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BUSINESS & POLITICS IN THE WORLD GLOBAL OPINION REPORT NO. 703-704 Week:
August 09 –August 22, 2021 Presentation:
August 27, 2021 7
Out Of 10 Parents Now Want Face-To-Face Education For Their Children Eight
In 10 Adult Zimbabweans (80%) Say They Have Heard About Social Media Most
Zambians (84%) Prefer Democracy To Any Other Form Of Government Six
In Ten Britons (60%) Support The Introduction Of Vaccine Passports Sooner
Rather Than Later Two
In Five Britons Think Mortgage Applications Are Unfair Britons
Are Most Likely To Support Banning Imports Of Goods Linked To Deforestation
(60%) Half
(53%) Of Tory Voters Say They Immigration Is A Top Issue Facing The Country Two
In Three Support Increasing National Insurance For Social Care Reform Or To
Reduce NHS Backlog Almost
Half Of Brits 45% With Opinion On The Matter Say Manchester City Are
Favourites To Win League 44%
Of Britons Supported The Withdrawal Of Western Troops From Afghanistan British
Public Equally Divided Over Withdrawal Of Military From Afghanistan Gun
ownership: three quarters of Britons want stricter laws A
Total Of Three Quarters Of The Respondents See A Chance For Another Covid-19
Wave In Hungary Among
All U.S. Adults, 63% Favor Making Tuition At Public Colleges Free Among
U.S. Adults Overall, 53% Say Increased Attention To That History Is A Good
Thing For Society Nearly
Half 49% Of U.S. Adults Have Tried Marijuana Roughly
Seven-In-Ten Rural Americans (72%) Say They Have A Broadband Internet
Connection At Home 22%
Of Esports Fans (~ 1.2 Million People) Say They Will Buy A Car Within The
Next 12 Months Pfizer
Vaccine Received A Net Positive Safety Score In Every Country Surveyed More
Than Four Million People Are Known To Have Died Globally From Coronavirus
During The Pandemic An
Average Of 58% Globally Say They Want To Do Sports But There Is No Time To Do
It (37%) INTRODUCTORY NOTE
703-704-43-42/Commentary:
British
Public Equally Divided Over Withdrawal Of Military From Afghanistan
New polling shows that Britons are split on
the British military withdrawing from Afghanistan, with 39% of people
saying it was the right thing to do and 40% saying it was the wrong
decision. The British public are more critical of the US withdrawing
its troops, with 47% of people saying it was the wrong thing to do, however
it is still not the majority of people. Nearer a third (31%) think the US
made the right decision pulling their troops out of Afghanistan.
When it comes to future interventions, if
the Taliban regime commits widespread human rights abuses or allows extremist
groups to operate in Afghanistan, the most popular options are
diplomatic/economic interventions (34%) and humanitarian interventions (32%),
with the a third agreeing with each of these options. One
in five (22%) would support military interventions and a similar proportion
(19%) think Britain shouldn’t intervene at all. There are,
however, significant differences between Conservative and Labour voters, with
Conservative more likely to favour military intervention (29% vs. 21% of Labour
voters) whereas Labour voters would support an humanitarian intervention (25%
vs. 42%).
The majority of people (52%) don’t think
the British military campaign was effective in bringing stability to
Afghanistan. Just one in three (34%) think it has been effective, which is
down from 42% in 2015.
The public also remain split on whether the
military campaign was successful in preventing Afghanistan from being used as
a base for terrorists to attack British interests. Two in five (42%) think it
was effective, whilst another two-fifths (41%) say it wasn’t – this compares
to 41% (effective) and 49% (ineffective) in 2015.
Ben Page, CEO of Ipsos MORI, said: The British public is divided over whether
or not Britain was right to withdraw forces from Afghanistan, with 39% saying
it was the right thing to do and 40% opposed. More feel America was wrong to
withdraw, but even here not a majority (47%). In terms of what
happens next only 19% say we should do nothing; most want humanitarian measures
and sanctions against the regime and humanitarian aid. (Ipsos MORI) 19 August 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/britons-are-split-over-afghanistan-military-withdrawal SUMMARY
OF POLLS
ASIA (India) Two-Thirds Of Urban Indians
(67%) Think P.V.Sindhu Has Made The Country Proud At An International Sports
Event The recently
concluded Tokyo Olympics 2020 saw India’s best rankings in over four decades
and gave it its second gold medal. On the occasion of India’s 74th Independence
Day, YouGov asked respondents which sportsperson according to them has made
India proud at an international level. Data from the survey conducted between
3 and 6 August among 1135 respondents reveals two-thirds of urban Indians
(67%) think P.V.Sindhu has made the country proud at an international sports
event. (YouGov
India) August 12,
2021 Between June 1 And 8, 56% Respondents Said The Government Has Been
Handling The Rollout Of Vaccines Very Or Somewhat Well Urban Indian
public’s perception of the Central Government handling the Coronavirus crisis
has improved since June. During the wave run between June 1 and 8, 56%
respondents said the government has been handling the rollout of vaccines
very or somewhat well. With the rapid progression of the vaccination drive
and its extension to 18+ adults, this number has increased steadily, to 64%
at the end of July (between 16-23 July). Similarly, the percent of people
saying the government is doing a good job in ensuring those infected receive
the best healthcare has increased from 54% to 61% during this period. (YouGov
India) August 18,
2021 (Turkey) 6 Out Of 10 People Think A
Closure May Occur Again Due to the
increase in the number of cases, 64% of the society thinks that a closure may
occur again. Although the proportion of people who are anti-vaccine and
unsure about the vaccine is lower, the opinions of all masses are similar
that there will be no closure. 23% of the society is of the opinion that
a closure will not occur again. Only one third of the citizens are in favor
of restrictions… 55% of the society does not want a curfew to be imposed at
night after today. The rate of those who want such a ban is 31%. (Ipsos
Turkey) 16 August
2021 7 Out Of 10 Parents Now Want Face-To-Face Education For Their
Children While 57% of
parents stated that the decision announced by the Ministry of National
Education that schools will switch to face-to-face education on September 6
was the right decision, 32% of them thought that this decision was wrong. 7
out of 10 parents now want their children to go to school for face-to-face
education. Only 15% say they don't want to send it. The rest have
not made a more definitive decision on this matter. On September 6, 47%
of parents thought that schools could be opened at the beginning of July, but
by the end of July due to the rapid increase in the number of cases. this
view drops to 30%. (Ipsos
Turkey) 9 August
2021 MENA (UAE) Most UAE Residents 74% Think
That The Tokyo Olympics' Theme Will Help Promote D&I Globally Among The
People UAE which is
home to people from over 200 nationalities resonated well with the
D&I theme of the Tokyo Olympics. YouGov survey results show that a vast
majority of respondents (74%) think that it will further help promote
diversity and inclusion among people across all countries. A majority
of UAE residents think ensuring equal opportunities to all irrespective of
any form of differentiation (56%) and greater transparency among the sporting
communities to ensure fair play (52%) would ultimately lead to better
adoption of D&I in the field of sports. (YouGov
MENA) August 19,
2021 AFRICA (Sudan) More Than Three-Fourths
(78%) Of Sudanese “Agree” Or “Strongly Agree” That The Lockdown Was Necessary
To Limit The Spread Of Covid-19 Three-fourths
(78%) of Sudanese “agree” or “strongly agree” that the lockdown was necessary
to limit the spread of COVID-19. However, two-thirds (66%) say they and their
households found it “difficult” or “very difficult” to comply with lockdown
restrictions. A majority (65%) of citizens say government is doing “fairly
badly” or “very badly" in managing the response to the pandemic (Afrobarometer) 11 August
2021 (Zimbabwe) Eight In 10 Adult Zimbabweans
(80%) Say They Have Heard About Social Media Eight in 10
adult Zimbabweans (80%) say they have heard about social media. More than
four out of 10 (42%) say they get news from social media “every day” or “a
few times a week” Among those who have heard about social media: Nine out of
10 (91%) say it makes people more informed about current events, and about
half (49%) believe it helps people have more impact on political processes. (Afrobarometer) 13 August
2021 (Gambia) The Proportion Of Gambians
Who Describe Their Personal Living Conditions As “Fairly Good” Or “Very Good”
Has Decreased Drastically, From 66% In 2018 To 35% Six in 10
Gambians (60%) say the country is heading in “the wrong direction,” double
the proportion recorded in 2018 (29%). The proportion of Gambians who
describe their personal living conditions as “fairly good” or “very good” has
decreased drastically, from 66% in 2018 to 35%. The proportion who say they
went without basic necessities such as enough food, enough water, and medical
care during the previous year increased significantly compared to 2018. (Afrobarometer) 17 August
2021 (Zambia) Most Zambians (84%) Prefer
Democracy To Any Other Form Of Government Most
Zambians (84%) prefer democracy to any other form of government and reject
non-democratic alternatives such as one-party rule (83%), military rule
(90%), and one-man rule (91%). Six in 10 citizens (59%) say they are not
satisfied with the way democracy is working in the country. Three-quarters
(76%) of Zambians say leaders should be chosen through regular, open, and
honest elections, while just 22% would prefer to adopt other methods for choosing the
country’s leaders. (Afrobarometer) 18 August
2021 The Proportion Of Zambians Who Say That “Most” Or “All” Officials In
The Presidency Are Corrupt Has Increased Steadily From 27% In 2014 To 40% In
2020 Seven in 10
Zambians (71%) say levels of corruption have increased over the past year, up
from 55% in 2014. Eight in 10 citizens (79%) say the government is handling
the fight against corruption “fairly badly” or “very badly” – a significant increase
from 66% recorded in 2014. More than three-fourths (79%) of Zambians think
ordinary people risk retaliation or other negative consequences if they
report corruption to the authorities. (Afrobarometer) 19
August 2021 WEST EUROPE (UK) Six In Ten Britons (60%)
Support The Introduction Of Vaccine Passports Sooner Rather Than Later The latest
YouGov research reveals that public opinion has stayed much the same since
March, with six in ten Britons (60%) supporting
the introduction of vaccine passports sooner rather than later, including 30%
who “strongly” support their implementation. This is compared to 58% of the
public who backed their use in March this year. Some 32% of Britons would be
opposed to the use of vaccine passports during the vaccination programme,
similar to the 34% who held this opinion in the spring. (YouGov UK) August 09,
2021 Two In Five Britons Think Mortgage Applications Are Unfair Data from
YouGov Direct shows that, when asked about the tradeoff between taking a
mortgage with a higher deposit requirement – but a lower overall interest
rate – or a mortgage with a smaller deposit and a higher interest rate,
two-thirds would go for the former (65%). Just one in five would opt for a
lower-deposit, higher-interest plan (20%): with the proportion remaining the
same for Britons aged 18-34. The 5% deposit plan may not move the needle for
would-be homeowners. (YouGov UK) August 10,
2021 Britons Are Most Likely To Support Banning Imports Of Goods Linked To
Deforestation (60%) A new survey
by Ipsos MORI shows widespread support for various actions by the UK
government to address climate change, both domestically and around the world.
