked about it in person. But only
a fifth (22%) believe it’s because their device is eavesdropping on their
conversations. The more common belief is that it’s due to their browsing history or
websites using other personal data to target them with ads at 39%. Younger people are more suspicious of their devices. Three quarters
of 18 to 24-year-olds (74%) say they’ve noticed an oddly well-timed ad after
speaking about a product. Britons in this age group as split on whether it’s
due to their personal data being used by websites or if their devices are in
fact listening in without being prompted at 34% vs 34%. In contrast, among those who are 55 and older, 54% have noticed
targeted ads after mentioning a product or brand. But 48% of all people in
this age group say it’s due to companies using their personal data to target
them, while only 9% suspect their devices of listening to their conversations. (YouGov UK) July 16, 2021
699-700-43-16/Polls Half Of English People Say They're Overweight, Obese Or Morbidly
Obese; The Nhs Says It’s Two Thirds
The Prime Minister’s brush with death during the first coronavirus
wave became a catalyst for a new government strategy to tackle
obesity. Boris Johnson, who previously labelled such policies government “nannying”
and a “sin tax”, has lost at
least a stone since his COVID-19 scare. Now he wants Britons to
follow with incentives such as shopping
vouchers and better GP help. But when comparing YouGov data with official NHS statistics it
becomes clear that many people who are overweight, obese or morbidly obese
don’t perceive themselves that way – and this is especially the case with
older men. Two in five people in England (41%) describe their body weight as
“normal”. But only a third of English adults (34%) fit this category
according to the Health
Survey for England 2019, which was published last December. In fact, two thirds of English adults (64%) are either overweight
(36%), obese (25%) or morbidly obese (3%), according to the NHS. But when
surveyed by YouGov, only half of people in England (52%) classed themselves
as such (40% overweight, 9% obese, 3% morbidly obese). The NHS categorises people with a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 25 as
overweight, while over 30 is obese and over 40 is morbidly obese. One in six men fail to class themselves as
being overweight, obese or morbidly obese Women and men are equally likely to say they weigh too much, at 52%
each. But according to the NHS the figures are 60% for women and 68% for men. Men aged 55 to 64 are the most likely to underestimate which category
they are in. While four in five men in this age group (79%) are overweight,
obese or morbidly obese, only 55% would label themselves as such. This means
that as many as one in four fail to acknowledge that they weigh too much. Young men are the least likely to underestimate their weight, with a
quarter (27%) classing themselves as overweight, obese or morbidly obese –
although this is still ten points lower than official estimates at 37%.
The gap between self-reported and NHS figures is smaller among women.
Across all age groups, it ranges from 5 to 11 points. The youngest and oldest
women are the most likely to underestimate their weight. While around one in
four women aged 18 to 24 (26%) say they are overweight, obese or morbidly
obese, the NHS number is 37%. Similarly, three in five women aged 65+ (58%)
say this applies to them, while the NHS has the number is 69%. (YouGov UK) July 20, 2021
699-700-43-17/Polls One In Four Businesses Want Furlough Scheme Extended Beyond September
Labour has
warned that not extending the furlough scheme and businesses rates
relief when lockdown is being delayed will push companies into bankruptcy.
Their pleas are falling on deaf ears, however, as the
Treasury insists that there are sufficient measures in place. A survey of 1,061 senior business decision makers shows one in four
companies (23%) would prefer the COVID-19 support measures to be extended
further – up from 16% in March. Meanwhile, approaching half of business leaders (46%) are content
with the support measures ending in September – a fall of 5 points. A fifth
(19%) would like to see them end sooner, similar to in March (22%). How many businesses are still receiving
government support? One in six businesses (17%) report still relying on financial support
from the government to weather the pandemic, rising to two in five among
hospitality and leisure companies (40%). Overall, this means the number of
companies receiving financial help has dropped by 8 points since March. Only two in five businesses (43%) report not having received any
support at all during the pandemic. Since the end of March, the share of businesses with no furloughed
workers has also risen to 70%, up from 63%. Around one in ten companies (10%)
say half or more of their staff are on furlough, down from 15%. But while some businesses struggle to get back on their feet with the
remaining coronavirus uncertainty, a somewhat more surprising issue has
emerged. Three in ten business decision makers (31%) say their company has
struggled to fill vacancies since the end of March. This is despite the fact
that one in 20
people who are looking for a job can’t find one. Medium-sized companies, employing 50 to 249 staff, are the most
likely to struggle, with half (49%) saying this applies to them, while
smaller businesses are much less likely to at 17%.
(YouGov UK) July 20, 2021
699-700-43-18/Polls One In Five NHS Covid-19 App Users Have Contact Tracing Turned Off
With coronavirus cases in the UK rapidly increasing, it has been
reported that 500,000 people have received a notification from the NHS
COVID-19 in the last week informing them that they need to self-isolate due
to coming into contact with someone who has tested positive. In light of this, new YouGov data finds that one in ten online Brits
(10%) have deleted the app, having previously installed it. This is on top of
the 31% who have never downloaded it despite owning a smart phone and the 9%
who don’t have the technology to download anyway. “App deserters” are more
likely to be in the younger age group, with 17% of those aged 18-24 deleting
the app having previously installing it. Despite larger proportions of the public either removing the app or
not installing to begin with, almost half of all online British adults (47%)
do still currently have it installed. However, how many of these people are
actually using all aspects of the app? A third have turned off the Bluetooth or
otherwise disabled the contact tracing function of the NHS COVID-19 app One of the ways the app works is using Bluetooth technology to log
other devices your phone has been close to, in case someone who owns one of
these devices tests positive for coronavirus. Amongst those who have it
installed, a fifth (20%) currently have contact tracing or Bluetooth turned
off, meaning this function won’t work. A further 14% of users currently have
contract tracing on but have turned it off at certain times in the past. Six
in ten (62%) are using this aspect of the app properly, leaving Bluetooth and
contract tracing on at all times.
One in three have also been avoiding using
the NHS COVID-19 app to check in at venues Another way the app works is allowing people to ‘check-in’ to places
by scanning a QR code as a way to keep track and alert people if someone at
the same venue tests positive for coronavirus. Most people with the app
installed (65%) say they are checking into venues on every visit, but as with
the contact tracing function we see a significant minority of users avoiding
this. One third (33%) of those with the app say that they have avoided
scanning QR code at a venue at least once in the past, including 18% saying
they have done this “many times”.
Combining the responses to all three questions shows that, of all
online Britons, a mere one in five (22%) both have the app and have been
using it correctly. Another one in three (34%) either have the app, but are
currently abusing it, or have already deleted it. This rises to half of 18-24
year olds (52%).
(YouGov UK) July 20, 2021
699-700-43-19/Polls 8 In 10 Say British Society Is Divided, But Most Would Rather Be A
Citizen Here Than Anywhere Else In The World
A new survey by Ipsos MORI shows widespread agreement when it comes
to division in Britain. Eighty per cent of Britons say British society is at
least fairly divided these days, including 26% who say it is very divided.
Only 16% disagree. Those who voted for Labour in the 2019 General Election are
significantly more likely to believe there are divisions in the country
nowadays, 90% agree this is the case, compared with 77% of Conservative
voters. Thanks to surveys completed both before and after the UEFA Euro
final, it appears that the reaction of England’s loss did not have an
immediate impact on these perceptions of division. Two days before the
football final 82% saw divisions in British society, the same as two days
afterwards (although there was a small fall in those thinking society is very
divided from 31% to 26%).
Despite awareness of divisions in British society, a majority agree
they would prefer to be a citizen of Britain than any country on earth. Over
half (53%) are happy with their British citizenship while only 1 in 5 (18%)
would prefer to be a citizen of another country. Older people are significantly more likely to be happy with their
British citizenship. Almost two-thirds (64%) of those aged 55-75 agree there
is not place they would rather be a citizen while only 4 in 10 (43%) of under
45s feel the same. Conservative and Leave voters (78% and 72%) are also
much more likely to agree than Labour and Remain voters (43% and 41%).
Gideon Skinner, Head of Political Research
at Ipsos MORI, said: Concerns about division in British society
co-existing with national pride in our country are both long-standing
characteristics of public opinion. There has been much positivity about the
England team during the Euros, but some of these deeply-held values can take
a long time to change (even the full impact of the pandemic is yet to play
out), while differences by age and political support are still clear to see. (Ipsos MORI) 21 July 2021
699-700-43-20/Polls Seven In Ten Football Fans In England (71%) Now Think That
Professional English Football Has A Serious Problem With Racism
Following England’s loss in a penalty shoot-out at the Euro 2020
final, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka – black players who
missed their attempts on goal – were all met with a torrent of racist abuse online,
with murals to the players were later defaced
with racist graffiti. However, fans and players alike have been quick
to condemn
the abuse, and rally around those targeted. Following the racist abuse hitting the headlines, seven in ten
football fans in England (71%) now think that professional English football
has a serious problem with racism, a rise of 17 percentage points since the
opening stages of the tournament in June. This represents a significant conversion among those who had
previously acknowledged that racism existed in English football, but did not
consider it to be serious: 36% previously had held this view, but this has
now shrunk to 24%. Only 2% of fans think that racism does not exist at all in English
football. Awareness is not limited to only those interested in the sport. Among
the general public, opinion shows a similar change, with two thirds of
English adults (66%) thinking professional football has a serious racism
problem compared to 46% who held this opinion in June. The abuse has also brought renewed focus on the English team taking
a knee before each of their matches in protest against racial
inequality. Our latest data shows that six in ten (60%) English fans support
the action, an increase of five points compared to the week before the Euro
2020 final, and seven points compared to mid-June. A significant proportion (32%) remain opposed to the team taking a
knee, however this opposition has decreased by ten percentage points compared
to June. (YouGov UK) July 22, 2021
699-700-43-21/Polls Six In Ten Brits Would Back An Identification Scheme For Cyclists
Motoring lawyer Nick Freeman has launched a Parliamentary
petition calling for a compulsory registration scheme for cyclists
and a clamp down on e-scooters. His recommendations include those who wish to
bike on the road being registered and having to wear unique numbered tabards
– similar to car licence plates – so they can be identified. Other
recommendations include penalty points on their driving licences (if they
have them) for cyclists who break the law. Some six in ten of the general public (60%) would support cyclists
donning numbered identification tabards – including 31% who would “strongly
support” this idea. While support is higher among Conservative voters (71%),
Labour voters would also broadly support the idea (55%). Freeman argues the proposal would make cycling safer, but around a
quarter of people (28%) would be opposed to the identification scheme, with
15% “strongly” opposed. Further to this support among the general population, there is
considerable support among those who have recently used bikes. Some 43% of
people who have cycled in the last year would support a requirement for
cyclists to wear an indentification number, However 51% of these cyclists
would be opposed to the idea, including 37% “strongly opposed” to the idea of
wearing the numbered tabards. Opinion among those who have used a private car in the last year is
broadly similar to that of the general population, with 61% in favour of
indentification for cyclists. Another of Freeman’s recommendations in his petition is for cyclists
who are caught breaking the rules of the road to be issued penalty points to
their driving licence (if they have one) as motorists are.