Considering international actions they’d like to see the UK government take
to address climate change, Britons are most likely to support banning imports
of goods linked to deforestation (60%) and the use of Britain’s diplomatic
influence to persuade other countries to increase their emissions reduction
targets (58%). Only around 1 in 10 oppose these actions (10% and 8%
respectively). (Ipsos MORI) 10 August
2021 Half (53%) Of Tory Voters Say They Immigration Is A Top Issue Facing
The Country Our latest
survey has 50% of Britons putting health as one of their top three national
concerns, followed in second place by the economy on 44%. Among Conservative
voters, however, immigration is the most pressing concern right now. Half
(53%) of Tory voters say they immigration is a top issue facing the country,
about the same as the number concerned about the economy (52%). Conservatives
are notably less worried about health, which only 42% chose, placing it third
overall. (YouGov UK) August 11,
2021 Two In Three Support Increasing National Insurance For Social Care
Reform Or To Reduce NHS Backlog Ipsos MORI’s
latest Political Monitor reveals around half (49%) of Britons want the
Government to increase spending on public services, even if that means higher
taxes or more government borrowing. A third (34%) think spending on public
services should be kept at the current level, whilst just 9% say spending
should be reduced to allow for tax cuts or less government borrowing. (Ipsos MORI) 11 August
2021 The Public Are Divided On Whether The Government Should End Universal
Credit Top Up, With Two In Five Britons (38%) Supporting The Move, While An
Equal Share (39%) Oppose It The
government has announced that it will phase
out the £20-a-week universal credit top
up this autumn. It has been in place since the start of the pandemic. The
public are divided on the issue, with two in five Britons (38%) supporting
the move, while an equal share (39%) oppose it. Public opinion falls notably
along party lines. Approaching two thirds of Conservative voters (63%) are in
favour of ending the £20 top-up, which is being paid out to more 5.5 million
households in the UK claiming universal credit. Only one in five (20%) oppose
it. (YouGov UK) August 12,
2021 The Public Are Strongly Agreed (87%) In Saying It Has Done A Good Job
In Ensuring The Public Are Vaccinated When asked
to consider Boris Johnson’s government’s performance since it was elected in
December 2019, the public are strongly agreed (87%) in saying it has done a
good job in ensuring the public are vaccinated as soon possible (even 79% of
Labour supporters agree). Nearing half are also positive about its managing
of the economy (49%) and keeping unemployment down (48%) and increasingly so
since last December (when results were 44%, 41% respectively). However,
sizeable proportions still think they are performing badly on each (40%
economy, 36% unemployment, and rising to 53% and 47% respectively among 18-34
year olds). (Ipsos MORI) 12 August
2021 Almost Half Of Brits 45% With Opinion On The Matter Say Manchester
City Are Favourites To Win League As the
Premier League 2021-22 season gets underway, we ask the public which club
they feel is the best prepared to win the title. Manchester City emerge as
the overwhelming favourites, drawing a vote of confidence from almost half of
all those who picked a club (45%). Manchester United take the second spot
with 12% of people with an opinion choosing the Red Devils as season favourites.
Chelsea bag 11% of the votes despite investing heavily this summer, while
2019-20 champions Liverpool have been picked as the season favourite by just
9% of those with an opinion, following a disappointing domestic campaign last
time out. (YouGov UK) August 13,
2021 44% Of Britons Supported The Withdrawal Of Western Troops From
Afghanistan Last week,
YouGov research showed found that 44% of Britons supported the withdrawal
of western troops from
Afghanistan, compared to 26% who were opposed. Now, with Afghanistan falling
back under complete Taliban control for the first time since 2001, people
tend to think it was the wrong decision to pull military support out of the
country. Two fifths (42%) of Britons say it was the wrong decision to
withdraw troops, compared to 28% who think it was right to do so. Three in
ten Britons (31%) are unsure. (YouGov UK) August 16,
2021 Two Thirds (68%) Support Maintaining The Rule Stating That The Value
Of The State Pension Must Rise Each Year, Compared To Just 11% Who Want To
Scrap It The pensions
triple lock rule was introduced in 2011 by the coalition government. The rule
states that the value of the state pension must rise each year in line with
the highest of three possible figures: how much the average price of goods
and services have risen nationally; how much average earnings have risen
nationally; or by 2.5%. Given a brief description of what the triple lock is (see
chart), the public strongly wants to keep it in place. Two thirds (68%)
support maintaining the rule, compared to just 11% who want to scrap it. (YouGov UK) August 18,
2021 British Public Equally Divided Over Withdrawal Of Military From
Afghanistan New polling
shows that Britons are split on the British military withdrawing from
Afghanistan, with 39% of people saying it was the right thing to do and 40%
saying it was the wrong decision. The British public are more critical
of the US withdrawing its troops, with 47% of people saying it was the wrong
thing to do, however it is still not the majority of people. Nearer a third
(31%) think the US made the right decision pulling their troops out of
Afghanistan. (Ipsos MORI) 19 August
2021 Gun ownership: three quarters of Britons want stricter laws A new YouGov survey reveals that 76% of
people think the current gun ownership laws should be tightened. This
includes 39% who think there should be greater restrictions on ownership and
a similar proportion (37%) who would back an outright ban on civilian firearm
ownership. The survey shows that while similar proportions of all age groups
think that gun ownership should be outlawed, those aged 65 and over are
nearly twice as likely to say laws should be tightened (52%) compared to 18-
to 24-year-olds (27%). (YouGov UK) August 20,
2021 (Hungary) A Total Of Three Quarters Of
The Respondents See A Chance For Another Covid-19 Wave In Hungary One third of
the adult population is convinced of the sharp increase in the number of
cases in the autumn, and a total of three quarters of the respondents see a
chance for another Covid-19 wave in Hungary. Young adults and rural residents
are more optimistic (18% of 30-39 year olds are not at all afraid of the epidemic,
20% of those living in the village), while those over 40, capital city and
graduates are above average. they are prepared for a significantly higher
proportion of new diseases (79-88%. (Ipsos
Hungary) 12 August
2021 NORTH AMERICA (USA) Among All U.S. Adults, 63%
Favor Making Tuition At Public Colleges Free Among all
U.S. adults, 63% favor making tuition at public colleges free, including 34%
who strongly favor
the proposal. Slightly more than a third oppose tuition-free college (36%),
with 20% strongly opposed. These views are little changed over the past year.
Large shares of Black (86%), Hispanic (82%) and Asian American (69%) adults
favor making college free for all Americans, compared with 53% of White
adults. And while 73% of adults under age 30 favor this proposal, only about
half (51%) of those ages 65 and older support it. (PEW) AUGUST 11,
2021 International Travel Is Something A 71% Majority Of U.S. Adults
Have Done At Some Point In Their Lives In March
2021 – the most recent month for which data is available – around 3 million
American citizens traveled outside of the country. This is shy of the nearly
4 million U.S. citizens who traveled abroad in March 2020 as the coronavirus
pandemic unfolded. Whether before or during
the pandemic, international travel is something a 71% majority of U.S. adults
have done at some point in their lives, according to a June Pew Research
Center survey. By contrast, around a quarter (27%) have not traveled abroad. (PEW) AUGUST 12,
2021 Among U.S. Adults Overall, 53% Say Increased Attention To That
History Is A Good Thing For Society Opinion on the current national reckoning
over the history of slavery and racism in the United States casts these
divisions into stark relief: Among U.S. adults overall, 53% say increased
attention to that history is a good thing for society, while 26% say it is a
bad thing and another 21% say it is neither good nor bad. Among Black adults,
75% say heightened public attention to this topic is a good thing, with 54%
saying it is “very good” for society. Majorities of Asian American (64%) and
Hispanic (59%) adults also view this positively, though much smaller shares
say it is a very good thing, compared with Black adults. (PEW) AUGUST 12, 2021 Nearly Half 49% Of U.S.
Adults Have Tried Marijuana The
percentage of U.S. adults who say they have tried marijuana has ticked up to
49%, the highest Gallup has measured to date. More than 50 years ago, just 4%
said they had tried the drug, but that percentage surpassed 20% in 1977, 30%
in 1985 and 40% in 2015. A much smaller proportion of U.S. adults, 12%, say
they "smoke marijuana." The percentage of current marijuana smokers
has been steady in recent years, varying between 11% and 13% after increasing
from the 7% Gallup initially measured in 2013. (Gallup) AUGUST 17,
2021 Roughly Half Of U S Adults
(48%) Now Say The Government Should Take Steps To Restrict False Information Roughly half
of U.S. adults (48%) now say the government should take steps to restrict
false information, even if it means losing some freedom to access and publish
content, according to the survey of 11,178 adults conducted July 26-Aug. 8,
2021. That is up from 39% in 2018. At the same time, the share of adults who
say freedom of information should be protected – even if it means some
misinformation is published online – has decreased from 58% to 50%. (PEW) AUGUST 18,
2021 Roughly Seven-In-Ten Rural Americans (72%) Say They Have A Broadband
Internet Connection At Home Rural
Americans have made large gains in adopting digital technology over the past
decade and have narrowed some digital gaps. Roughly seven-in-ten rural
Americans (72%) say they have a broadband internet connection at home,
according to a Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted from Jan.
25 to Feb. 8, 2021. Rural residents have seen a 9 percentage point rise in
home broadband adoption since 2016, when about six-in-ten (63%) reported
having a high-speed internet connection at home. (PEW) AUGUST 19,
2021 (Canada) Out Of The Starting Blocks -
More Of The Same: Liberals 36%, Conservatives 31%, NDP 20%, Bloc 6%, Green 5% If the
election were held tomorrow, the results would be very similar to the results
of Ipsos’ polling last month: the Liberals under Justin Trudeau would receive
36% of the decided popular vote nationally (unchanged since last month),
while Erin O’Toole and the Conservatives would receive 31%, up 1 point.
Jagmeet Singh’s NDP would receive 20% of the popular vote, unchanged, while
Annamie Paul and the Green Party would receive the support of 5% of
Canadians, up 2 points. Just 1% would vote for Maxime Bernier and the
People’s Party (down 1 point), and 1% would vote for some other party (down 1
point). (Ipsos
Canada) 17 August
2021 Strong Majority Of Canadians
(Almost 80%) Support Vaccination Mandates; Open To Measures Including Vaccine
Passports According to
a recent Ipsos poll, in light of the recent mandate that vaccination will be
mandatory for air and train travel as well as for public servants. A strong
majority agree with the recently announced mandatory vaccination for federal
public servants (80%) and the requirement for proof of vaccination for flying
on an airplane or taking a train international or inter-provincially (82%).
Similar proportions support mandatory vaccination for healthcare workers
(84%), for teachers (81%), or vaccine passports to enter restaurants, gyms,
or other indoor spaces (72%). (Ipsos
Canada) 19 August
2021 Justin Trudeau Still Best to
Lead Country, Say Canadians (39%), Ahead of O’Toole (25%) and Singh (23%) Most
Canadians (39%) feel that Justin Trudeau is the federal party leader best fit
to be the Prime Minister of Canada. Around a quarter see Erin O’Toole (25%) and
Jagmeet Singh (23%) as the best candidates, while Canadians expressed much
lower levels of confidence in Yves-François Blanchet (4%, 18% in Quebec) and
Annamie Paul (4%). Six percent said they did not know or refused to comment.
Notably, based on current Ipsos polling data, Trudeau and Singh both poll
ahead of overall vote intention for their parties (i.e., 36% of Canadians
intend to vote for the Liberal party, and 39% say Trudeau is the best fit to
be the Prime Minister), while O’Toole, Blanchet, ad Paul trail behind. (Ipsos
Canada) 20 August
2021 AUSTRALIA 22% Of Esports Fans (~ 1.2
Million People) Say They Will Buy A Car Within The Next 12 Months According to YouGov data, there are 5.37
million Australians (18+) who have an interest in esports. This is already
almost half of the 10.8 million Australians with the same level of interest
in AFL and closing in on the 6.32 million Australian NRL fans. This is not a
‘niche’ group. Likewise, they are far more likely to be in the market for
credit cards, loans and saving & investment accounts. When it comes to
advertising, esports fans are more likely to say that advertising plays a
role in their purchasing decisoins. (YouGov
Australia) Australians Are Set To Spend Around $800 Million
On Father’s Day Presents This Year With Alcohol And Food Topping The Gifts
For Dad Australians
are set to spend around $800 million on Father’s Day presents this year with
alcohol and food topping the gifts for dad, according to research from the Australian
Retailers Association (ARA) in conjunction with Roy Morgan. People who
plan on buying a gift will spend an average of $93 with 79% spending the same
amount as last year with 13% to spend slightly more. Most (62%) already know
what gift they’ll purchase while 38% are yet to decide. (Roy Morgan) August 15
2021 NAB Likely To Leapfrog ANZ With 4.5 Million Customers Following
Agreement To Purchase Citigroup’s Australian Business A look at
the geographical distribution of the customers of the two banks shows that
the Victorian-based NAB draws well over a fifth of its customers from
Melbourne (22.6%) compared to only 18.9% in Sydney whereas this situation is
reversed for Citibank – over a quarter of their 1 million odd customers are
in Sydney (25.5%) compared to only 18.5% in Melbourne. (Roy Morgan) August 17
2021 MULTICOUNTRY STUDIES Pfizer Vaccine Received A
Net Positive Safety Score In Every Country Surveyed In both UAE
and KSA, the Pfizer vaccine received a net positive score of +67 and +61
respectively, with the public seeing the vaccine to be more safe than unsafe.
This is higher than its score in European countries like Bulgaria (+22),
Croatia (+46), Romania (+42), Greece, and Hungary (+55 each). In fact, the
lowest score the Pfizer vaccine received was in Bulgaria (+22), where 48% see
it as safe compared to 25% who see it as unsafe. (YouGov
MENA) August 9,
2021 Source: https://mena.yougov.com/en/news/2021/08/09/how-safe-are-covid-19-vaccines-seen-internationall/ Globally A Majority Of People Perceive A Strong Social Division, But
This Is Particularly Common In South Africa (74%), Hungary (72%) And Brazil
(72%) Seen
globally, in 16 of a total of 25 nations surveyed, a majority of people
perceive a strong social division, but this is particularly common in South
Africa (74%), Hungary (72%) and Brazil (72%). A majority of the
population in this country also believes in a society of elites: two out of
three respondents (66%), for example, are of the opinion that the economic
system in Germany is manipulated in favor of the rich and
powerful. Almost three quarters (73%) also believe that politicians
always find a way to protect their privileges. (Ipsos Germany) 9 August 2021 More Than Four Million People Are Known To Have Died Globally From
Coronavirus During The Pandemic The
research, conducted in June in 20 European countries, shows that Hungarians
are the most likely to believe lockdowns ‘do more harm than good’, at 42%.
This is twice as many as those believing they ‘do more good than harm’, at
20%. Another three in ten Hungarians (28%) say they do both equally. Sentiment
is similar in other southern and eastern European countries. A third of
Croatians (34%), Bulgarians (33%) and Greeks (33%) say the drawbacks of
lockdowns outweigh the benefits – in each case higher than the proportions
that believe the opposite to be true (19% of Croatians, 30% of Bulgarians and
26% of Greeks). (YouGov UK) August 17,
2021 An Average Of 58% Globally Say They Want To Do Sports But There Is No
Time To Do It (37%) According to
our Global Advisor research, the Netherlands is the most physically active of
the 29 countries surveyed. On average, he spends 12.8 hours a week doing
physical exercise or team sports, twice the global average of 6.1 for 29
countries. On the other hand, Brazilians appear to be the country with
the least physical activity at three hours a week. Other countries
reporting less than four hours of exercise per week are: France (3.7), Chile
(3.7), Italy (3.6) and Japan (3.3). (Ipsos
Turkey) 17 August
2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/tr-tr/spor-yapmak-istiyoruz-ama-vaktimiz-yok Only Seven Percent Of The Global Public In 29 Countries Who
Participated In The Survey Believe That Their Country's Economies Are Recovering According to
the research we conducted for the World Economic Forum, respondents from 29
countries state that at least two years are required for the country's
economies to recover due to the Covid-19 pandemic, three out of every four
individuals. Only seven percent of the global public who participated in
the survey believe that their country's economies are recovering, and 19
percent say they will recover within the next year. China is one of the
most optimistic countries. 56% of respondents from China state that
their economy is recovering. The most pessimistic country is Russia,
with 66% of those who think that the economic recovery will take more than
three years. (Ipsos Turkey) 18 August
2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/tr-tr/ulke-ekonomilerinin-kisa-zamanda-toparlanacagina-inanilmiyor In Surveys Conducted In 2020-1, More Than Four-In-Ten Say That U S
Foreign Assistance Helps Advance Women’s Rights And Strengthens Civil Society
In Their Country Since 1946,
the U.S. is estimated to have provided more than $346
billion dollars of
assistance to countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
region. Nevertheless, many citizens across the region actually favored
an increase in aid from the U.S. More than half of citizens in Jordan
(69 percent), Sudan (63 percent), Lebanon (54 percent), Morocco (53 percent)
and Egypt (52 percent) held this view, as did significant percentages in
Palestine (49 percent), Iraq (48 percent), and Tunisia (45 percent).
Only in Libya and Algeria did fewer than a third favor increased levels of
assistance from the U.S. (Arabbarometer) August 19, 2021 Source: https://www.arabbarometer.org/2021/08/u-s-assistance-to-mena/ ASIA
703-704-43-01/Polls Two-Thirds
Of Urban Indians (67%) Think P.V.Sindhu Has Made The Country Proud At An
International Sports Event
The recently concluded Tokyo Olympics 2020
saw India’s best rankings in over four decades and gave it its second gold
medal. On the occasion of India’s 74th Independence Day,
YouGov asked respondents which sportsperson according to them has made India
proud at an international level. Data from the survey conducted between 3
and 6 August among 1135 respondents reveals two-thirds of urban Indians (67%)
think P.V.Sindhu has made the country proud at an international sports event. The ace badminton player became India's
first female double Olympic medallist after her recent success at the Tokyo
Olympics 2020. Apart from this, Sindhu also has five World Championship
medals to her name and is the recipient of some of the highest honourable
awards like Padma Bhushan and Padma Shree. Following P.V.Sindhu, more than half think
six times world champion and boxing sensation- Mary Kom (53%) and the Queen
of Indian track and field- PT Usha (52%) have made the country proud. Both of
them are decorated Olympians who have won accolades for the country and
became a source of inspiration to many. The list is dominated by sportswomen,
including mega achievers like Sania Mirza (45%), Saina Nehwal (44%), Geeta
Phogat (35%) and Sakshi Malik (34%). The recent Tokyo Olympics 2020 showed the
strength of women power and it is not surprising to see these names in the
list. Two in five urban Indians (40%) think this year’s Olympic winner
Mirabai Chanu has made the country proud at an international event, whereas
Karnam Malleswari- India’s first female weightlifting champion to win a medal
at Olympics is considered inspiring by more than one in five (21%). Shining bright among these female achievers
is one of India’s best sportspersons- Milkha Singh. Popularly known as ‘The
Flying Sikh’, the country’s highly revered sports legend is considered
inspiring by nearly half of urban Indians (46%). The Padma Shri awardee has
has made the country proud at various international sporting events, including
the Olympics. Talking about Olympics, the recent Tokyo
Olympics 2020 participants and winners feature heavily in the list, including
gold medallist Neeraj Chopra. Around a quarter of urban Indians (24%) think
the star athlete has made the country proud. The results may have varied now
(survey was done prior to his win) after his epic victory at the games.
Nonetheless, he is considered inspiring by a notable proportion of urban
Indians. India’s first and the other Olympic gold
winner Abhinav Bindra is also part of the rankings (35%). The rest of the
list features other Olympic winners and participants, such as Lovlina
Borgohain (23%), Bajrang Punia (20%), Deepika Kumari (26%), Vinesh Phogat
(19%), Dutee Chand (18%), Rani Rampal (17%) and Manika Batra (15%). Apart from these young athletes, the
country celebrates some senior sportsmen who represented the country at
various International platforms and made us proud. The list comprises of
Indian hockey wizard- Dhyan Chand (33%), former Indian Hockey team captain-
Dhanraj Pillay (22%), the Olympic silver medal winner - Rajyavardhan Singh
Rathore (18%) and former Olympian shooter- Randhir Singh (9%). (YouGov India) August 12, 2021 Source: https://in.yougov.com/en-hi/news/2021/08/12/urban-indians-think-pv-sindhu-mary-kom-and-pt-usha/ 703-704-43-02/Polls Between June 1 And 8, 56% Respondents Said
The Government Has Been Handling The Rollout Of Vaccines Very Or Somewhat
Well
YouGov’s
Covid-19 Public Monitor has been tracking public sentiment since the outbreak
first happened in 2020. Data from the monitor shows that urban Indian
public’s perception of the Central Government handling the Coronavirus crisis
has improved since June. During the wave run between June 1 and 8, 56%
respondents said the government has been handling the rollout of vaccines
very or somewhat well. With the
rapid progression of the vaccination drive and its extension to 18+ adults,
this number has increased steadily, to 64% at the end of July (between 16-23
July). Similarly,
the percent of people saying the government is doing a good job in ensuring
those infected receive the best healthcare has increased from 54% to 61% during
this period. We also see
improvement in areas related to finance and economy. Between 1-8 June, 38%
respondents said the government is doing a good job in protecting people’s
jobs and 46% said the same about the government protecting the economy. This number
increased to 42% and 54% by the end of July. The story is
the same when looking at people’s perception of the state government’s
handling of the crisis. However, there are differences within regions. South
India has made a notable improvement in terms of public perception around the
state government’s rollout of vaccines, with 68% of residents in the region
saying the government has done a very or somewhat well job in this area as
compared to 60% who said this in June. Similarly,
there have been improvements in public perception in this area in both North
& Central India as well as Eastern India between June and July, while
perception among residents of West India has been stable throughout this
period. Overall, the
percentage of people saying compared to one month ago the Coronavirus
situation in India is getting better has gone up from 68% during the first
wave in June to 76% at the end of the July. Even though
public confidence in recovery has improved since June, almost all the
surveyed respondents are concerned about the third wave of the Coronavirus
pandemic to some extent. Three in ten
(29%) are extremely concerned, with respondents from East & North East
India most likely to say this than the rest (at 33%). On the other hand, 7%
of all respondents are not concerned at all. A quarter (24%) are ‘somewhat
concerned’, with residents of West India more likely than the rest to say
this (at 29%). When asked
how much will the Central government’s management of the pandemic influence
their voting choice in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, half the respondents
said it is going to affect their choice ‘very much’, 36% said it will have a
‘somewhat’ effect on their intention and 14% said it will not influence their
decision at all. (YouGov
India) August 18,
2021 Source: https://in.yougov.com/en-hi/news/2021/08/18/urban-indias-perception-governments-handling-coron/ 703-704-43-03/Polls 6 Out Of 10 People Think A Closure May Occur Again Due to the
increase in the number of cases, 64% of the society thinks that a closure may
occur again. Although the proportion of people who are anti-vaccine and
unsure about the vaccine is lower, the opinions of all masses are similar
that there will be no closure. 23% of the society is of the opinion that
a closure will not occur again.