Among those who have cycled in the past year, 58% would support
penalty points for cyclists who do not keep to the rules of the road,
compared to 73% of motorists who hold the same view. (YouGov UK) July 22, 2021
699-700-43-22/Polls Messenger RNA Vaccines 86% Effective Against The Alpha Variant And
77% Against The Beta Variant Of SARS-CoV-2
A very large survey called the Comcor study was
carried out jointly with researchers from the Institut Pasteur, in
collaboration with the National Health Insurance Fund, Public Health France
and Ipsos in France, this case-control study at the national level aims
aim to assess the efficacy of mRNA
vaccines against symptomatic forms of SARS-CoV-2 infection, whether the
original virus or the alpha and beta variants. The results
show that this vaccination schedule, at two doses, confers protection of 88%
against the original strain of the virus, 86% against the alpha variant and
77% against the beta variant. These data were published on July 14, 2021
in the Lancet
Regional Health Europe . At the end of 2020, two new variants of SARS-CoV-2 appeared. On
that date, England experienced a resurgence in the incidence of SARS-CoV-2
infections attributed to the emergence of the alpha variant, a variant whose
transmissibility is greater than the original strain of SARS-CoV
-2. This event was accompanied by the emergence of the beta variant in
South Africa, whose E484K mutation is associated with immune escape. The
emergence of these different variants of SARS-CoV-2 coincided with the start
of mass vaccination campaigns around the world. In this context, it was
therefore necessary to analyze the efficacy [1] of
the messenger RNA vaccines available against these different variants of the
SARS-CoV-2 virus. In parallel, since October 2020, the Institut Pasteur, in
collaboration with the National Health Insurance Fund, Public Health France
and Ipsos has launched this ComCor study, a national case-control study
that analyzes socio-demographic
factors , behaviors and practices associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The
results of the first part of this study were published in the Lancet Regional
Health on June 7, 2021 [2] . In February 2021, researchers adapted the questionnaire to add
information on the vaccination against Covid-19, the existence of infections
prior to SARS-CoV-2, and the nature of the variants responsible for the
infection. This information was used to assess the efficacy of two doses
of mRNA vaccines against variants, alpha and beta, circulating in France, and
to assess the protection provided by previous SARS-COV-2 infections. All
infected people were invited to participate in the survey by the National
Health Insurance Fund. The analysis included 7,288 people infected with the original strain,
31,313 people infected with the alpha variant, 2,550 people infected with the
beta variant and 3,644 uninfected controls between February and May 2021.
Thanks to this study, researchers have shown that two doses of mRNA vaccine
confer (seven days after the second dose) an efficacy of 88% (81-92) against the
original virus, 86% (81-90) against the alpha variant and at 77% (71-90)
against the beta variant. No difference in vaccine efficacy according to
age, sex or occupational exposure has been shown. “These results were particularly expected
for the beta variant, known for its E484K mutation associated with immune
escape. Our estimate of 77% protection is very close to the 75%
estimated by the only other study in the world that evaluated the
effectiveness of mRNA vaccines against this variant. These analyzes confirm
the effectiveness of vaccines against Covid-19, and the central role they
play in the fight against the epidemic, ” explains Arnaud Fontanet, head of the Epidemiology
of emerging diseases unit at the Institut Pasteur and professor at the
National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts . Another important result of this study concerns the history of
infection with SARS-COV-2. Researchers show that a recent infection (2
to 6 months) confers protection similar to that seen with mRNA vaccines, but
that this protection decreases after six months. These analyzes will now be extended to estimate vaccine efficacy
against the delta variant which has become the majority in France since the
beginning of July. We invite you to discover the detailed results of this study
published in The Lancet Regional
Health Europe . (Ipsos France) July 16, 2021
699-700-43-23/Polls 59% of French people found Emmanuel Macron convincing during his
television intervention on July 12
In detail, a clear majority of
French people approve of the health measures announced by the Head of
State : 69% are in favor of compulsory vaccination from
September 15 for people working in contact with the elderly or frail, 69 % to
the implementation of vaccination campaigns for middle school, high school
and college students at the start of the school year, 63% to the fact that
PCR tests become chargeable in September and 62% to the implementation of the
"health pass". It should be noted, however, that a hard core of 16% to 24% of French people say they are
"completely opposed" to these various measures,
especially among those under 35 , people refusing to be vaccinated and supporters of FI and RN. More
broadly, the fact that the constraints weigh above all on non-vaccinated
people is approved by 63% of French people (including 82% of French people
already fully or partially vaccinated, against 8% of those who refuse
vaccination). It should also be noted that six out of ten French people
are in favor of compulsory vaccination; nevertheless, hostility to this
track is predominant among RN sympathizers (55%), those under 35 (57%),
people not yet vaccinated but who will do so soon (64%) and especially among
people refusing get vaccinated (97%). The measures announced in the economic and social field are
also generally appreciated :
the idea of "relaunching the pension reform once the
epidemic has been brought under control, with the lowering of the retirement
age, the end of special schemes and a retirement pension. more than 1000 € /
month for full careers ”is approved by
72% of French people. However, only 39% are in favor of
raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, approval being majority only among
retirees (57%) as well as among LREM-MoDem supporters (65% ) and LR-UDI
(68%). The French are also in favor of "the implementation of the
reform of unemployment insurance which aims to promote the use of CDI rather
than CDD for companies while reducing the benefits of some of the
unemployed" ( 65%) and “the establishment of an 'engagement income' for
young people without employment or training, with specific duties for those
benefiting from it” (55%). More generally, 55% of French people say they
are in favor of Emmanuel Macron doing by the end of the five-year term
"deep economic and social reforms. (Ipsos France) July 16, 2021
699-700-43-24/Polls 9 Out Of 10 Active French People Want To Be Able To Reduce The Environmental
Impact Of Their Trips
Has the health crisis accelerated awareness of the environmental
impacts of their mobility? What modes of travel do they preferentially
use for their daily journeys, and how would they like to be able to travel in
the future? What proportion of them will change their modes of travel,
and when? What uses will be popular? How to support them to promote
the development of low-carbon mobility?
The car remains the preferred mode of
transport for French working people
90% of working people want to reduce the
environmental impact of their journeys, and more than 1 in 2 give themselves
less than 5 years to successfully use low-carbon means of transport, such as
electric or hybrid vehicles
A number of concrete measures are likely to
accelerate the ecological transition of mobility
(Ipsos France) July 22, 2021
699-700-43-25/Polls The Painkillers That Are Considered Most Of The Time Are Voltaren
(38.3 Percent), Aspirin (34.5 Percent) And Paracetamol-Ratiopharm (32.3
Percent)
It is the time of the corona vaccinations. German consumers have
a large number of painkillers in the relevant set significantly more
often. However, this has not yet had an impact on actual use or
purchasing behavior: Voltaren, a brand for the treatment of joint
inflammation, continues to dominate. This shows an analysis with the
help of the brand tracker
YouGov BrandIndex , which looked at the brand relationship of
consumers to OTC painkillers in the second quarter of 2021 (April to June)
compared to the same period in the previous year 2020. In the second quarter of 2021, some OTC pain reliever brands in the
YouGov BrandIndex became more popular among consumers. The consideration
value for ASS-Ratiopharm has increased by three percentage points compared to
the second quarter of the previous year. With Voltaren and
Paracetamol-Ratiopharm there are two percentage points each. If you look
at the percentage of all respondents who would consider the brand, Voltaren
(38.3 percent), Aspirin (34.5 percent) and Paracetamol-Ratiopharm (32.3
percent) come out on top. The Consideration value is based on the
question, "Which of these brands can you basically imagine taking or
buying an over-the-counter medicine?"
GERMANS MOST OFTEN BUY PAINKILLERS FROM
VOLTAREN For the customer status question "And from which of these brands
have you taken or bought an over-the-counter medicine in the last 30
days?" Voltaren ranks first in the second quarter of 2021 with 12.4
percent. Paracetamol Ratiopharm followed with 11.2 percent and aspirin
with 9.0 percent. Compared to the second quarter of the previous year,
more consumers said they were customers of the respective brand: At Voltaren,
the customer status value rose by 1.9 percentage points, at
Paracetamol-Ratiopharm by 1.6 and for aspirin by 0.7 percentage points.
In terms of purchase intent, the top 3 brands rank closely together
with over eleven percent each. Voltaren from the company GSK with its
German location in Munich is slightly ahead of Aspirin, the Bayer brand based
in Leverkusen, and Paracetamol-Ratiopharm from the Teva subsidiary Ratiopharm
from Ulm. In contrast to that of the other two brands, Voltaren's purchase
intention has risen by almost two percentage points, so that Voltaren was
able to achieve first place in the top 10 in the second quarter. At the
same time last year, Aspirin and Paracetamol-Ratiopharm shared first place.