Although the
number of cases raises concerns that there will be a lockdown again, half of
the population does not want any restrictions. Only one third of the
citizens are in favor of restrictions… 55% of the society does not want a
curfew to be imposed at night after today. The rate of those who want
such a ban is 31%.
Again, half
of the society does not want such a restriction. While 26% of the
citizens think that only closed areas should be closed, the rate of those who
think that they should be closed completely is 7%.
Similar to
other restrictions, half of the society thinks that there should not be an
intercity restriction. Again, only 3 out of 10 people are in favor of
such a restriction.
The Closing of Businesses such as Cinemas, Theaters and Performance
Centers is Not Wanted by Half of the Society Citizens
have a similar view on the closure of businesses such as cinemas and
theaters. The rate of those who think that such places should not be
closed is 48%, the rate of those who think that they should be closed is 32%.
6 out of 10 people think that it would be the right decision to
request a PCR test from people who do not have 2 doses of vaccine in places
where people are sitting next to each other. The opinions
of those who are vaccinated or who are positive about the vaccine and those
who are anti-vaccine differ clearly on the decision to ask for a PCR test
from people who are not vaccinated against the coronavirus in places such as
cinemas, theaters, intercity buses, and planes where people are sitting side
by side. While 65% of those who have been vaccinated or who are positive
about the vaccine think that people who are not vaccinated should be asked
for a PCR test when entering such places, 67% of those who are against the
vaccine are against such a decision.
Sidar Gedik, CEO of Ipsos Turkey, made the following evaluations
about the data; The epidemic affects our lives
like a pendulum; When the number of cases/losses decrease with vaccines
and precautions, the restrictions relax, the pendulum goes to one end, we
relax with the longing for our old lives, we socialize, the disease spreads
again, the restrictions begin to be discussed again, the pendulum moves to
the other end. (Ipsos
Turkey) 16 August
2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/tr-tr/toplumun-64u-tekrar-bir-kapanma-yasanabilecegini-dusunuyor 703-704-43-04/Polls 7 Out Of 10 Parents Now Want Face-To-Face
Education For Their Children
While 57% of
parents stated that the decision announced by the Ministry of National
Education that schools will switch to face-to-face education on September 6
was the right decision, 32% of them thought that this decision was wrong.
71% of Parents Want to Send Their Children to School for Face-to-face
Education 7 out of 10
parents now want their children to go to school for face-to-face
education. Only 15% say they don't want to send it. The rest have
not made a more definitive decision on this matter.
However, due to the increase in the number of cases, only 30% of
parents think that schools can switch to face-to-face education. Although the
majority of parents want to send their children to school for face-to-face
education and half of them approve the decision of schools to switch to
face-to-face education on September 6, 47% of parents thought that schools
could be opened at the beginning of July, but by the end of July due to the
rapid increase in the number of cases. this view drops to 30%.
71% of Parents Agree with Vaccination Mandatory for Teachers to Open
Schools Parents want
teachers to be vaccinated so that their children can go to
school. However, when it comes to the necessity of vaccinating parents,
the rate of parents who support this decision drops to 60%.
Parents Are More Cautious When It Comes To Vaccinate Their Children Compared to
both the vaccination of teachers and the vaccination of parents, parents are
more reluctant to be vaccinated when it comes to their children. While
45% of parents with children between the ages of 13-18 state that they would
like their children to be vaccinated, this rate drops to 20% when children
are in the 7-12 age group.
Sidar Gedik, CEO of Ipsos Turkey, conveying his evaluations on the
subject: “Schools could not be fully open for
about 3 semesters. From time to time, students in some classes were able
to attend face-to-face education, but the majority of students had to study
remotely. Children faced significant disadvantages during their physical
and mental development period. And of course, the fact that their
children were at home all this time brought additional burdens for working
parents. A large-scale resumption of face-to-face education in the new
academic year is of great importance. This was the
intention announced by the Ministry of National Education. We will see
how the reshuffle in the ministry will affect this intention. Yes, the
intention and need is to open schools, but on the other hand, the number of
cases has exceeded the daily limit of twenty-five thousand. The belief
that schools will open weakens as the weeks progress. In the past weeks,
one out of every two parents thought that schools would open, but the rate
has dropped to one-third. Unfortunately,
the rate of those over the age of 18 who have received 2 doses of vaccine
still has not reached 50%. All this creates hesitation among parents to
send their children, even if schools are opened. Approximately six out
of ten parents agree with the decision to open schools, while three do
not. There is a more positive picture when it comes to sending their
child to school, with seven out of ten parents stating that they will send
their child to school. However, this rate was eight in ten in the
previous weeks, increasing cases seem to have started to affect negatively. Action must
be taken to open schools. The most basic action is vaccination. 71%
of parents state that teachers should be vaccinated, and even six out of ten
parents believe that parents who want to send their children to school should
also be vaccinated. The issue of this determined attitude towards the
necessity of vaccination is relaxed as much as children, one of the two
parents thinks that children between the ages of 7-12 should not be
vaccinated, the rate of parents who say that children in this age group
should also be vaccinated is 33%. As the age of the child grows, the
supporter of vaccination also increases, the picture is reversed for the
children of the 13-18 age group, one of the two parents thinks that the
children in this group should be vaccinated. As a parent,
I believe it is imperative that we all focus on doing what is necessary for
schools to open in September. It's not just something students,
teachers, and parents can achieve. As a society, we must work to create
the necessary conditions. Being able
to re-start face-to-face education is very important in every aspect, pedagogically,
physically/mentally, socially, economically.” Said. (Ipsos
Turkey) 9 August
2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/tr-tr/her-10-ebeveynden-7si-cocuklari-icin-artik-yuz-yuze-egitim-istiyor MENA
703-704-43-05/Polls Most UAE
Residents 74% Think That The Tokyo Olympics' Theme Will Help Promote D&I
Globally Among The People
In the true spirit of sport, the Tokyo
Olympics 2020 tried to lift the human spirit amid a looming pandemic and
brought the world together by serving as a platform to demonstrate solidarity
against racism and inequality. Under the tagline, “Know Differences, Show Differences” the
2020 Summer Games were committed to incorporate Diversity &
Inclusion (D&I) into every aspect of its planning and operations. UAE which is home to people from over 200
nationalities resonated well with the D&I theme of the Tokyo
Olympics. YouGov survey results show that a vast majority of respondents
(74%) think that it will further help promote diversity and inclusion among
people across all countries.
There are some examples from this year’s
Olympics that not just set the ground strong for future games, but also
introduced the world to a new era of inclusivity. For the first time in the
history of the Olympics, hundreds of publicly out LGBTQ Olympians
participated (more than triple the number who participated at the 2016 Rio
Games) which reflected the growing acceptance of the LGBTQ community in
sports and society. Additionally, the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
also published a new edition of its 'Portrayal Guidelines' that aimed at
promoting a balanced coverage and fair portrayal of sportspeople in all their
diversity. The event further tried to show
inclusivity by implementing activities such as Diversity & Inclusion
assistance training (where staff members with an impairment served as
speakers), lower shopping counters (for people in wheelchairs to easily
access them), and conducting awareness workshops, etc. Such measures seem to
fall in line with the views expressed in the survey, where 47% of the
respondents indicated that in order to boost D&I at international
sporting events, all staff of sporting committees and participants should be
encouraged to learn about each other’s culture.
The survey data also reflects the popular
public perception of values in relation to the Olympic Games. The Olympics is
always thought to be more than just a platform for sports. Most of the UAE
residents feel that international sporting events like Olympics help boost
sportsmanship (42%) and friendship among nations (35%). Some believe that it
helps promote fitness (28%), world peace (27%), and unity in diversity (26%).
While a few equate it to be a way of strengthening more positive human
emotions like tolerance, happiness, and hope. (YouGov MENA) August 19, 2021 Source: https://mena.yougov.com/en/news/2021/08/19/tokyo-olympics-2020-can-commitment-towards-diversi/ AFRICA
703-704-43-06/Polls More Than
Three-Fourths (78%) Of Sudanese “Agree” Or “Strongly Agree” That The Lockdown
Was Necessary To Limit The Spread Of Covid-19
A majority of Sudanese say that last year’s
lockdown imposed by the government was necessary to limit the spread of
COVID-19, in spite of the toll it took on the economy and people’s
livelihoods, the latest Afrobarometer survey shows. Two in three Sudanese say they found it
difficult to comply with lockdown restrictions. A similar majority say the
government is doing “fairly badly” or “very badly" in managing the
response to the pandemic. The study also shows a
less-than-encouraging attitude toward vaccines: Few Sudanese trust their
government to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are safe, and only half say they
are likely to try to get vaccinated. Most believe that prayer is more
effective than a vaccine in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Key findings More than three-fourths (78%) of
Sudanese “agree” or “strongly agree” that the lockdown was necessary to limit
the spread of COVID-19 (Figure 1). However, two-thirds (66%) say they
and their households found it “difficult” or “very difficult” to comply with
lockdown restrictions (Figure 2). A majority (65%) of citizens say
government is doing “fairly badly” or “very badly" in managing the
response to the pandemic (Figure 3). Six in 10 Sudanese (59%) say they
trust the government “just a little” or “not at all” to ensure that any
COVID-19 vaccine is safe before it is used in this country (Figure 4). Only half (51%) say they are “somewhat likely”
or “very likely” to try to get vaccinated. Almost nine in 10 citizens (86%)
say prayer is more effective than a vaccine would be in preventing COVID-19
infection (Figure 5). (Afrobarometer) 11 August 2021 703-704-43-07/Polls Eight In 10
Adult Zimbabweans (80%) Say They Have Heard About Social Media
Most Zimbabweans who are familiar with
social media see its overall effects on society as positive, according to a
new Afrobarometer survey. Most citizens want to protect unrestricted access
to social media and the Internet. Most citizens are familiar with social
media, and about four in 10 say it is a regular source of news for them. A large majority of those familiar with
social media say it helps keep people informed about current events, though
many are also alert to negative effects of social media, such as making
people less tolerant and more likely to believe lies. Key findings Eight in 10 adult Zimbabweans
(80%) say they have heard about social media (Figure1). More than four out of 10 (42%) say
they get news from social media “every day” or “a few times a week” (Figure
2). Among those who have heard about
social media: o Nine out of 10 (91%) say it makes people
more informed about current events, and about half (49%) believe it helps
people have more impact on political processes (Figure 3). o But seven out of 10 (71%) also say social
media makes people more likely to
believe false information, and 44% think it makes people more
intolerant of those who hold different opinions. o Overall, a majority (61%) see the effects
of social media on society as “somewhat
positive” or “very positive” (Figure 4). Almost two-thirds (65%) hold the
view that social media and the Internet help keep citizens informed and
active and that unrestricted access to them must be protected (Figure 5). (Afrobarometer) 13 August 2021 703-704-43-08/Polls The
Proportion Of Gambians Who Describe Their Personal Living Conditions As
“Fairly Good” Or “Very Good” Has Decreased Drastically, From 66% In 2018 To
35%
A growing number of Gambians think their
country is heading in the wrong direction and want their government to prioritize the
economy and public service delivery, the latest Afrobarometer study shows. Over the past three years, the share of
Gambians who describe the country’s economy and their personal living conditions as
good has decreased significantly, while more citizens are going without basic
necessities such as enough food, enough water, and medical care. Approval ratings for the government and
leaders have declined significantly since 2018. Health, management of the economy, water
supply and education are the most important problems that citizens want the
government to address. The Gambia is ranked 172th out of 189
countries in the 2019 United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index. The
country is currently implementing a threeyear National Development Plan that
is expected to end in 2021. Key findings ▪ Six in 10 Gambians (60%) say the
country is heading in “the wrong direction,” double the proportion recorded
in 2018 (29%) (Figure 1). ▪ The proportion of Gambians who
describe their personal living conditions as “fairly good” or “very good” has
decreased drastically, from 66% in 2018 to 35% (Figure 2). ▪ The proportion who say they went
without basic necessities such as enough food, enough water, and medical care
during the previous year increased significantly compared to 2018 (Figure 3). ▪ Health (39%), management of the
economy (38%), water supply (27%), and education (26%) are the most important
problems that citizens want the government to address (Figure 4). o The share of respondents who cite management
of the economy as a priority problem has more than doubled since 2018. ▪ Citizens’ ratings of the
government’s performance on the economy, infrastructure, and basic services
have declined sharply over the past three years (Figure 5 and Figure 6). ▪ Approval ratings for the
performance of key government leaders have also declined since 2018 (Figure
7). (Afrobarometer) 17 August 2021 703-704-43-09/Polls Most
Zambians (84%) Prefer Democracy To Any Other Form Of Government
Zambia’s third transfer of presidential
power via elections occurred against a backdrop of overwhelming popular support for democracy,
clean elections, and multiparty competition, an analysis of recent Afrobarometer
findings shows. A survey in late 2020 found that even
though a majority of Zambians are not satisfied with the way their democracy is working, most reject
authoritarian alternatives to democracy and say the country should choose leaders through
regular, open, and honest elections. A majority of respondents also say the
country needs many political parties to make sure that citizens have real choices in who governs
them. Zambia joined a small group of African
countries to experience three transfers of power via elections when last week’s general
election, the country’s seventh since the reintroduction of multiparty democracy in 1991, resulted in a
clear victory for the opposition United Party for National Development. Sixteen political
parties participated in the election. According to the Christian Churches
Monitoring Group, while specific processes require improvement, the Electoral Commission of
Zambia delivered an election that reflects the will of the people. Key findings Most Zambians (84%) prefer
democracy to any other form of government and reject non-democratic alternatives such as
one-party rule (83%), military rule (90%), and one-man rule (91%) (Figure 1). o Six in 10 citizens (59%) say they are not
satisfied with the way democracy is working in the country (Figure 2). Three-quarters (76%) of Zambians
say leaders should be chosen through regular, open, and honest elections, while just 22%
would prefer to adopt other methods for choosing the country’s leaders (Figure 3). More than seven in 10 Zambians
(74%) say many political parties are needed to make sure that citizens have real choices in who
governs them. Only one-fourth (25%) of citizens say political parties create
division and confusion, and Zambia doesn’t need to have many of them (Figure 4). (Afrobarometer) 18 August 2021 703-704-43-10/Polls The
Proportion Of Zambians Who Say That “Most” Or “All” Officials In The
Presidency Are Corrupt Has Increased Steadily From 27% In 2014 To 40% In 2020
A growing number of Zambians say corruption
is on the rise and the government is doing a poor job of fighting it, a recent
Afrobarometer study shows. As in many African countries, the police
are most widely perceived as corrupt, followed by officials in the Office of the Presidency,
local government councilors, and members of Parliament. An overwhelming majority of Zambians think
that ordinary people risk retaliation if they report corruption to the authorities. Key findings Seven in 10 Zambians (71%) say
levels of corruption have increased over the past year, up from 55% in 2014 (Figure 1). Eight in 10 citizens (79%) say the
government is handling the fight against corruption “fairly badly” or “very badly” – a
significant increase from 66% recorded in 2014 (Figure 2). The police are most widely
perceived as corrupt: 54% of Zambians say “most” or “all” police officials are corrupt. Substantial
proportions of the population see widespread corruption in the Office of the Presidency
(40%), among local government councillors (36%), and among members of Parliament
(36%) (Figure 3). o The proportion of Zambians who say that
“most” or “all” officials in the Presidency are corrupt has increased steadily from 27%
in 2014 to 40% in 2020. More than three-fourths (79%) of
Zambians think ordinary people risk retaliation or other negative consequences if they report
corruption to the authorities (Figure 4). (Afrobarometer) 19 August 2021 WEST
EUROPE
703-704-43-11/Polls Six In Ten Britons (60%) Support The Introduction Of Vaccine
Passports Sooner Rather Than Later
The Conservative party is currently at war with itself over the
proposed introduction of vaccine passports. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is
leading the charge to introduce the controversial measures, which would see
people need to prove their vaccination status to access certain venues.
However, many Conservatives MPs threaten
revolt over their implementation. The latest YouGov research reveals that public opinion has stayed
much the same since
March, with six in ten Britons (60%) supporting the introduction of
vaccine passports sooner rather than later, including 30% who “strongly”
support their implementation. This is compared to 58% of the public who
backed their use in March this year. Some 32% of Britons would be opposed to the use of vaccine passports
during the vaccination programme, similar to the 34% who held this opinion in
the spring.
Despite continued Tory
infighting over the policy, two thirds of their voters (64%) would support
plans for vaccine passports. Sentiment is similar among Labour voters, 60% of
whom would also be in favour. The previous
iteration of this survey found that young people were divided over
the prospect of vaccine passports during the vaccination programme, however
now 18 to 24-year olds tend to oppose their introduction (48%) compared to
38% in support. Over half of 25-49 year olds (53%), and seven in ten of those
50 and over (70%) would support their introduction. Similarly to the last survey, support for vaccine passports after
everyone has been offered a vaccine is slightly higher (68%) than rolling the
system out while the vaccination programme is still underway. What venues should require vaccination
passports? In Ireland, proof of vaccination and photo ID are already a
requirement for adults wishing to dine indoors at restaurants and cafes,
with Costa
going viral as a result. In the UK, however, no such rules yet
exist, but would Britons support them if they were introduced? Two thirds of people (67%) think that care homes should mandate full
COVID-19 vaccination for visitors, compared to 24% who think they should
not. Around half of people also think that pubs and bars (54%), gyms (53%)
and cinemas (52%) should have requirements for patrons to be fully vaccinated
against COVID-19 before being allowed to enter. Last month, the University and College Union called on the government
to require
full vaccination for students who wished to return to University
campuses for in-person teaching – something the government has now ruled out. However, the
public tends to think it should be the rule, with 49% in favour of vaccine
passports for university campuses, versus 40% opposed. Among 18-24 year olds,
this opposition rises to 47%, with only 29% thinking campuses should require
vaccine passports.
The British Chambers of
Commerce have suggested that three in ten workplaces could ask
staff to provide proof of vaccination before they are allowed to
return to work, Public opinion is divided, however, with 43% in favour of
workplaces using vaccine passports, and 46% opposed. While Costa has to require proof of vaccination in Ireland, Britons
do not think cafés in the UK should have to as well, with 52% opposed to
cafes using vaccine passports. Previously, 44% of people thought cafes should
implement vaccine passports, compared to 37% who hold that opinion now. Places that people are least likely to want to see vaccine passports
include supermarkets (27%, -4 points since March) and outdoor areas such as
pub gardens (26%, -7pts) and garden centres (25%, -4pts). (YouGov UK) August 09, 2021 703-704-43-12/Polls Two In Five Britons Think Mortgage Applications Are Unfair
In April 2021, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the
government would be backing 95% loan-to-value mortgages for properties valued
up to £600,000. The move is part of the Conservatives’ broader plan to turn
“Generation rent into Generation Buy”.
But is there any appetite for it?
Data from YouGov Direct shows that, when asked about the tradeoff
between taking a mortgage with a higher deposit requirement – but a lower
overall interest rate – or a mortgage with a smaller deposit and a higher
interest rate, two-thirds would go for the former (65%). Just one in five
would opt for a lower-deposit, higher-interest plan (20%): with the
proportion remaining the same for Britons aged 18-34. The 5% deposit plan may
not move the needle for would-be homeowners. But if lower-deposit mortgages aren’t necessarily the answer to their
woes, there may well be appetite for reforming the process of getting a
mortgage. Two in five Brits (38%) think the criteria used to approve or deny
mortgages are unfair, with less than a quarter (22%) saying the application
process is fair. Banks could also benefit from providing current customers with more
incentives to stick with the devil they know. While 18% of the public say
that, if they were in the market for a new mortgage product, they would stay
with their current provider, three-quarters (73%) say they would shop around
for the best deal. There’s clearly at least some stickiness when it comes to
finding a mortgage; if banks can find ways to reward the loyalty of
long-time, householding customers, they may be rewarded in turn. (YouGov UK) August 10, 2021 703-704-43-13/Polls Britons Are Most Likely To Support Banning Imports Of Goods Linked To
Deforestation (60%)
A new survey by Ipsos MORI shows widespread support for various
actions by the UK government to address climate change, both domestically and
around the world. Deforestation seems to be an important area to address
among many Britons, both in the UK and abroad, while increased investment in
renewable energies and improved emissions reduction targets around the world
also receive large levels of support. Considering international actions they’d like to see the UK
government take to address climate change, Britons are most likely to support
banning imports of goods linked to deforestation (60%) and the use of
Britain’s diplomatic influence to persuade other countries to increase their
emissions reduction targets (58%). Only around 1 in 10 oppose these actions
(10% and 8% respectively).
A majority of Britons would also like to see the UK government reduce
emissions at a faster pace to set an example to other countries (56%),
restrict trade with countries who do not commit to international climate
targets (53%) and end their investments in coal, oil and gas projects abroad
(51%). Just under half of Britons support giving financial aid, both to help
developing countries adapt to the impacts of climate change and help
developing countries reduce their emissions (both 44%), while around a
quarter would oppose this (24% and 25% respectively. Looking closer to home, 7 in 10 (71%) support the increased
investment of money in renewable energy here in the UK, only 7% oppose this.
Over half (56%) would like to see the ban of all goods in the UK that are
linked to deforestation, 1 in 10 oppose (11%). Less than half (44%) are in favour of removing all coal power from
the UK, just under 1 in 5 would be against the UK government taking this
action (17%). Only a third (35%) support the banning of sales of new petrol
and diesel vehicles in the UK, a similar proportion are opposed (32%).