(YouGov Germany) July 14, 2021 Source: https://yougov.de/news/2021/07/14/unter-schmerzmitteln-ist-markenbeziehung-zu-voltar/
699-700-43-26/Polls About One-Third Of The Minority (37%) Believe That The Hungarian
Government Can Lift Domestic Restrictions By September At The Latest
Since the outbreak in Hungary, Ipsos has been measuring domestic
responses to Covid-19 on a monthly basis. Following the closure of the
third wave of disease, the international research firm conducted a
retrospective evaluation of the in-depth data recorded since April last
year. The results show the low level of awareness and influence of the
population. The Hungarians reacted differently to the
epidemic The results of Ipsos ’decade-long monthly mood monitor, the
international What
Worries the World research, prove how upset our lives by the
coronavirus. Globally, previously high-profile problem areas (such as
crime and violence, corruption) have been pushed into the background in one
fell swoop, with Covid-19 in the first place for 15 months now. Although
the dominance of the pandemic eased compared to the public sentiment in April
2020, the coronavirus also had a noticeable impact on other areas of life,
such as unemployment concerns around the world. FIGURE: The world's top five concerns
(based on the adult population of 28 countries)
FIGURE: Hungary's five main concerns (based
on the adult population, N = 500 people / month)
We believe in science, yet we do not act
accordingly When the virus appeared in Hungary, the Hungarian population rated
the recommendations of the scientific community and the WHO as the most
authentic (65-63% mention) as opposed to the media and government
communication (41% and lower mentions). Over the months (seeing the
epidemiological data, which did not rise to a really high level at the time),
the voices in Hungary that the media exaggerated the risks of the coronavirus
intensified in advance (at that time the addressed experts calculated a
mortality rate of 1-1.5%). FIGURE: To what extent do you agree with
the following statements? (on the basis of adult population, N = 1,000
persons / month)
FIGURE: To what extent do you consider the
following to be reliable sources of information on coronavirus? (on the
basis of adult population, N = 1,000 persons / month)
FIGURE: Methods of protection depending on
the registered cases (based on the adult population, N = 1,000 persons /
month)
Despite the worst epidemiological data (both domestically and
globally), the third wave did not encourage the Hungarian population to
discipline similarly in April and December-January 2020 (with the exception
of the mask-wearing and hand-washing rates), in which the “general fatigue”,
promises to open up and the previous national consultation on this. FIGURE: Which of the following activities
is true for you? (on the basis of adult population, N = 1,000 persons /
month)
The vaccination campaign forgot the real
epidemiological data The vaccines were the solution in Hungary, in line with previous
expectations. In the summer of 2020, the widest layer saw the key to
ending the epidemic in the (then non-existent) vaccines, and then the
country’s leadership sharpened its strategy for this as well. FIGURE: What do you most depend on to ease
your habits against the epidemic or return to your old habits? (on the
basis of adult population, N = 1,000 persons / month)
FIGURE: Would you vaccinate yourself with
the coronavirus vaccine currently available in Hungary? (on the basis of
the adult population, N = 1,000 persons / month)
After the official end of the third wave, only one question remained
open to the population: when will we get back our former pre-Covid free
life? Expectations are divided, and over the months Hungarians are
becoming more and more skeptical. FIGURE: In your opinion, when can the
restrictive measures end in Hungary and everything can return to its previous
order? (on the basis of the adult population, N = 1,000 people)
The results of the Ipsos monthly Omnibus survey represent the
Hungarian population over the age of 18 in Hungary according to the most
important socio-demographic indicators (such as age, gender, education,
region of residence, type of settlement). The research company's Covid-19
database, which has expanded to more than 15,000 records since April, and the
analyzes made from it, even individual, tailored to specific customer needs,
can be purchased. Contact our experts for details! (Ipsos Hungary) June 17, 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/hu-hu/covid-19-visszatekintes-media-felulirta-tenyadatokat NORTH
AMERICA
699-700-43-27/Polls Only 2 % Of America's Young Adults (Age 17-24)Are Eligible And Keen
To Serve American Military;70 % Are Ineligible Due To Physical And Mental
Health And Other Reasons
The withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan signals the end of a
war that involved close to 800,000 American service members. Defending against
new threats will require the U.S. to replenish its all-volunteer force with
fresh recruits — a task made harder by the dwindling number of Americans
willing and able to serve. The U.S. currently has 1.3 million active-duty service members. Due
to attrition and retirement, the military needs to find more than 150,000 new
recruits every year to meet its overall “end strength” goal. In 2020, the
Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines all hit their annual recruitment goals –
but those figures were distorted by a historically weak job market, as
active-duty service members delayed plans to re-enter the civilian sector,
reducing the need for new hires. Last year’s target of 61,200 new Army
enlistees, for instance, was 20% lower than in 2018, when the Army failed to meet
its goal. Recruiting isn’t easy. At least 70% of Americans between 17 and
24 are ineligible for military service due to obesity,
mental-health issues, past drug use, criminal records or lack of a high
school degree. Overall, only 13% of young adults express a positive
propensity to serve, with women about half as likely as men to consider
enlisting. The Defense Department estimates that just 2% out of 20.6 million
17- to 21-year-olds have the desired combination of strong academic
credentials, adequate physical fitness and an interest in serving. This limited supply compromises national security. In recent years,
the Army has only just barely met the Pentagon’s minimum
cognitive-aptitude benchmark for new personnel. What’s more, recruits tend to
be drawn from a shrinking segment of the population –
from a small number of mostly southern states and families of veterans, a
group whose share of the population is lower than at any time since World War II. The armed
forces continue to enjoy public support, but this skewing of the recruiting
pool risks widening the divide between service members and the citizens
they’re sworn to defend.
The U.S. needs to persuade a broader cross section of Americans to
consider military service. More generous enlistment bonuses should be offered
to candidates who are qualified for critical positions and willing to sign up
for six-year contracts. The services should expand outreach beyond recent high-school graduates to
community-college and technical-college students, who are more likely to have
specialized skills and score higher on aptitude tests. More recruiters should
be stationed in communities with low military participation, and those who
bring in high-performing recruits should be rewarded. To attract enlistees
from non-traditional backgrounds, a greater share of the Pentagon’s $500
million advertising budget should be spent on social-media campaigns
emphasizing the career benefits of joining the military, as a new
YouTube series for
the Army aims to do. Boosting recruitment shouldn’t come at the expense of military rigor.
Relaxing enlistment standards by opening the force to those with histories of
truancy or drug use, for instance, would be a mistake. New waivers were
granted to Army recruits at the height of the Iraq War; the result was higher
attrition and lapses in discipline, and the Pentagon was forced to rethink. Expanding the pool of qualified recruits, to be sure, isn’t a job for
the military alone. Addressing childhood obesity,
substance abuse and poor academic achievement requires greater investment in
the country’s K-12 education and public-health systems. Even so, the forces
can do a lot on their own account. The effort is critical — not just for the
preservation of American power but also for the strength of America’s
democracy. (Bloomberg) July 12, 2021
699-700-43-28/Polls Since The Beginning Of 2020, 56 Members Of Congress Produced Nearly
Six-In-Ten Facebook And Twitter Posts Mentioning China Or The Chinese People
Democratic lawmakers have produced the vast majority of congressional
social media posts that mention Asian Americans in recent years, according to
a recent
Pew Research Center study. But Republican lawmakers have produced
three-quarters of recent posts that mention places and people in Asia, according to a new
analysis by the Center. This focus by GOP lawmakers is a relatively new
phenomenon and is driven primarily by discussions
of China.
From 2016 through 2019, Republican members of Congress produced a
modestly larger number of Facebook and Twitter posts mentioning places and
people in Asia than their Democratic counterparts. But in 2020, Republican
lawmakers produced more than 21,000 such posts – three times as many as
congressional Democrats. And in the first four months of 2021, GOP lawmakers
produced more than twice as many such posts as Democrats. The specific Asian places and people that are mentioned in lawmakers’
social media posts have also evolved in recent years. In 2017 – a period that
included a series of meetings and negotiations between the United States,
South Korea and North Korea about denuclearization
efforts – lawmakers’ posts mentioned North Korea or North Koreans
more frequently than any other Asian places or people. But starting in 2018, lawmakers began to mention China more than any
other Asian country. And from the beginning of 2020 through the end of April
2021, the 27,611 congressional Facebook and Twitter posts that mentioned
China or the Chinese people far surpassed the number of posts mentioning all
other places in Asia combined. In fact, posts mentioning China made up nearly
2% of all social
media posts produced by members of Congress during that time.
Since 2020, a similar share of members of each party (97% of
Democratic lawmakers and 98% of Republicans) have produced at least one post
mentioning places or people in Asia. But GOP lawmakers have produced a much
larger volume of such
posts than Democrats. This difference arises from a relatively small number of highly
active Republican lawmakers who have produced the bulk of lawmaker social
media posts that mention China in recent years. Since the beginning of 2020,
just 56 members of Congress – representing 10% of lawmakers active on social
media during that period – produced nearly six-in-ten Facebook and Twitter
posts mentioning China or the Chinese people. That works out to 16,060 total
posts mentioning China or the Chinese people during that time, or an average
of 287 posts for each of these highly active members of Congress. Nearly all
of these lawmakers – 54 out of 56 – are Republicans. When mentioning China in context of
COVID-19, many GOP lawmakers have used critical language Since the beginning of 2020, similar shares of Democratic and
Republican social media posts that reference China or the Chinese people have
mentioned the country in the context of the COVID-19
pandemic (35% and 28%, respectively). But lawmakers from the two
parties have used highly distinctive language in these posts – that is, some
terms were frequently used by members of one party but rarely by members of
the other.
One of the most distinctively Republican terms in these posts – used
by 57% of Republican lawmakers but just 8% of Democrats – was “(Chinese)
Communist Party.” And several of the terms used far more by Republican
lawmakers criticized the Chinese government or its response to the pandemic
using language such as “(hold) accountable,” “investigation” and “lie.” In posts that mentioned China outside the
context of the pandemic, Republican lawmakers were more than five times as
likely as Democrats to use terms such as “propaganda,” “spy” and
“(intellectual) property (theft).” Other distinctively Republican expressions
in posts mentioning China included trade-related terms like “phase
(one) trade agreement” (used by 49% of Republican lawmakers vs. 6% of
Democrats) and “USMCA”
(35% vs. 5%), which stands for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. By contrast, the most distinctive term used in Democratic posts about
China and the pandemic was the phrase “Chinese virus” (used by 17% of
Democratic lawmakers and 8% of Republicans). These posts from Democratic
lawmakers largely expressed concern about the use of the phrase and its
potential for encouraging anti-Asian sentiment. That aligns with the Center’s
other recent study, which found that that Democratic lawmakers produced 97%
of recent social media posts that expressed concern about violence,
racism or discrimination against Asian Americans. Apart from posts related to the pandemic, the single most distinctive
term used by Democratic members of Congress in their discussions of China was
“trade
war.” One-in-five Democrats (20%) used the term, compared with just 4% of
Republicans. (PEW) JULY 14, 2021
699-700-43-29/Polls 56% of Americans support more regulation of major technology
companies
Growing shares of Americans think major technology companies should
face more government regulation, and a majority say that these firms have too
much economic power and influence, according to a new Pew Research Center
survey conducted April 12-18, 2021. Still, there’s not a strong consensus
among the public that the government reducing the size of major tech companies
would be a good thing. Some 56% of Americans think major technology companies should be
regulated more than they are now, and 68% believe these firms have too much
power and influence in the economy. The latest survey represents a
statistically significant increase of those who say there should be more
regulation, up from 47% in June 2020 and 51% in May 2018.
There have been increases in support for more regulation across most
of the political spectrum, particularly among liberal Democrats, since this
question was last asked in June 2020. (Partisan groupings include
independents who lean toward either party.) Liberal Democrats’ support for more regulation jumped from 52% to 70%
since last year. The only group that did not see a statistically significant
increase in the share calling for greater regulation is moderate or liberal
Republicans. The findings come as lawmakers are considering antitrust legislation
to weaken
major tech companies’ dominance of their markets. In addition, the
Federal Trade Commission and 46 states filed a lawsuit to break
up Facebook at the end of 2020, saying the firm’s acquisition of
Instagram and WhatsApp was unlawful. This case
was dismissed in late June with the option to refile it in July. In
early July, President Joe Biden signed an executive
order that encourages the Federal Communications Commission to take
several actions to promote greater competition in the tech sphere and limit
the power of major technology companies, among other things.