As part of the UK’s international commitment to combat climate
change, the government has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by
at least 68% by 2030. Most Britons believe this commitment is about right,
42% believe the government’s pledge is at the right level while a quarter
(25%) say it is too ambitions and 17% say not ambitious enough. Only 4% of
Britons say this commitment is unnecessary. However, in March 2021, only 3 in
10 (31%) of Britons said the UK government had a clear plan to tackle climate
change.
Jessica Long, Head of Sustainability at
Ipsos MORI, said: Previous Ipsos MORI surveys have shown how
keen Britons are for the government to take action against climate change,
here we see particular interest in tighter regulations and increased
investments. As well as desires to see more done on home soil, there is
appetite and opportunity for the UK to be global leaders in the climate
change fight. (Ipsos MORI) 10 August 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/britons-climate-change-priorities-august-2021 703-704-43-14/Polls Half (53%) Of Tory Voters Say They Immigration Is A Top Issue Facing
The Country
Every week, YouGov tracks the most pressing issues facing the country
according to Britons. Unsurprisingly, concerns over health have consistently
topped the tables since the beginning of the pandemic, along with fears for
the economy. Our latest survey has 50% of Britons putting health as one of their
top three national concerns, followed in second place by the economy on 44%. Among Conservative voters, however, immigration is the most pressing
concern right now. Half (53%) of Tory voters say they immigration is a top
issue facing the country, about the same as the number concerned about the
economy (52%). Conservatives are notably less worried about health, which
only 42% chose, placing it third overall.
Tory concern about immigration has been on an upward trend since the spring,
with only around a third having put it in their top three from January to
late March. The general population currently puts immigration fourth on their
list of concerns, at 31%, behind the environment at 34%. Labour voters prove to be much more concerned about health than their
Tory counterparts. More than six in ten (62%) say it is one of the top issues
facing the country, 12pts higher than the population as a whole, and ranking
first among Labour backers. The environment is actually the second most worried about issue for
Labour, at 45%, followed by the economy on 38%. Immigration ranks eighth for
Labour voters, at 14%. (YouGov UK) August 11, 2021 703-704-43-15/Polls Two In Three Support Increasing National Insurance For Social Care
Reform Or To Reduce NHS Backlog
Ipsos MORI’s latest Political Monitor reveals around half (49%) of
Britons want the Government to increase spending on public services, even if
that means higher taxes or more government borrowing. A third (34%) think
spending on public services should be kept at the current level, whilst just
9% say spending should be reduced to allow for tax cuts or less government
borrowing. That said, support for increased public spending has been slipping
from two in three (66%) towards the end of 2018 and a firmer majority (56%)
just before the 2019 General Election. There are also partisan divides with
2019 Labour voters wanting more spending than Conservative supporters (74% vs
40%). Although even among those Conservatives, few (8%) favour cuts to
spending, with 44% instead wanting to keep it at current levels. Public opinion is divided over what the Government will actually do.
Around a third each think it will either keep spending at current levels
(34%) or reduce it (32%), whilst slightly fewer (27%) expect them to actually
increase spending. This latter figure has dropped from over a third (35%)
expecting increases in October 2019.
In both cases, there is little partisan divide, with similar levels
of support from Conservative and Labour 2019 voters alike. However, although
on balance still in favour of the tax increase, young people are relatively
less supportive (in each case 56% of 18-34-year-olds versus 73% of those aged
55 or over).
Traditional party divides are more apparent here. Three in four (74%)
Labour 2019 voters are willing to pay more tax to achieve net zero, compared
with half of Conservatives (52%). This is similar when looking at levelling
up (67% of Labour supporters willing versus 42% of Conservatives). In this
case, young people are most likely to say they are very willing to pay taxes
to help pay for the cost of net zero (39%, vs 26% of those aged 55 and over). There is somewhat less willingness among the public to pay more to
reduce the deficit in public finances caused by increased spending during the
pandemic. Forty-four per cent say they are willing to pay more to help reduce
this, whilst just over a third (35%) are not (with little difference by 2019
vote). Meanwhile, whilst still marginally positive, economic optimism
continues to slip from its peak a couple of months ago. Forty-four percent
think the economy will improve over the next twelve months, whilst two in
five (39%) think it will get worse. This leaves an Economic Optimism Index of
+5 (down from +22 in June). Gideon Skinner, Head of Politics at Ipsos
MORI, says of the findings: Even though it might have been dampened by
the pandemic, there is still some appetite amongst Britons for more spending
on public services. In particular, they can be persuaded to support tax rises
that will be used to pay for improvements to public services, as Gordon Brown
found in 2002 and as we may find again with proposals to raise National
Insurance to pay for social care reform or to clear the NHS backlog. Even
past Conservative supporters are in favour of these, although young people
are slightly less supportive of the rise than older groups (unlike taxes to
pay for net zero). (Ipsos MORI) 11 August 2021 703-704-43-16/Polls The Public Are Divided On Whether The Government Should End Universal
Credit Top Up, With Two In Five Britons (38%) Supporting The Move, While An
Equal Share (39%) Oppose It
The government has announced that it will phase out the
£20-a-week universal credit top up this autumn. It has been in place since
the start of the pandemic. This has prompted criticism from six
Conservative former work and pensions secretaries who have urged the
chancellor not to end the “vital” uplift. The public are divided on the issue, with two in five Britons (38%)
supporting the move, while an equal share (39%) oppose it. Public opinion falls notably along party lines. Approaching two
thirds of Conservative voters (63%) are in favour of ending the £20 top-up,
which is being paid out to more 5.5 million households in the UK claiming
universal credit. Only one in five (20%) oppose it. Nearly identical shares of Labour voters are of the opposite opinion,
with 61% against ending the higher payments, while 20% support it. Britons more likely to think benefits are
not generous enough than too lavish Three in ten people (31%) say universal credit payments tend to be
‘not generous enough’ – twice as many as those saying they are ‘too generous’
(15%). Another fifth of the public believe they are about right (22%), while
a third (33%) are unsure. Predictably, this issue separates those on the left from those on the
right. But Labour voters are much more likely to say benefit payments are too
low than Tory voters are to say they’re too high. Half of Labour-supporting Britons (52%) say universal credit payments
are ‘not generous enough’ – a view shared by 14% of Conservative voters.
Meanwhile, one in four Tory supporters (27%) believe they are ‘too generous’,
echoed by a mere one in twenty Labour voters (5%). Another 30% of Conservative supporters and 17% of Labour voters say
universal credit payments are about right. (YouGov UK) August 12, 2021 703-704-43-17/Polls The Public Are Strongly Agreed (87%) In Saying It Has Done A Good Job
In Ensuring The Public Are Vaccinated
Ipsos MORI’s latest Political Monitor shows the Conservatives retain
a clear lead over the Labour party amid positive sentiment towards their
handling of the pandemic, the economy and unemployment levels. Looking ahead,
however, the public is more critical towards the government’s delivery of
improved public services, crime, and levelling up. Government record When asked to consider Boris Johnson’s government’s performance since
it was elected in December 2019, the public are strongly agreed (87%) in
saying it has done a good job in ensuring the public are vaccinated as soon
possible (even 79% of Labour supporters agree). Nearing half are also
positive about its managing of the economy (49%) and keeping unemployment
down (48%) and increasingly so since last December (when results were 44%,
41% respectively). However, sizeable proportions still think they are
performing badly on each (40% economy, 36% unemployment, and rising to 53%
and 47% respectively among 18-34 year olds).
The worst rated areas for the Government are its attempts to level up
by reducing regional inequalities (22% good job vs 55% bad), improve the NHS
(26% vs 65%), improve the education system (23% vs 57%), handle race
relations (27% vs 56%) and deal with crime (26% vs 58%). People in North England are among the most critical of the levelling
up agenda, with nearing two in three (64%) saying they are doing bad job,
compared with 44% in the South (excluding London). Meanwhile, crime is the
issue where Conservative supporters are most concerned, with as many critical
as positive (40% say good job, 45% say bad job). Political trackers and COVID-19 Satisfaction with the Government has recovered slightly from a dip
last month, with two in five (39%, +4 over the month) saying they are
satisfied and half dissatisfied (51%, -4). These scores are reflected in Mr
Johnson’s personal ratings, with similar proportions satisfied (41%, +3) and
dissatisfied (52%, -2). Whilst both scores result in negative net ratings (of
-12, -11 respectively), looking back into Ipsos MORI’s long-term trends they
are bettered only by Tony Blair at this point into his premiership. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer’s ratings show little sign of recovery.
Twenty-seven per cent say they are satisfied with him (unchanged), whilst the
majority (53%) are dissatisfied (+3). This results in a net-satisfaction
score of -26, which is behind ratings for Tony Blair and David Cameron at
similar points as Opposition leaders, and more comparable with those seen by
Ed Miliband and William Hague. Ed Davey continues to struggle breaking through with the public. One
in five (21%) are satisfied, and a third (32%) dissatisfied (both barely
changed since last month), whilst nearly half (47%) say they don’t know.
Following the ending of lockdown restrictions, the public are now
less negative about the Government’s handling of the pandemic than last
month, but opinion is still divided. Forty-four per cent say they are
handling it well (+3), whilst slightly fewer say badly (37%, -6).
Furthermore, with the double-vaccinated no longer having to self-isolate if
‘pinged’ from next Monday (in England), the majority (55%) say this decision
is being taken about the right time. One in five say it is too soon (23% -
Labour supporters most cautious at 35%) whilst another fifth (17%) say too
late.) Meanwhile, there has been little change since July in headline voting
figures:
Gideon Skinner, Head of Politics at Ipsos
MORI, says of the findings: As Parliament rises for the summer, the
public’s scorecard on government delivery suggests the Conservatives’ lead is
helped by positive ratings for their handling of the economy and unemployment
during the pandemic (although less so among young people), and most
strikingly for the vaccination programme, which gets high approval across the
board. However, looking ahead the Prime Minister will also want to focus on
public services – specifically the NHS, education and crime (where even his
own supporters are worried), while so far the public don’t see much evidence
of progress on levelling-up regional inequalities. Even so, Keir Starmer’s
Labour party is struggling to make headway against this, with little sign of
improvement this month. (Ipsos MORI) 12 August 2021 703-704-43-18/Polls Almost Half Of Brits 45% With Opinion On The Matter Say Manchester
City Are Favourites To Win League
As the Premier League 2021-22 season gets underway, we ask the public
which club they feel is the best prepared to win the title. Manchester City
emerge as the overwhelming favourites, drawing a vote of confidence from
almost half of all those who picked a club (45%). Pep Guardiola’s team, which has claimed the Championship in three of
the past four seasons, has been picked the favourite for another title by
almost four times as many people as any of the other 19 teams. Manchester United take the second spot with 12% of people with an
opinion choosing the Red Devils as season favourites. Chelsea bag 11% of the
votes despite investing heavily this summer, while 2019-20 champions
Liverpool have been picked as the season favourite by just 9% of those with
an opinion, following a disappointing domestic campaign last time out. Even fans of Man City’s top rivals have declared them as favourites
to lift the trophy at the end of 2021-22 season. Among fans of the four clubs
that followed Man City on the League table in 2020-21 – Manchester United,
Liverpool, Chelsea and Leicester City – two in five think Man City will go
all the way once again (39%). Manchester United and Chelsea retain their positions as the second
and third favourites among this subset of people, although the former picks
up a much more significant lead. (YouGov UK) August 13, 2021 703-704-43-19/Polls 44% Of Britons Supported The Withdrawal Of Western Troops From
Afghanistan
Over the last twenty years, 454 British forces personnel or MOD
civilians have died while serving in Afghanistan. Now, following the
withdrawal of western forces, the Afghan government has collapsed and Kabul
has fallen to rapidly advancing Taliban forces. Helicopter evacuations of
foreign diplomats, as well as scenes of widespread panic across the city, are
reminiscent of the fall of Saigon in 1975. Was it right for the western allies to
withdraw? Last week, YouGov research showed found that 44% of Britons supported
the withdrawal
of western troops from Afghanistan, compared to 26% who were
opposed. Now, with Afghanistan falling back under complete Taliban control
for the first time since 2001, people tend to think it was the wrong decision
to pull military support out of the country. Two fifths (42%) of Britons say it was the wrong decision to withdraw
troops, compared to 28% who think it was right to do so. Three in ten Britons
(31%) are unsure. Conservative voters are more likely to have a view than Labour voters
over the withdrawal. Approaching half of Tories (48%) think the withdrawal is
wrong, compared to 40% of Labour voters. Another one in three Conservatives
(33%) say it was right, compared to 25% of Labour supporters. Was it right to intervene in the first
place? The invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 was prompted by the refusal of
the ruling Taliban government to extradite Osama bin Laden after the
September 11th terror attacks. In 2001, YouGov research for the Guardian and Observer found 68%
of the public in favour of deploying British troops to the country –
but now the public is split on whether intervention in Afghanistan was the
right thing to do. Some three in ten (31%) think the intervention of western nations was
right, while 32% aren’t sure, and 36% think it was the wrong thing to do. Conservative voters (40%)
are more likely than Labour supporters (25%) to say
the intervention was right, with nearly 40% and 39% respectively thinking it
was the wrong thing to do. Labour voters are much more likely to be unsure
(35% versus 21% of Conservatives). What has it achieved? Afghanistan now ceases to be, with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
that was defeated in 2001 reinstated following the victory of the Taliban. The majority of Britons (53%) think that two decades of war in the
country did not ultimately achieve anything - including over half of both
Labour (56%) and Conservative (59%) voters. As well as thinking the war has achieved nothing, Britons tend to
think the war has not improved the lives of people living in Afghanistan. A
third (35%) say the war has not made life any better or worse for people
there, while 27% think it has made life worse for them. Only 15% think
conditions in the country have improved following the involvement of the
western allies. Ultimately, the British people tend to consider the outcome of the
conflict as a loss for the Western nations involved (46%). Among older
Britons, who no doubt remember the start of the invasion, the conflict is
seen as a loss, including half of 50-64 year olds (53%) and six in ten (60%)
of those 65 and over. Despite the rapid resurgence of the Taliban, a third of Britons (36%)
think that we neither lost nor won the conflict. (YouGov UK) August 16, 2021 Source: https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2021/08/16/britons-react-collapse-afghanistan 703-704-43-20/Polls Two Thirds (68%) Support Maintaining The Rule Stating That The Value
Of The State Pension Must Rise Each Year, Compared To Just 11% Who Want To
Scrap It
The pensions triple lock rule was introduced in 2011 by the coalition
government. The rule states that the value of the state pension must rise
each year in line with the highest of three possible figures: how much the
average price of goods and services have risen nationally; how much average
earnings have risen nationally; or by 2.5%. The goal of the policy is to keep the standard of living among state
pensioners rising in tandem with the rest of society. But because of quirks
in the rules, some are now calling for
the triple lock to be modified or abandoned. Given a brief description of what the triple lock is (see chart), the
public strongly wants to keep it in place. Two thirds (68%) support
maintaining the rule, compared to just 11% who want to scrap it. The policy as described is popular across all of society, garnering
the support of the youngest Britons (18-29 year olds want to keep it by 53%
to 12%) and the non-retired population (by 63% to 13%). Unsurprisingly the
retired are its biggest fans, with 85% wanting to keep the triple lock. The generations differ on whether it is
fair for the state pension to go up while workers are struggling Of course, the triple lock sounds perfectly nice when described in
isolation. But there are times when quirks in the way the rules work bring up
a question of fairness. The coronavirus pandemic is such a time. Because so many low-paid workers lost their jobs during the pandemic,
this means that the average wage value in Britain has artificially risen; not
as a result of people’s wages going up, but as a result of those on lower
wages dropping out of the calculation. Consequently, the state pension is set
to rise by 8% this year – because the triple lock requires that it
rise by the highest out of prices, wages, or by 2.5% – which
many consider unfair at a time when many working people have lost their jobs
or not seen their wages increase. So we wanted to test where Britons stand on potential unfairness in
the way the triple lock can work. We asked people how fair it would be for
the state pension to increase in various negative scenarios. The results show a huge divide between young and old, working and
retired. Asked whether it would be fair to raise the value of the state
pension at a time when average earnings among working people are falling,
retired Britons think this is a fair situation by 61% to 24%. Non-retired
Britons are more split, with 37% seeing it as fair and 36% as unfair. Age is the key dividing line. While 63-64% of those aged 60 and above
consider it fair, this falls to just 24-26% of the under-40s.
Younger Britons also tend to think it is unfair to increase the state
pension during times of rapidly increasing unemployment, and are split on the
fairness of boosting pensions when wages are stagnant or public spending cuts
need to be made. In all three of these examples, those aged 40 and over are much more
likely to see them as fair than unfair. The same goes for both retired and
non-retired Britons as a whole. Britons – including younger people – don’t
see unfairness as a reason to not follow the triple lock rules We then tied these negative scenarios directly to the triple lock,
and asked Britons whether they would prefer to keep the triple lock in place
and allow them to happen, or suspend or scrap the pensions rule in order to
prevent them. Despite having previously identified the scenarios as unfair, many
under-40s baulk at amending the triple lock in order to stop them coming to
pass. For instance, in the event that the state pension would increase at a
time when average earnings were falling, by 30% to 23%, 18-29 year olds would
rather keep the triple lock than make an exception and only give pensioners a
smaller increase that year. Among people in their thirties those figures are
33% and 25% respectively.
When combining the responses on the fairness question with what they
would do about it in reality, we see that about a third of those young people
who think each scenario is unfair nevertheless wish to keep the triple lock
in place. These switchers are enough to put the ‘keep the triple lock’ side
slightly higher than the ‘make an exception in this case’ side in all
scenarios among young people. Among older people the preference across all
scenarios is strongly in favour of keeping the triple lock in place. Sentiment in favour of keeping the triple lock in place is even
stronger among all groups when our survey posed the choice between keeping
the triple lock or scrapping it entirely to avoid unfairness. It is also worth noting that huge numbers of young people answered
“don’t know” on questions of fairness (31-43%) and what to do in the various
scenarios (39-49%), while older Britons are much more likely to have an
opinion. Can it ever be right to freeze or decrease
the value of the state pension? While thinking it perfectly fair for workers to fund their pension
increases at a time when their own wages are falling, pensioners reject the
notion that they too could be asked to sacrifice their income. Nine in ten retired Britons (91%) say there are no circumstances
where it could be acceptable to reduce the value of the state pension, and
71% say the same about freezing it. Other Britons tend to agree when it comes to cutting pensions, but
aren’t so sure that there is no case for ever freezing them. Non-retired
Britons are split, with 40% saying they can see that it might be right to fix
the value of state pensions for a period versus 38% who reject this possibility. Four in ten Britons under the age of 50 (43-45%) likewise say there
is a case to be made for freezing the state pension on occasion. Among 18-29
year olds this is twice as many as think maintaining the state pension at a
certain rate unconscionable (22%).
(YouGov UK) August 18, 2021 703-704-43-21/Polls British Public Equally Divided Over Withdrawal Of Military From
Afghanistan
New polling shows that Britons are split on the British military
withdrawing from Afghanistan, with 39% of people saying it was the
right thing to do and 40% saying it was the wrong decision. The British
public are more critical of the US withdrawing its troops, with 47% of people
saying it was the wrong thing to do, however it is still not the majority of
people. Nearer a third (31%) think the US made the right decision pulling
their troops out of Afghanistan.
When it comes to future interventions, if the Taliban regime commits
widespread human rights abuses or allows extremist groups to operate in
Afghanistan, the most popular options are diplomatic/economic interventions
(34%) and humanitarian interventions (32%), with the a third agreeing
with each of these options. One in five (22%) would support
military interventions and a similar proportion (19%) think Britain shouldn’t
intervene at all. There are, however, significant differences
between Conservative and Labour voters, with Conservative more likely to
favour military intervention (29% vs. 21% of Labour voters) whereas Labour
voters would support an humanitarian intervention (25% vs. 42%).
The majority of people (52%) don’t think the British military
campaign was effective in bringing stability to Afghanistan. Just one in
three (34%) think it has been effective, which is down from 42% in 2015.
The public also remain split on whether the military campaign was
successful in preventing Afghanistan from being used as a base for terrorists
to attack British interests. Two in five (42%) think it was effective, whilst
another two-fifths (41%) say it wasn’t – this compares to 41% (effective) and
49% (ineffective) in 2015.
Ben Page, CEO of Ipsos MORI,
said: The British public is divided over whether
or not Britain was right to withdraw forces from Afghanistan, with 39% saying
it was the right thing to do and 40% opposed. More feel America was wrong to
withdraw, but even here not a majority (47%). In terms of what
happens next only 19% say we should do nothing; most want humanitarian
measures and sanctions against the regime and humanitarian aid. (Ipsos MORI) 19 August 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/britons-are-split-over-afghanistan-military-withdrawal 703-704-43-22/Polls Gun ownership: three quarters of Britons want stricter laws
Following the recent tragic shootings in
Plymouth, Priti Patel has announced new measures on civilian gun ownership.