In terms of what greater regulation might look like, 55% say that
even if major technology companies follow the rules, the government
should not allow
these companies to grow beyond a certain size because it hurts
competition. Congress
is debating reforms along these lines. But 42% of the public
believes the government should allow major technology companies to grow as
large as they want as long as these companies follow the rules, even if this
means there is less competition. Liberal Democrats are the most likely to support limiting the size of
major technology companies, while smaller shares of conservative or moderate
Democrats and Republicans of any ideology say the same. When looking at
political parties as a whole, Democrats and Republicans do not differ in
their views about limiting these companies’ ability to grow. Americans divided on whether reducing size
of major tech firms would be mostly a good or bad thing, or not make much
difference In June 2021, a bipartisan set of antitrust
proposals was brought before the House that, if passed, would
require some large technology companies to break up and abide by new
standards that would limit their future expansion.
To better understand the public’s views on this type of government
action, the survey asked Americans if it would be mostly a good thing, bad
thing or not make much difference if the government were to take steps to
reduce the size of major technology companies. Some 37% say that this would
be mostly a good thing, while somewhat smaller shares say either it would
mostly be a bad thing (29%) or not make much of a difference (31%). Overall, Democrats and Republicans, including independents who lean
toward either party, do not differ in their opinions about the impact of
breaking up major tech companies. Still, those on the edges of the ideological spectrum stand out as
being more likely to view reducing the size of major technology companies
favorably. For example, 48% of liberal Democrats and 44% of conservative
Republicans say the government reducing the size of major technology
companies would be a mostly a good thing, while those who are relatively more
moderate within each party are less likely to think that. About seven-in-ten U.S. adults say major
tech companies have too much economic power and influence
Overall, 68% of adults say major tech companies have too much power
and influence in today’s economy. Far fewer Americans believe the amount of
economic power these companies wield is about the right amount (25%) or not
enough (4%). Majorities across political ideologies in both parties say these
firms have too much economic influence. Still, conservative Republicans (80%)
are the most likely to say this, followed by liberal Democrats (74%). Americans who feel these companies have too much economic power and
influence are particularly likely to be in favor of greater regulation: 70%
in this group say the government should regulate major technology companies
more than they do currently. And 65% of those who see major technology
companies as wielding too much economic power say these companies should be
limited from growing beyond a certain size. Some 48% of this same group say
breaking up such companies by reducing their size would mostly be a good
thing. Those more familiar with regulation debates
are more supportive of major tech companies facing increased regulation
About half of Americans have heard a great deal or fair amount about
the debates on the role government should play in regulating major technology
companies, while a similar share have heard not too much or nothing at all.
But familiarity with these debates varies across the ideological spectrum. Conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats are the most likely to
say they have heard at least a fair amount about these debates, while those
closer to the ideological center are less likely to say they have heard much
about these regulation debates. Overall, the shares of Democrats (52%) and
Republicans (53%) who have heard at least a fair amount about this topic do
not differ. At the same time, Americans who have heard at least a fair amount
about the debates on the role government should play in regulating major
technology companies are more likely than those with less familiarity to say
major tech firms should be regulated more than they are now (69% vs. 42%) and
are more likely to say these companies should not be allowed to grow beyond a
certain size (62% vs. 48%). In addition, 52% of those more knowledgeable
about these debates say if the government were to take steps to reduce the
size of major technology companies it would mostly be a good thing, while 21%
of those who have heard little to nothing about these debates feel similarly. (PEW) JULY 20, 2021
699-700-43-30/Polls Only 10% Republicans Call Climate Change A Top Personal Concern,
Compared With 49% Democratic Leaners
Climate change remains a low-priority issue for Americans who
identify as Republican or lean toward the Republican Party. At the same time,
Republicans express openness to certain policy proposals to deal with climate
change. And there are differences in views within the GOP, with moderates and
younger adults generally offering higher levels of support for action to
address climate change than conservatives and older adults.
Few Republicans and Republican-leaning independents express deep
concern about addressing climate change: Only 10% call it a top personal
concern, compared with a much larger share of Democrats and Democratic
leaners (49%), according to a recent Pew
Research Center survey of U.S. adults. In last year’s presidential
election, just
11% of those who supported Donald Trump said climate change was very
important to their vote. By contrast, a majority of Joe Biden’s supporters
(68%) described climate change as a very important issue. Republicans by and large do not see a strong link between human
activity and climate change: Just 17% say human activities – such as burning
fossil fuels – contribute a great
deal to climate change. About four-in-ten (42%) say human
activity contributes some to
climate change, while 28% say it contributes not too much and 12% say not at
all. Amid warnings from scientists and climate activists about climate
impacts, there has been little increase in the share of Republicans who see
climate change as
a threat to the country over the last decade, in contrast to rising
levels of concern among Democrats. Republicans express a degree of skepticism toward climate scientists.
Greater shares say climate scientists have too much, rather than too little,
influence on policy debates (44% to 27%). And 62% of Republicans say climate
scientists understand the best ways to address climate change either not too
well or not at all well.
Still, Republicans are supportive of certain policy proposals to deal
with climate change, even as it remains a low priority issue for most. And
within the GOP, younger Republicans and those who describe their political
views as moderate express relatively greater levels of concern – and support
for action – regarding climate change. Gen Z and Millennial Republican adults (born after 1996 and
1981-1996, respectively) are
more likely than older adults in the GOP to say a range of actors –
including large businesses as well as ordinary Americans – are doing too
little to help reduce the effects of climate change. For instance, majorities
of Gen Z and Millennial Republicans (57% and 59%, respectively) say large
businesses and corporations are doing too little to help reduce the effects
of climate change, compared with smaller shares of Gen X (50%) and Baby Boomer
and older Republicans (43%). There’s also a wide divide among Republicans by
ideology on this question, with moderates more likely than conservatives to
criticize groups for not doing enough on climate change.
When it comes to policy proposals aimed at reducing the effects of
climate change, large majorities of Republicans favor planting about a
trillion trees around the world to absorb carbon emissions (88%) and
providing a tax credit to encourage businesses to develop technology to
capture and store carbon emissions (73%). Both proposals have received
support from Republican members of Congress. There is less widespread GOP support for other climate policies, such
as tougher restrictions on power plant emissions, taxing corporations based
on the carbon emissions they produce and tougher fuel efficiency standards
for cars and trucks. Still, about half or more of Republicans say they favor
these proposals. Moderate Republicans are much more likely than conservatives
to express support for these policies. For example, 67% of moderates compared
with 41% of conservatives favor taxing corporations based on the amount of
carbon emissions they produce.
Republicans place economic considerations at the top of the list when
asked about the factors they view as important in proposals to deal with
climate change. About two-thirds of Republicans (65%) say increasing job and
economic growth is a very important consideration to them in proposals to
reduce the effects of climate change, and 61% say the same about keeping consumer
costs low. Republicans place higher importance on these two economic components
of climate proposals than they do on other factors, such as protecting the
quality of the environment for future generations (46% very important) and
making sure climate proposals help lower-income communities (27% very
important). While some differences exist within the GOP on this question,
economic considerations are among the top factors Republicans of all
generational and ideological groups emphasize in proposals to reduce the
effects of climate change. And while Biden has tied action on climate change to job growth,
Republicans have doubts about the economic impact of climate efforts: 59% of
Republicans think Biden’s plan to rebuild the country’s infrastructure in ways
that are aimed at reducing climate change will hurt the U.S. economy. (PEW) JULY 23, 2021
699-700-43-31/Polls Sixty-Four Percent Of Americans Believe Racism Against Black People
Is Widespread In The US
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Gallup's 2021 update on minority rights and
relations finds that an increasing percentage of U.S. adults believe racism
against Black people is widespread in the United States. Relatedly,
Americans' satisfaction with the treatment of Black people remains near its
historical low. At the same time, more Americans than a year ago believe civil rights
for Black people in the U.S. have improved in their lifetimes, though the 69%
holding this view remains lower than Gallup's pre-2020 readings. A majority
of Americans believe Black people are treated less fairly by police in their
community than White people are, but most do not believe Black people are
treated less fairly in other situations. Americans Increasingly Perceive Widespread
Racism in U.S. Sixty-four percent of Americans believe racism against Black people
is widespread in the U.S., a slight, but not statistically meaningful,
increase from 2016 (61%). It is the highest in the trend of five total
readings since 2008, the three most recent of which are 60% or higher. Non-Hispanic Black (84%) and Hispanic (72%) respondents are more
likely than U.S. adults, generally, to say racism is widespread. Non-Hispanic
White respondents (59%) are less likely to believe it is.
Line graph. Sixty-four percent of Americans, including 84% of Black
adults, 72% of Hispanic adults and 59% of White adults believe racism against
Black people is widespread in the U.S. All figures are the highest Gallup has
measured to date, though generally similar to what Gallup measured the last
time it asked the question, in 2015 and 2016. In 2008 and 2009 surveys, fewer
Americans, and fewer of those in each racial and ethnic subgroup, thought
racism against Black people was widespread. The results are based on a June 1-July 5 Gallup survey that included
oversamples of Black and Hispanic adults to allow for more precise estimates
of those subgroups. The overall sample was weighted so all racial and ethnic
groups were represented in their proper proportions of the U.S. population. Americans became more likely in 2015 than they were in the prior
measure, in 2009, to say racism against Black people is widespread. This was
after several high-profile incidents in which Black people were killed in
encounters with police officers. The percentage believing racism is
widespread reached 60% that year and has stayed above that level since, with
modest increases in the 2016 and 2021 surveys. Gallup did not ask this
question in 2020, so it is not clear if perceptions of racism were higher in
the immediate aftermath of the George Floyd killing and news reports of
racism toward Black people in everyday situations, including a man
birdwatching in Central Park and a family using a hotel's swimming pool. In addition to the racial group differences, there is a wide partisan
gap in perceptions that racism is widespread, with 91% of Democrats, compared
with 34% of Republicans and 62% of independents, believing it is. Views of Civil Rights Progress Improved
Since Last Year; Still Lag Behind Earlier Measures Asked to assess progress for Black Americans' civil rights during
their lifetimes, 69% of U.S. adults say the situation has improved, an
increase from the low point of 59% last year. However, Americans remain less
optimistic today than they were before 2020, when as many as 89% in 2011,
during Barack Obama's first term as president, believed progress had been
made.
Line graph. Sixty-nine percent of U.S. adults in 2021 say civil
rights for Black people have greatly or somewhat improved during their
lifetimes. This up from 59% in 2020 but lower than readings taken from 1995
to 2016, which range from 75% in 2016 to 89% in 2011. Sixteen percent
currently say civil rights have stayed the same for Black people, while 15%
say they have greatly or somewhat worsened. Those who say civil rights have improved today are far more likely to
say they have "somewhat improved" (44%) than to say they have
"greatly improved" (25%). In most years before 2020, the two
responses were more evenly split. In 2011, when opinions about Black adults'
civil rights were most positive, 50% said conditions had greatly improved and
39% somewhat improved. Both Black and White adults are modestly more positive about progress
for Black people's civil rights this year than a year ago. Seventy percent of
White adults -- up from 65% -- and 57% of Black adults -- up from 52% --
believe civil rights for Black people have improved. White Americans in previous years tended to be more likely than
Hispanic or Black Americans to believe that civil rights for Black people
have improved. This year, however, White and Hispanic Americans are equally
likely to hold this view, with Black Americans least likely to believe this.
All racial groups are less optimistic about civil rights advances today than
they were before 2015.
Line graph. Perceptions that civil rights have improved for Black
people during the respondent's lifetime. Seventy percent of White and
Hispanic Americans in 2021 say civil rights have improved, compared with 57%
of Black Americans. All racial groups are less positive than they were before
2015. Partisan differences are modest, as 80% of Republicans, 67% of
independents and 66% of Democrats say civil rights for Black people have improved.
However, 43% of Republicans say they have greatly improved, compared with 24% of independents
and 13% of Democrats. Majority of Americans Perceive Racial
Inequality in Local Police Interactions A majority of Americans, 55%, believe Black people are treated less
fairly than White people in their community in dealings with police. Eighty
percent of Black adults, 50% of White adults and 54% of Hispanic adults
perceive that police treat Black people less fairly than they treat White
people. Americans are less likely to believe there is unequal treatment of
Black people in other everyday situations in their community, with between
28% and 34% saying Black people are treated less fairly at work, in stores or
restaurants, and when getting healthcare. Black Americans are much more likely than White or Hispanic Americans
to perceive unequal treatment in all six situations tested in the poll. In
fact, majorities of Black Americans perceive unequal treatment in all six
situations except for restaurants, which is just shy of a majority at 47%.
Meanwhile, at least half of White and Hispanic Americans believe that Black
people are treated less fairly in just one situation, dealing with police. Perceptions of Unfair Treatment of Black People, by Racial and Ethnic
Group Just your impression, are Black people in your community treated less
fairly than White people in the following situations?
Over time, members of all racial groups have become more likely to
perceive that Black people in their community are treated less fairly than
White people in these situations. Several of the items registered new highs
among national adults and among the major racial and ethnic groups this year,
while the remainder are near their historical high points.
Six line graphs showing whether Americans believe Black people in
their community are treated less fairly than White people on the job; in
neighborhood shops; in stores downtown or in shopping malls; in restaurants,
theater and bars; in dealing with police; and in getting healthcare.
Americans are more likely to perceive Black people are treated less fairly in
all of these situations than when the questions were first asked in the late
1990s or mid-2000s. These increases are apparent among White and Black
Americans. Black Americans are much more likely than White or Hispanic
Americans to say Blacks are treated less fairly in all situations. Public Remains Dissatisfied With Treatment
of Black People Overall, Americans remain much more likely to say they are
dissatisfied (61%) than satisfied (38%) with the way Black people are treated
in society. Both figures are slightly improved from last year, when
satisfaction levels were the lowest measured to date. As on other racial matters, Americans were much more positive before
2015 about the way society treated Black people, when consistent majorities
were satisfied. In 2015, satisfaction fell to 49%, before registering a low
of 35% last year.
Line graph. 2001-2021 trend. Thirty-eight percent of U.S. adults in
2021 are very or somewhat satisfied with the treatment of Black people in the
U.S. Majorities of between 59% and 64% were satisfied from 2001 through 2013.
In 2015, satisfaction fell to 49%, before dropping to 44% in 2018 and 35% in
2020. The decline in satisfaction with treatment of Black people is seen
among Black, White and Hispanic Americans, all of whom have registered new
lows in the past few years. The 15% of Black Americans and 37% of Hispanic
Americans satisfied with the treatment of Black people are the lowest Gallup
has measured to date within those subgroups, though not meaningfully
different from the 2018 or 2020 readings.
Line graph. 2001-2021 trend in satisfaction with the way society
treats Black people, by racial group. Forty-four percent of White adults, 37%
of Hispanic adults and 15% of Black adults in 2021 are very or somewhat
satisfied. Satisfaction among blacks has been only as high as 47%, and has
been below 33% since 2015 and near 20% since 2018. Majorities of White
adults, peaking at 71%, were satisfied until 2020, when the figure fell to
41%. Partisans also differ greatly in their satisfaction with the
treatment of Black people, as 68% of Republicans, 40% of independents, and
14% of Democrats are satisfied. Bottom Line Americans continue to be concerned about the treatment of Black
people in the U.S., with that concern increasing significantly since 2015,
particularly in the past two years amid a greater public awareness and
sensitivity to racial inequities. U.S. adults still see progress on Black Americans' civil rights
during their own lifetimes, but are less inclined to say this than in the
past. Black Americans continue to be mostly pessimistic about the situation
for Black people in the U.S., and much more so than White or Hispanic
Americans are. With most Americans believing racism is widespread, satisfaction with
treatment of Black people near record lows, and fewer today than in the past
seeing progress toward civil rights, the environment for meaningful change in
public policy and society seems favorable. However, as occurred with federal
legislation on police reform last year, partisan disagreements over what
should be done could prevent formal public policy changes from being made. (Gallup USA) JULY 23, 2021 Source: https://news.gallup.com/poll/352544/larger-majority-says-racism-against-black-people-widespread.aspx
699-700-43-32/Polls Americans Divide Almost Evenly On Whether Immigration To The US
Should Be Increased (33%), Decreased (31%) Or Kept At Its Present Level (35%)
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans divide almost evenly on whether
immigration to the U.S. should be increased (33%), decreased (31%) or kept at
its present level (35%). These preferences are similar to last
year's readings but reflect greater support for increased
immigration since the early 2000s, reaching a high of 34% in 2020. At the
same time, there has been a decline in recent years in the percentage of
Americans who want immigration decreased, with last year's 28% the lowest in
the trend.
Line graph. Americans' preferences for immigration levels.
Thirty-five percent of U.S. adults want immigration kept at its present
level, while 33% want it increased and 31% decreased. For much of Gallup's trend dating back to 1965, the plurality (if not
the majority) of Americans wanted immigration decreased. Three surveys
conducted between 1993 and 1995 found more than six in 10 wanting immigration
reduced. After 9/11, 58% held this view, and as recently as 2009, 50% did. Meanwhile, relatively few Americans called for increased immigration, with the percentage
holding that view not surpassing 20% until 2012. Since then, it has not gone
below that level and has been the preferred option for one in three Americans
each of the past two years. The current results are based on a June 1-July 5 Gallup survey that
included oversamples of Black and Hispanic adults to allow for more precise
estimates of those subgroups. The overall sample was weighted so all racial
and ethnic groups are represented in their proper proportions of the U.S.
population. These findings come at a time when the U.S. is struggling to control
crossings at its southern border, with many of those migrants coming from
Central American countries. June saw the largest number of attempted border
crossings in more than two decades. At the same time, many U.S. businesses
are currently having difficulty filling open job positions. In the longer
term, the U.S. has an increasingly aging population that may not be able to
fill the number of jobs needed in the future. Gallup's latest update finds 9% of Americans naming immigration as
the most
important problem facing the country. Only the government and race
relations are mentioned more frequently. Hispanic Americans More Likely to Favor
Increased Immigration Forty-two percent of Hispanic adults want immigration levels
increased, compared with 32% of non-Hispanic Black and 30% of non-Hispanic
White adults. Overall, White Americans divide equally in their preference for
immigration, while Black Americans slightly prefer keeping immigration levels
the same. Preferences for U.S. Immigration Levels, by Racial/Ethnic Group In your view, should immigration be kept at its present level,
increased or decreased?
Since Gallup began tracking racial/ethnic groups' immigration
attitudes in 2001, each has shown a greater preference for increased
immigration, especially White Americans. That year, 10% of White Americans,
24% of Black Americans and 33% of Hispanic Americans favored increased
immigration levels. The racial/ethnic group differences, however, are not as great as
those for party identification and education. Fifty-seven percent of
Republicans, compared with 12% of Democrats, want to see immigration reduced.
In contrast, half of Democrats and 10% of Republicans want it increased. Additionally, half of Americans with a postgraduate education think
immigration should be increased, double the percentage among those with a
high school education or less. Preferences for U.S. Immigration Levels, by Party Identification and
Education In your view, should immigration be kept at its present level,
increased or decreased?
Most Americans Continue to View Immigration
Positively Though Americans are divided on how immigration levels should change,
they widely agree that immigration is "a good thing" for the
country today. Three in four U.S. adults hold this view, while 21% disagree
and say it is "a bad thing." At least seven in 10 Americans have viewed immigration positively
since 2015, and majorities have consistently done so since Gallup first asked
the question in 2001. At its lowest, 52% said immigration was a good thing in
Gallup's first post-9/11 reading in 2002.
Line graph. Belief that immigration is a good thing for the country
today. Currently 75% of U.S. adults say it is a good thing and 21% bad thing.
Majorities have consistently said it was a good thing, ranging from 52% to
77%. Majorities of all key subgroups think immigration is good for the
country today, with little difference by racial/ethnic group. However,
significant gaps by party identification and education exist, as Republicans
are less likely than Democrats and independents to view immigration
positively, and fewer college nongraduates than college graduates say it is a
good thing. Views of Immigration as a Good or Bad Thing for the U.S. Today, by
Subgroup
Over the past decade, all major subgroups, with the exception of
Republicans, have become significantly more inclined to see immigration as a
good thing for the U.S. In 2011, 53% of Republicans viewed immigration
positively, compared with 57% today. By contrast, the increases were 16
percentage points among independents (from 63% to 79%) and 23 points among
Democrats (from 61% to 84%). Bottom Line Immigration remains a challenging issue, and Congress has not been
able to agree on legislation to address the matter in a comprehensive way.
Over the past decade, Americans' views have shifted, with more favoring
increased immigration. This year has seen a dramatic increase in attempted border crossings,
and the Biden administration struggled this spring to house thousands of
unaccompanied minor children entering the U.S. at its border with Mexico.
President Joe Biden and his advisers have told migrants not to leave their
home countries. Amid all this, Americans' views on immigration have held
steady compared with what they were last year when Donald Trump, who took a
much stricter stance against immigration, was in office. Although there is general agreement among Americans that immigration
is good for the country, their even division on whether immigration levels
should be changed may be frustrating efforts to pass legislation. Moreover,
Republicans and Democrats disagree about the proper level of immigration, as
well as about the
urgency of the problem, further hampering U.S. political leaders' ability
to find solutions to the issue. (Gallup USA) JULY 23, 2021 Source: https://news.gallup.com/poll/352664/americans-remain-divided-preferred-immigration-levels.aspx
699-700-43-33/Polls The Truth Is Out There -- Two In Three Canadians (65%) Believe In
Alien Life Forms; Belief In UFOs At 56%
Toronto, ON, July 19, 2021 – When
it comes to life in other worlds, new Ipsos research suggests that most
Canadians want to believe. The latest survey for Blue Ant Media finds that a
majority of Canadians – two in three (65%) – believe that intelligent life
exists somewhere else in the universe. This opinion is more prevalent among
men (70%) than women (61%), and among Millennials (70%) and Gen Xers (70%)
than Boomers (58%). One in ten Canadians (11%) say they don’t believe
intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe, leaving one in four (24%)
who aren’t sure. There is more skepticism toward UFOs, but here too, more than half
(56%) say they believe, rising to 76% among those who believe in intelligent
extraterrestrial life. Among the believers are 9% who claim to have seen a
UFO themselves. Close encounters of the alien kind are most likely to happen in the
Prairies: 16% of Saskatchewan and Manitoba residents claim to have seen a
UFO, compared to 10% of Quebecers, 9% of Ontarians, 8% of Albertans, 7% of
British Columbians, and just 5% of Atlantic Canadians. Men (64%) are
significantly more likely than women (48%) to believe in UFOs, and to claim
they have seen one (11% vs. 7%). Though a majority of Canadians may believe in UFOs, the prevailing
attitude toward them is surprisingly laid-back. Fewer than two in ten (17%)
say the Canadian government should have a dedicated task force and battle
plan in place for a potential alien invasion. Half (51%) say no, and one in
three (32%) are unsure. Even among UFO believers, only one in four (25%) think
Canada should have a task force and battle plan in place. (Ipsos Canada) 19 July 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/news-polls/Truth-Out-There-Two-Three-Canadians-Believe-Alien-Life
699-700-43-34/Polls One-Third (32%) Of Canadians Plan To Spend More Than Normal, As
Pent-Up Pandemic Spending Finds Outlets
Toronto, ON, July 19, 2021 — With
vaccination continuing apace and business re-opening after a long hiatus, it
seems that the country is welcoming summer with open (and vaccinated) arms.
After a seven-point increase last wave, the MNP Consumer Debt Index has held
onto these gains to sit at 97 points (+1). Conducted by Ipsos, the Index is a
quarterly snapshot that tracks Canadians’ attitudes about their debt
situation and their ability to meet their monthly payment obligations.
Although this relative stability from last wave’s sizeable increase is an
encouraging sign of the country’s economic recovery, Canadians continue to
have differing experiences during the pandemic, often related to factors such
as their age, the region they live in, and their household income. In particular, the findings from this seventeenth wave highlight the
potential for Canadians to go on spending sprees as they re-engage with the
economy and continue to take advantage of low interest rates to make
purchases that they normally may not be able to afford. However, with the
potential for an interest rate hike in the latter half of next year,
households may also be at risk of finding themselves in financial trouble. Many in a Better Financial Situation
Post-Pandemic, But Not All Those who have been fortunate enough to have their income remain
relatively stable during the pandemic are reaping the benefits; half (49%) of
Canadians say their debt situation is better now than it was before the
pandemic started. Travel restrictions and non-essential business closures
have meant that apart from the essentials, there has been little for
Canadians to spend their money on for the past year and a half. Two-thirds (65%) of Canadians say that they’ve used the pandemic as
an opportunity to reduce the amount of money they spend, which means that
some households may have some extra cash to spend this summer. As consumer
spending flows back into previously closed sectors of the economy, Canadians
are indeed finding themselves with more money at month-end after paying their
bills; households report having more money left over than they did in March
($731, +$106), with older Canadians and those with higher household incomes
reporting more of an increase. Feeling flush and seeking out post-pandemic indulgences, one-third
(32%) of Canadians say they plan to spend more than they normally would as
they re-engage with the economy on things such as travel, dining, and
entertainment. Men (37%), younger Canadians (43% among Gen Z; 38% among
Millennials) are more likely to say they’ll spend more than normal. However,
those in Atlantic Canada are playing it safe with their finances; one in
three (31%) say they ‘strongly disagree’ that they will go wild with
post-pandemic spending. Unfortunately, the flip side of these savings is that a significant
proportion of Canadians, likely those most adversely affected by the same
restrictions and closures that allowed others to save money, are finding
themselves in a worse financial position. While two-thirds of Canadians
reported reducing their spending during the pandemic, how much of this was by
choice and how much was by necessity remains to be seen. The Index’s most
recent figures present a sobering portrait:
As such, it may be understandable why nearly half (48%) of Canadians
say they are $200 or less away from financial insolvency, and while this is a
five-point decrease from last wave overall, the proportion of those who
report already being insolvent is unchanged at 30%, and remains at its highest
level since December 2018. Any improvements on this metric nationwide have
been overshadowed by a worsening situation Ontario, where four in ten (40%)
say they are already unable to meet their monthly debt obligations, a jump of
eight points from last wave. Further highlighting how Canadians are
experiencing the pandemic in different ways, women are more likely than men
to be insolvent (or at risk of insolvency), as are Gen Z and Millennial
Canadians. Taking Advantage of Low Interest Rates, But
for How Long? Some Canadians have taken advantage of favourable interest rates
during the pandemic to make purchases that may not normally have fit within
their budget. Six in ten (57%, -2) agree that that now is a good time to buy
things that they otherwise might not be able to afford. In addition, nearly
half (45%, -4) say they’re more relaxed about carrying debt than they usually
are, a proportion that rises to 56% of those living in Quebec and 53% of
those aged 18-34 years. But could the party soon be over? With speculation over whether the
Bank of Canada will raise its key interest rate in the latter half of next
year becoming more frequent, the ability of households to absorb this
increase has taken on a new relevance.
In particular, the prospect of facing bankruptcy potentially affects
a larger proportion of Canadians, as some may be at risk but do not even
realize it yet. In line with general trends, concerns over being able to cope
with an interest rate increase are more pronounced among younger Canadians
(Gen Z and Millennials) and those with more modest household incomes (under
$40,000 a year). Homeowners with Mortgages at Risk Homeowners with an outstanding mortgage may be at particular risk in
the event of an interest rate hike. One-third (32%) of those who own a home
would classify themselves as ‘house poor’, meaning that they don’t have much
left over after paying bills related to their home. This means that
approximately 5.5 million adults in Canada own their home, but are
susceptible to a severe disruption to their financial situation such as an
interest rate increase or change to their job situation. In particular, Gen X
homeowners are the most likely to say they are ‘house poor’ (36%),
contrasting with Boomers, who are the most likely to say they have a good
amount of money left over after paying their house-related bills. Perhaps it is therefore not surprising that two in ten (20%)
homeowners say they regret the amount of debt they took on to buy their home.
For those who may have chosen an adjustable rate mortgage to finance their
home, a change in interest rates could mean that some may not be able to make
their monthly payments. (Ipsos Canada) 19 July 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/news-polls/One-Third-Canadians-Plan-to-Spend-More-Than-Normal
699-700-43-35/Polls In Brazil, 83% Say They Will Continue To Wear Masks In Public Even
After Being Vaccinated
The vaccination process against Covid-19 is progressing in Brazil and
in the world, but the behavior and care brought about by the pandemic must
remain even after the end of the health crisis. This is what a survey
carried out by Ipsos for the World Economic Forum with 9 countries points
out. Among Brazilians, 83% said they should continue wearing masks in
public even after being vaccinated. It is the second highest index among
the 9 nations evaluated, only behind Mexico (85%). (Ipsos Brazil) 20 July 2021 MULTICOUNTRY
STUDIES
699-700-43-36/Polls Less Than A Fifth Of Consumers (18%) Globally Are Planning An
International Vacation In The Next 12 Months
Data from YouGov’s “International Travel &
Tourism Report 2021” reveals that UAE residents were
the most likely among other global consumers to say they intend to travel
abroad for leisure in the next 12 months. Using YouGov Global Travel Profiles, the report looks at global
travel demand, concerns and motivations of approximately 185,000 survey
respondents from 25 markets globally. Data from Global Travel Profiles, a daily survey which runs in 25
countries, found that in the month of May half of people worldwide said they
plan to take a domestic holiday in the next 12 months. On the other hand, the
appetite for international holidays is lower and less than a fifth of
consumers (18%) globally are planning an international vacation in the next
12 months. The United Arab Emirates and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stand out
in terms of international travel sentiment, with respondents planning to
travel substantially more than consumers in other countries. In fact, in both
these countries intent to take international leisure trips is higher than
domestic trips. Apart from travelling for leisure, people in the Middle Eastern
countries have also shown higher interest in business trips. Consumer
sentiment data shows that respondents in the MEA (18%) and APAC (14%) regions
are more likely to travel for business, both domestically and internationally
than consumers in Europe (6%) and North America (11%). This makes them a
favourable target market for airlines and hotels, particularly those offering
premium products. Even though travel is on a recovery path, certain factors put
additional pressure on consumer’s confidence and willingness to travel. When
asked about the major factors preventing people from travelling, health risks
emerged as the primary barrier to travel among global respondents, followed
by travel restrictions (48% and 35% respectively). In the UAE, travel restrictions is the top concern along with health
risks (45% each). However, in KSA, health risks is the biggest
concern for people (at 45%). The price of travel is also a barrier to travel,
with roughly a third of respondents in UAE & KSA (32% and 37%) saying the
actual price of travel currently prevents them from travelling. Besides realising the concerns, it is also important for any tourism
board or travel body, to understand the audiences that will lead the travel
demands in future. In both UAE and KSA, demand for international travel is
largely driven by millennials (58% and 50%). However, in the UAE, we see an
equal demand coming from GenX respondents (at 59%). On the other hand, domestic travel sentiment is similar among all age
groups in the UAE, but in KSA it is stronger among GenZ respondents than the
rest. Speaking about the whitepaper, Eva
Stewart, Global Sector Head of Travel & Tourism at YouGov, said, “As the world begins to reopen to tourism, YouGov’s
“International Travel & Tourism Report 2021: The road back to normality”
is a vital resource to industry insiders looking to understand traveller
expectations in the current climate. It draws upon data from YouGov’s
DestinationIndex and Global Travel Profiles tools which are designed to give
an always-on view of people’s changing attitudes to travel. "As we move into a post-COVID world,
it is clear that many people are broadening their horizons and want to travel
- both domestically or internationally. However, the picture is a nuanced one
both between countries and within markets. It is crucial that the industry
has a clear view of who is looking to travel and where they want to go so
they can cater to these consumers as effectively as possible." (YouGov MENA) July 12, 2021 Source: https://mena.yougov.com/en/news/2021/07/12/international-travel-sentiment-strongest-among-uae/
699-700-43-37/Polls Worldwide, 37% Of Those Surveyed Consider That This Event Will Affect
Minors, Worsening Their Mental Health And Well-Being
Since the beginning of the pandemic, education has been one of the
areas that has come up for debate the most. The closure of schools was experienced
as an unprecedented event that forced teachers, students and families to
adapt in record time to a purely online education. The effects of this
context on those under 18 years of age is an issue that worries citizens and
Ipsos, on the occasion of World Youth
Skills Day, has prepared a study that analyzes the public opinion of 29
countries on the impact of the pandemic in the education, well-being and
skills development of children and young people Back to the classroom: Challenges they
face At a global level, maintaining attention and concentration on
schoolwork is considered the biggest problem that affects children and young
people of all age groups when they have faced face-to-face return to
classrooms. The rest of the effects vary when we analyze it by age. For
children under 11 years of age, the ability to adapt to changes in the school
environment and reintegration with classmates, teachers and school staff are
the other two major problems; while for young people between 12 and 18
years of age, maintaining good
behavior and being disciplined at school followed by reintegration would be the aspects
with the greatest impact. Spain shares this global vision, defining the same problems, although
in the case of young people between 16 and 18 years old, they place the
management of how they are going to face the concern about Covid-19 as a
greater problem than reintegration. Long-term effects of the pandemic But beyond the challenges that children and young people have faced
when returning to the classroom, what is most worrying are the long-term
effects that the pandemic has had on these generations. Worldwide, 37% of those surveyed consider that this event will affect
minors, worsening their mental health
and well-being, followed by a decrease in qualifications (35%) and even higher rates of unemployment and loss of income (30%
). In the case of Spain, the highest rates of unemployment and job loss
(46%) are the main negative impact, thus positioning itself as the first
European country and the second in the world to perceive it the
most. The impact on mental health and well-being (44%) and worse
physical health linked to the decline in physical performance (30%) would
make up the top three of the greatest long-term effects that Covid-19 would
cause in children and young people for the Spanish population. Was the closing of the schools a success? The closure of educational centers was one of the main decisions that
most countries took at the beginning of the pandemic, as a measure to stop
the spread of the virus, but what do citizens think of this decision, was it
hasty or correct? On a global average, 6 out of
10 interviewees consider that it was the right decision to stop the spread of
the virus , compared to 18% who do not see the measure as something
acceptable. In Spain, the percentage of people in agreement with the
decision rises to 66%, thus ranking as the European country that most
supports this decision only behind the United Kingdom (68%). Proposals to improve access to education More than a year after the start of the pandemic and after the
weaknesses of the educational system to guarantee the education of children
and young people have become evident, many are those who wonder what actions
could be carried out to improve access to education. Globally, 41% of
those surveyed consider that giving
financial support to families in need so that they can buy
uniforms, books or any other expense related to education is the most
important measure to adopt, followed by guaranteeing better access to the internet connection (37%)
and the financing of computers or
tablets so that children can carry out their homework (36%). In the case of Spain, the improvements in this regard are very
similar to the global ones, maintaining economic support for families in the
first place (50%), followed by direct investment in schools to cover
maintenance and staff costs (40 %), and in third place, the financing of
technological devices (34%). Education, in the top 3 of priorities in
which to invest public funds after the pandemic Much has been said about the recovery plans after the Covid and the
distribution of public funds, but is education among the priorities that
citizens consider to be invested? For 6 out of 10 of the people interviewed (58%), public health should
be a priority in recovery plans, followed by social security and financial
support for citizens (40%). And thirdly,
it is where we find the support for investment in primary and secondary
education (27%). In Spain, this order is maintained, although in a more emphatic
way. Investment in public health is a priority for 73%, a percentage
that places the country as the second European level that defends this idea
the most, followed by social security and financial support for families
(46%) and investment in education in third place with 32%, it would place
Spain among the European countries that consider it most important to
allocate funds to this area after Covid-19, only behind Germany (35%) and the
Netherlands (34%). (Ipsos Spain) 15 July 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/es-es/world-youth-skills-day-2021
699-700-43-38/Polls Almost Four In Ten Across 29 Countries (A Global Country Average Of
37%), Think Worse Mental Health And Wellbeing Among Children And Young People
Will Be A Long-Lasting Outcome Of The Pandemic
The poll, carried out to mark World Youth Skills Day 2021, explores
public attitudes towards COVID-19 and its impact on children’s education,
wellbeing and skills development among online adults aged 16-74 across 29
countries. Maintaining focus and concentration on
schoolwork is seen as the biggest issue affecting children and young people
of all age groups as they return to the classroom. Respondents were asked to select up to three issues that they think
will have the biggest impact on the wellbeing of children and young people
whose schools have closed as they return to in-person education.
People think that worse mental health and
wellbeing will be a long-term outcome of the pandemic for children and young
people.
On average across the 29 countries
surveyed, most think that school closures are or were an acceptable price to
pay to reduce the spread of the virus.
Support for families who need it to fund
school uniforms, books, transport, and other education-related expenses is
perceived to be most important to improving access to education, followed by
increasing high-speed internet access and providing IT equipment. Respondents were asked to select up to three actions, if any, that
they think will be most important for improving access to education for
children and young people in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
People have competing priorities when it
comes to public spending and only around a quarter (a global country average
of 27%) see spending on primary and secondary education as a priority. Respondents were asked to identify up to three areas, if any, that they
think should be priority areas for public spending in the aftermath of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
(Ipsos Bahrain) 15
July 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-bh/world-youth-skills-day-2021
699-700-43-39/Polls More Than Six-In-Ten Japanese Adults (64%) Say Japan Has Done A Bad
Job Dealing With The Coronavirus Outbreak
After postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics last year due to
the coronavirus
pandemic, the Games appear on track to proceed in Japan this week
despite an
increase of COVID-19 cases in the country since May. A Pew Research
Center spring survey shows most Japanese adults disapprove of
how their country has handled the pandemic thus far. At the same time,
domestic polls show the Japanese public does not
think the Games should proceed this summer.
Among all 17 publics included in the Center’s spring 2021 survey,
those in Japan report the most negative assessment of how their country
has handled
the pandemic. More than six-in-ten Japanese adults (64%) say Japan has
done a bad job dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. The next-most negative reviews of how their own countries handled the
pandemic come from Americans (58%) and Spaniards (55%). Among the five other
publics surveyed in the Asia-Pacific, majorities rate their own handling of
the pandemic as good. In fact, about half or more in New Zealand, Singapore,
Australia and Taiwan rate responses where they live as very good. In Japan, just 4% say
the country did a very good job handling the pandemic. Japan stands out from other publics surveyed when it comes to the
relationship between their ratings of the country’s response
to the pandemic and the country’s number of COVID-19-related deaths. The
Japanese generally gave less positive responses about their pandemic
performance than other publics even though Japan had fewer deaths relative to
others who voice similar levels of dissatisfaction. Differences exist in Japan when it comes to party affiliation and
overall views of how the country handled the pandemic. Those who feel closest
to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are more
likely than those who don’t feel close to any particular party to say Japan
has done a good job handling the coronavirus outbreak (50% vs. 30%,
respectively). These views may take on more significance if Suga calls
a snap election after the Olympic and Paralympic Games conclude.
(Not enough respondents feel closest to Komeito or the Constitutional
Democratic Party to compare in this analysis.)
Japanese adults also critique the approach their nation has taken
more than other publics when it comes to restrictions on social activities
during the pandemic. About six-in-ten (62%) voice the opinion that there
should have been more restrictions
on public activity throughout the course of the pandemic, the highest share
to say so among all 17 advanced economies surveyed. A quarter think the level
of restrictions they experienced were about right, and just 8% would have
liked fewer restrictions. As with overall views of the pandemic response, party affiliation
relates to how one views COVID-19 restrictions. About two-thirds (66%) of
those who do not feel close to any political party think there should have
been more restrictions, versus 56% of those who most identify with Japan’s
ruling LDP, a 10 percentage point difference. And though a minority of LDP
supporters think the level of restrictions is about right (30%), they are
more likely to hold this opinion than the unaffiliated (21%).
In other publics throughout the Asia-Pacific, such as New Zealand,
Taiwan and Australia, more than two-thirds voice contentment with the levels
of restrictions imposed during the pandemic.
Attitudes about Japan’s response to the pandemic mirror attitudes
about proceeding with the upcoming Olympic Games, slated to start on July 23.
According to a June
poll from the Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun, 32% of eligible
voters in Japan want to see the Games completely canceled, and an additional
30% would prefer another delay. Roughly a third (34%) want the event to
proceed as scheduled this summer, which is a 20-point increase from
when the same question was asked a month earlier. Some of this hesitancy is
rooted in safety concerns: More than eight-in-ten (83%) say they would feel
unsafe with the Olympics continuing as planned in Tokyo. The Japanese government has also weighed various options regarding
spectators (or lack thereof) at the Games, with organizers first deciding
to limit
attendance to 10,000 local fans before largely banning
spectators altogether. The June Asahi Shimbun survey shows public
opinions for these measures before they were announced, with 53% of eligible
Japanese voters preferring no spectators at all and 42% favoring a limited
number of fans in the stands. (PEW) JULY 20, 2021
699-700-43-40/Polls Across The 17 Publics, A Median Of 64% Say That When Children Grow
Up, They Will Be Worse Off Financially
As the global
economy shows signs of rebounding, positive assessments of the
economic situation have risen in several major advanced economies since last
year. Positive views of the economy have sharply increased in countries like
Australia and the United Kingdom. Yet, many in Spain, Italy, Japan, France,
Greece, South Korea and the United States continue to see their overall
economic situation as bleak.
Despite an uptick in some places, many say that children will be
worse off financially than their parents, according to a new Pew Research
Center survey conducted this spring in 16 publics and in the U.S. this past
February.
Across the 17 publics, a median of 64% say that when children grow
up, they will be worse off financially, while about a third (32%) say that
children will be better off than their parents’ generation. Only in Singapore
and Sweden do half or more hold this optimistic view. In the U.S., fully 68% think children will be worse off than their
parents. The most pessimistic publics surveyed are France and Japan, where
77% say children will be worse off. The survey also finds that people who say the coronavirus
crisis has been mishandled by their government and those who say the
economy is failing to recover in ways that show the weaknesses of their
economy are more likely to say that the current economic situation is bad and
that children will be worse off financially than their parents. These are among the findings of a new Pew Research Center survey,
conducted from Feb. 1 to May 26, 2021, among 18,850 adults in 17 advanced
economies. Accompanying this report is an interactive analysis of the economic
status of households around the world: “Are
you in the global middle class? Find out with our income calculator.” Views of the economy vary internationally
Overall views on whether the national economic situation is good or
not vary greatly across the 17 publics surveyed. A median of 52% say that the
current economic situation is bad, while a similar share (47%) say it is
good. Majorities assess the economy positively in northern European
countries such as Sweden (86%), the Netherlands (69%) and Germany (60%) as
well as in Singapore (69%) and Taiwan (56%). About three-quarters of those in
Australia and New Zealand, where COVID-19 cases have remained
relatively low, say the economy is good. (Note: This data was collected
before recent
lockdowns in Australia to curtail the spread of the coronavirus’
Delta variant.) But eight-in-ten or more in Spain, Italy and Japan say the economic
situation is bad in their country, as do seven-in-ten or more Greeks, French,
South Koreans and Americans. In Belgium, the UK and Canada, views on the national economy are
nearly evenly split, with slightly higher percentages saying that the economy
is bad. Among many publics, views of the national economy are more positive
this year than last year. Positive assessments of the economy have risen the
most in Australia, where 74% now say the economic situation is good, compared
with only 36% in 2020. Positive views also rose in Sweden and the
Netherlands, but even in 2020, majorities in these two countries still said
the economy was good.
Despite the global
economic downturn the coronavirus pandemic has wrought, views of the
national economy are as positive as they have been since surveying began
in Sweden in
2007 and Australia in
2008 – two countries that initially took very different approaches in dealing
with the coronavirus outbreak. While overall attitudes have grown more positive over the past year,
the shares who say the economy is good have not recovered from their
pre-pandemic highs in many countries. For instance, positive assessments of
the economy in Canada rose 11 percentage points over the past year, from 38%
to 49%. But in 2019, prior to the coronavirus outbreak, 72% had said the
economy was good.
In most publics surveyed, women are more likely than men to say the
economic situation is bad. But, in most of the 17 publics surveyed, there are
no significant differences in economic outlook when it comes to age or
education. In most publics surveyed, those who support the governing party or
ruling coalition are more likely to say the economy is good compared with
those who do not support the governing party. While the U.S. portion of this
survey was conducted immediately following the inauguration of President Joe
Biden, a more
recent U.S. survey has found a similar relationship between
partisanship and views of the economy among Americans as well. In most of the publics surveyed, views on the economy are related to
respondent assessments of their government’s handling of the coronavirus
outbreak. Those who think the outbreak has been dealt with well are more
likely to say the economy is good. This is particularly the case in Germany
and Canada, where those who say the outbreak has been handled well in their
country are 38 percentage points more likely to say the economy is good
compared with those who say the outbreak was handled poorly. Especially when it comes to economic recovery in the wake of the
pandemic, the survey finds that views
vary widely, with a majority in the U.S., Japan and much of Europe
critiquing their economic system’s durability. And skepticism of the state of
recovery has colored views of the current economic situation. In all publics
surveyed, those who say their national economy is recovering from the effects
of the coronavirus in ways that show the strength of their economic system
are far more likely to say the economy is currently good than those who point
to their economy’s weaknesses. And in 11 of the publics surveyed, those who say the coronavirus
pandemic has changed their life not too much or not at all are more likely to
rate the economy positively than those who say their life has changed a lot
or somewhat. Large shares are pessimistic about their
children’s financial future The coronavirus pandemic has been predicted to have wide-sweeping
effects on the future of children around the world, particularly when it
comes to education and economic
outcomes. When respondents in 17 publics were asked how they think
children will fare when they grow up, the prevailing view is that children
will be financially worse off than their parents. More than two-thirds say
this in France, Japan, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the U.S. and Canada. A median of roughly a third (32%) say children will grow up to be
better off than their parents where they live, with respondents in Singapore
(61%) and Sweden (50%) standing out as particularly optimistic.
In some places, pessimism has markedly increased since before the
COVID-19 outbreak, while in others, it has tempered. Respondents in Italy,
the U.S., Germany, South Korea and Greece are now more pessimistic than they
were in spring 2019, with Americans and South Koreans more pessimistic now
than in any other year when the question was asked. However, respondents in
the UK, Sweden, Australia and the Netherlands are more positive on their
kids’ prospects now than in 2019. In fact, pessimism for their children’s
future in Sweden and the UK is at its lowest point since the Center began
asking this question in each country. In the U.S., respondents of all political leanings are broadly pessimistic
about the future of children, with views among conservative Republicans
changing dramatically over the past year. In March 2020, 36% of conservative
Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said children in the U.S.
would be worse off than their parents. About three-quarters (76%) say so now,
a 40-point increase.
When it comes to expectations for children’s futures among the
publics surveyed, there are few consistent differences by age, education,
income or ideology. In a handful of locales, women are more pessimistic than
men, with the largest such difference in Belgium (75% of women vs. 61% of men
say their country’s children will be worse off). Those who say the current state of their economy is generally bad are
far more likely to believe their children will be worse off in the future. In
all publics surveyed, there are double-digit differences in pessimism between
those who say their economy is good and those who say it is bad. In Taiwan,
the difference is 42 points – 85% of those who think their economy is bad
also think their children will be worse off, while 43% of those with positive
views of their economy say their children will be worse off.
The survey finds that respondents tended to give high praise to the
coronavirus response where
they live, especially in the Asia-Pacific. But praise for the COVID-19
response is not uniform, and those who say the response has been bad are far
more pessimistic about children’s futures there. There are large differences
in both Greece and South Korea, where majorities approve of their local
pandemic response, as well as in Japan and Spain, where majorities say their
country has done a bad job
dealing with the outbreak. In a handful of publics surveyed, those who say their own life
changed due to the pandemic (either a great deal or a fair amount) are more
likely to say their children will be worse off. In Taiwan, roughly
seven-in-ten of those whose lives were affected in this way are pessimistic,
while just half of those whose lives did not change say the same. There are
similar divides in the UK, South Korea, Canada and Australia. Dissatisfaction with their economy’s recovery from the pandemic has
also fed into respondents’ pessimism for the future. In nearly all publics
surveyed, those who say their economy is failing to recover from the pandemic
in ways that show weaknesses of their system are far more likely to say their
children will be worse off than their parents. There are differences of 30
points or more on this issue in Greece, Canada and South Korea when compared
with those who say the recovery has been a demonstration of economic
strength. (PEW) JULY 21, 2021
699-700-43-41/Polls Between 30 And 60 Percent Of Women In Most Countries In MENA Agreeing
That Men And Women Should Be Separated In The Workplace
The COVID-19 pandemic did not affect everyone equally; every region
of the world has reported on the gender disparity of the virus’s toll. This
is of particular concern in the MENA region, where women’s rights and roles
in the public sphere have been limited by both legal and societal norms. Given the pre-pandemic status of women in the MENA region, it is
perhaps unsurprising that women have been consistently more worried about the
COVID-19 pandemic than men throughout the region during Arab Barometer’s Wave
VI survey fielding. Notably in Algeria and Lebanon, gendered attitudes
regarding pandemic concerns have converged in the most recent survey, while
attitudes elsewhere changed mostly in parallel. Beyond the immediate health
toll the pandemic took on families, COVID-19 affected women’s roles and
responsibilities both at home and in the workplace. Women at Home In five out of the seven countries, at least half of all men and
women agree or strongly agree with the statement “taking care of the home and
children is a woman’s primary responsibility.” In Libya and Lebanon, about
one in three women agree or strongly agree with the statement. Lebanon is the
only country surveyed where fewer than half of men agree or strongly agree
with the statement (35 percent). Although in most countries men were more likely to agree or strongly
agree, the gendered differences are not significant anywhere except Libya. In
Libya there is a 40 point different between men and women’s agreement that a
woman’s primary responsibility is the home and children; 71 percent of men
agree or strongly agree compared to only 31 percent of women. In some countries, we see a significant generational divide between
women ages 18-29 and women over 30 with respect to a woman’s primary responsibility.
In Tunisia, Morocco, and Libya, there is at least a 10 point difference
between the percent of women 18-29 and 30 and over who agree that a woman’s
primary responsibility is the home and children. There is a smaller gap
between the younger and older generation in Lebanon (7 points), Jordan (6
points), and Iraq (4 points). Algeria is the only country in which women
18-29 are more likely to agree that a woman’s primary responsibility is home
and children than women 30 and over. The reality is that women face greater expectations to manage
domestic life than their male counterparts and government lockdowns increased
home responsibilities. Despite domestic challenges uniquely faced by women
during the pandemic, across the region women were more likely than men to say
family unity had increased. The increase in family unity can be seen by the
relatively low percent of people reporting an increase in verbal arguments
among family members during the pandemic. Across the region, similar
percentages of men and women report an increase of verbal arguments, just
between 20 percent and 31 percent. A final concern for women at home during
the COVID-19 pandemic is the threat of domestic violence. National lockdowns
force women to share more time with their abusers.
Despite most women (and men) reporting that questions of changes in
familial physical violence were not applicable to their situation, at least a
quarter of women in every country reported an increase in GBV in the
community during the pandemic in survey 1 of Arab Barometer Wave VI. Nearly
half of all women report an increase in Morocco (47 percent) and Algeria (47
percent), as well as over two thirds of women in Tunisia (69 percent).
Thankfully, in the final survey of Arab Barometer Wave VI, the percent of
women reporting an increase in GBV dropped in all three of these countries
(Morocco – 25 percent, Algeria – 24 percent, Tunisia – 62 percent).
Unfortunately, the countries where fewer than half the women reported an
increase in GBV either stayed relatively stable (Libya – 26 to 29 percent) or
dramatically increased (Jordan – 29 to 55 percent, Lebanon – 23 to 43
percent).
Women at the Workplace The economic strife caused by the pandemic erased many of the gains
made by women in the past few years. With labor force participation among
women so low to begin with, nation-wide shutdowns across the region were
particularly devastating. Therefore, it is important to identify potential
barriers women face entering the labor field and begin developing policies to
ease those barriers. Women view structural issues as more pressing workforce barriers than
societal issues. Namely, lack of childcare options and lack of transportation
garnered the most support among the issues Arab Barometer offered as
preventing women from working. The percent of women saying lack of childcare
options posed a barrier to a medium or great extent ranged from 67 percent in
Libya to 81 percent in Jordan. Similarly, the percent of women saying that
lack of transportation posed a barrier to working to a medium or great extent
ranged from 44 percent of women in Lebanon to 78 percent of women in Tunisia.
Lebanon was also an outlier here; as Iraq was the next lowest percentage of
women at 60 percent. More than half the women in every country also agree
that low wages deter them from entering the workforce.
Lack of childcare, lack of transportation, and low wages are all
issues governments can develop policies to counter. Barriers related to
societal norms are more difficult to overcome. The good news is that despite
between 30 and 60 percent of women in most countries in the region completely
or somewhat agreeing that men and women should be separated in the workplace,
far fewer saw mixed-gender workspaces as a barrier to entering the workforce
in the first place. Furthermore, in most cases men see mixed-gender
workspaces as more of a barrier than women do. There could be several reasons women do not see working alongside men
as a barrier to joining the workforce. On one hand perhaps many women feel
sufficient numbers of gender-segregated workplaces already exist. On the
other hand, although women prefer not to work alongside men, they may not
feel strongly enough about the issue to keep them from working. Hopefully data
gathered in Wave VII will shed light on these responses. The more pressing normative issue, identified by both men and women,
is men being given priority for employment over women. In every country,
across both genders, citizens are more likely to say the prioritization of
men over women for jobs poses a barrier to women entering the workforce than
mixed-gender workspaces. Given that more than half of men in most countries
believe that a woman’s primary responsibility is taking care of the home and
children, equality in hiring may be a difficult goal. As economic activity picks up after the pandemic disruptions, the
governments of MENA will need to make special considerations on how to help
women re-join the workforce – or to join it for the first time. (Arabbarometer) July 23, 2021 |
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