Those wishing to have a firearms license in the UK will now have to undergo
a mental health check with a doctor, as well as disclose medical conditions to police
officers. A new YouGov survey reveals that 76% of
people think the current gun ownership laws should be tightened. This
includes 39% who think there should be greater restrictions on ownership and
a similar proportion (37%) who would back an outright ban on civilian firearm
ownership. Around one in six (17%) think the current
gun laws are about right, and 3% think they should be relaxed. The survey shows that while similar
proportions of all age groups think that gun ownership should be outlawed,
those aged 65 and over are nearly twice as likely to say laws should be
tightened (52%) compared to 18- to 24-year-olds (27%). A further 22% of 18-
to 24-year-olds say that current firearm laws are about right, twice as high
as among those aged 65 and over (11%). Both Labour and Conservative voters would
back tighter laws over firearms. While Conservative voters are more likely to
favour increased restrictions on gun ownership (46%), some 30% would back a
total ban on ownership. Nearly half of Labour voters (47%) want to see a
total ban, while 33% want stricter laws. Some 19% of Conservatives and 16% of
Labour voters say that the current laws are about right, with 4% of Tories
and 1 % of Labour voters wanting the rules relaxed. These latest results show more people in
favour of tighter gun control (76%) than a previous iteration of this survey
from 2010 (69%)
– including an additional 6% of people in favour of a total ban. However,
this increase may be the effect of the recent Plymouth shooting - further
study at a later date will be needed to see if attitudes have changed for the
long term. (YouGov UK) August 20, 2021 703-704-43-23/Polls A Total Of Three Quarters Of The Respondents See A Chance For Another
Covid-19 Wave In Hungary
One third of the adult population is convinced of the sharp increase
in the number of cases in the autumn, and a total of three quarters of the respondents
see a chance for another Covid-19 wave in Hungary. FIGURE: How likely do you consider the
fourth wave of the disease to be in Hungary this autumn? (on the basis
of the adult population, N = 1,000 people)
In stark contrast to the above, the results suggest that only
one-sixth of the population would still maintain the restrictions still in
place, while nearly two-thirds would ease them. FIGURE: Do you think it is still necessary
to maintain the current restrictive measures in Hungary? (on the basis
of the adult population, N = 1,000 persons / month)
Again, those under 40 can be singled out as a social segment in favor
of opening up (more than a third of them would remove all
restrictions). In contrast, the population over the age of 60 remains
cautious (half as much in favor of lifting the rules). Although the trend experienced earlier seems to have stopped, the
daily practice of Hungarians still shows that the mutations of the virus
that are still present are basically harmless . FIGURE: Which of the following activities
is true for you? (on the basis of adult population, N = 1,000 persons /
month)
Significant
differences by population segment can also be reported in this case, where
the age of the respondents proves to be the dominant segmentation factor: the
older ones are more cautious, the younger people live community life more
boldly. - adds Annamária Földes, the leader of the research. This time, Ipsos' research also mapped the shopping habits of the
population, according to which Hungarians spend more now than before the
pandemic. With a 58% majority estimating the same level of spending,
they reported 23% higher and 14% lower household spending. The largest
increases were reported by those over 60 (spending 30% more), graduates (28%)
and Budapest (30%). FIGURE: How much do you feel about shopping
compared to the period before the coronavirus epidemic? (on the basis of
the adult population, N = 1,000 people)
Ipsos' international research series , What
Worries the World , has been measuring household inflation fears
every month for more than a decade, in which Hungary was in the more
optimistic half of the international list. In line with the above
results, the risk of money deterioration occupies Hungarians at an ever
higher level, and a clear trend is beginning to emerge, according to which
both absolute and relative indicators of inflation fears have increased in
the recent period. FIGURE: What is causing you concern? -
Inflation (based on the adult population, Mo .: N = 500 persons / month)
The results of the Ipsos Omnibus research represent the Hungarian
population over the age of 18 according to the most important
socio-demographic indicators (such as age, gender, education, region of
residence, type of settlement). Since April 2020, the research company's Covid-19
database has expanded to more than 17,000 records, and the analyzes made from
it, even individual, tailored to specific customer needs, can be
purchased. Contact our experts for details. (Ipsos Hungary) 12 August 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/hu-hu/jarvany-elotti-idoszakot-tulszarnyalo-lakossagi-koltesek NORTH
AMERICA
703-704-43-24/Polls Among All U.S. Adults, 63% Favor Making Tuition At Public Colleges
Free
American adults generally support making tuition free at public
colleges and universities for all U.S. students, yet there are sizable
partisan and demographic differences in views of tuition-free college. Republicans, in particular, are divided by age and educational
attainment in opinions on this issue, according to a new Pew Research Center
survey conducted July 8-18, 2021. Among all U.S. adults, 63% favor making tuition at public colleges
free, including 34% who strongly favor
the proposal. Slightly more than a third oppose tuition-free college (36%),
with 20% strongly opposed. These views are little changed over the past year. Large shares of Black (86%), Hispanic (82%) and Asian American (69%)
adults favor making college free for all Americans, compared with 53% of
White adults. And while 73% of adults under age 30 favor this proposal, only
about half (51%) of those ages 65 and older support it.
Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents overwhelmingly favor
making college tuition free for all American students (85% support this).
While 63% of Republicans and Republican leaners oppose making college
tuition-free, 36% support this. There are significant differences in these views among Republicans
and GOP leaners: Those under age 30 are nearly twice as likely as those 65
and older to support making college tuition free for all Americans (45% vs.
23%). And while Republicans who have completed college mostly oppose making
tuition free for all American students, the proposal draws more support from
Republicans who do not have a four-year degree.
The differences among Republicans are particularly stark when
combining age and educational attainment. Among Republicans under age 50 who
have not completed college, 52% favor making college tuition free for all
Americans. Among Republican college graduates in this age group, only 30%
support this. Support for tuition-free college declines among older Republicans,
regardless of whether or not they have completed college. However, even among
Republicans ages 50 and older, those who have not completed college are more
supportive of this proposal than those who have a college degree. (PEW) AUGUST 11, 2021 703-704-43-25/Polls International Travel Is Something A 71% Majority Of U.S.
Adults Have Done At Some Point In Their Lives
Americans are gradually returning to international travel,
though international
travel restrictions remain in place in many countries. In March 2021 – the most recent month for which data is available –
around 3 million American citizens traveled outside of the country. This is
shy of the nearly 4 million U.S. citizens who traveled abroad in March 2020
as the coronavirus
pandemic unfolded and far below the roughly 8 million who did so in
March 2019, according to U.S.
Department of Commerce data. But it represents a significant uptick over
the low point in the late spring of 2020, when only around 1 million
Americans or fewer left the United States. Still, international travel by
Americans remains far below pre-pandemic levels.
Whether before or during the pandemic, international travel is
something a 71% majority of U.S. adults have done at some point in their
lives, according to a June Pew Research Center survey. By contrast, around a
quarter (27%) have not traveled abroad. Still, the degree to which Americans have traveled around the globe
varies widely: 19% have been to only one foreign country, 12% to two
countries, 15% to three or four countries, and 14% to five to nine countries.
Only 11% of Americans have been to 10 or more countries. Who travels – and how much – also differs substantially across
demographic groups. Income plays a decided role: Almost half (48%) of those
earning less than $30,000 a year have not left the country, compared with 28%
of those who earn between $30,000 and $79,999 a year and 10% of those earning
$80,000 or more. These highest earners are also significantly more likely to
have visited multiple countries.
Americans with lower levels of education are much less likely to have
traveled widely than those with more schooling. For example, 37% of those
with just some college education or less have not left the country, compared
with only 7% of those who have graduated college. College graduates are also
more likely to have been to multiple countries: A quarter have been to 10 or
more countries. Women (32%) are more likely than men (22%) to have never traveled
outside the country. Men, for their part, are much more likely than women to
have been to five or more countries (30% vs. 22%). Still, men and women are
equally likely to have been to only one country. Black Americans are much less likely to have ever traveled abroad
(49%) than White (75%) or Hispanic Americans (73%). White adults are also
more likely to have been to five or more countries (30%) than Black (13%) or
Hispanic (15%) adults. When it comes to party affiliation, there are no significant
differences in the share of Republicans and Democrats who have traveled
internationally or in the number of countries they have visited.
The 64% of Americans who say they are at least somewhat interested in
keeping up to date on foreign affairs or foreign policy are much more likely
to have traveled abroad at some point in their lives than those who say they
have limited or no interest. They are also more likely to have been to many countries. For example, 32% of
those who are interested in foreign affairs or foreign policy have been to at
least five foreign countries, compared with 14% who are less focused on
keeping up to date on foreign affairs. (PEW) AUGUST 12, 2021 703-704-43-26/Polls Among U.S. Adults Overall, 53% Say Increased Attention To That
History Is A Good Thing For Society
A little more than a year after nationwide
protests erupted after George Floyd’s murder at the hands of the Minneapolis
police, the public is deeply divided over how far the nation has progressed
in addressing racial inequality – and how much further it needs to go.
Opinion on the current national reckoning
over the history of slavery and racism in the United States casts these
divisions into stark relief: Among U.S. adults overall, 53% say increased
attention to that history is a good thing for society, while 26% say it is a
bad thing and another 21% say it is neither good nor bad. Among Black adults, 75% say heightened
public attention to this topic is a good thing, with 54% saying it is “very
good” for society. Majorities of Asian American (64%) and Hispanic (59%)
adults also view this positively, though much smaller shares say it is a very
good thing, compared with Black adults. Among White adults, however, fewer
than half (46%) say greater attention to the history of slavery and racism in
the U.S. is good for society, with just 24% saying it is very good – about a
third (32%) say it is bad. The partisan divide in these opinions is
even wider: Just 25% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say
greater attention to the history of slavery and racism is a good thing; far
more (46%) view it negatively, while 29% see it as neither good nor bad.
Democrats and Democratic leaners – across racial and ethnic groups – express
overwhelmingly positive views of increased attention to the topic (78% say it
is good for society).
The latest national survey by Pew Research
Center, conducted July 8-18 among 10,221 adults, finds sizable differences
between parties – as well as differences within parties – over how to ensure
equal rights for all Americans, regardless of their racial or ethnic backgrounds. Half of all adults say “a lot” more needs
to be done to ensure equal rights for all Americans regardless of their race
or ethnicity, while about as many say either that a little (34%) or nothing
at all (15%) needs to be done. The half of Americans who say a lot more
needs to be done to ensure equal rights are split over how this can be
achieved. About a quarter of the public (24%) says that while there are many
inequities in U.S. laws and institutions, necessary changes can be made by
working within the current systems, while roughly as many (25%) say that most
laws and major institutions need to be completely rebuilt because they are
fundamentally biased against some racial and ethnic groups. Nearly eight-in-ten Black adults say a lot
more needs to be done to ensure equal rights for Americans of all racial and
ethnic backgrounds. This includes 58% who say that in order to achieve this
goal, most of the nation’s laws and major institutions need to be completely
rebuilt because they are fundamentally biased and 19% who say needed changes
can be made by working in the current systems. Smaller majorities of Hispanic (59%) and
Asian American (56%) adults say a lot more needs to be done to achieve racial
equality; just 30% of Hispanics and 24% of Asian Americans say laws and
institutions are fundamentally biased and need to be completely rebuilt.
Among White adults, 42% say a lot more
needs to be done to ensure racial equality: 18% say most laws and
institutions need to be completely rebuilt, while 24% say necessary changes
can be made within the current systems. Republicans overwhelmingly think only a
little (47%) or nothing (30%) needs to be done to ensure equal rights for all
Americans, regardless of their racial or ethnic backgrounds. Just 22% say a
lot more needs to be done, with only 7% saying that most major institutions
need to be rebuilt because they are fundamentally biased. Democrats, by contrast, generally agree
that a lot more needs to be done to achieve racial equality (74% say this).
Yet Democrats are divided over whether this will require rebuilding most laws
and institutions (40%) or can be achieved working through existing systems
(33%). Many of the partisan and racial differences
on how much still needs to be done to address racial inequities in this
country stem from divergent opinions on how much has been achieved: Republicans are
much more likely than Democrats to say the nation has made a lot of progress
toward racial equality over the past half-century. About seven-in-ten Republicans (71%) say
the U.S. has made a lot of progress over the last 50 years in ensuring equal
rights for all Americans, regardless of their racial or ethnic backgrounds,
while just 29% of Democrats say this. A 61% majority of Democrats say a
little progress has been made to ensure equality among Americans of all
racial and ethnic backgrounds.
These views are almost the reverse of
opinions about whether more needs to be done to bring about racial equality;
more than three times as many Democrats (74%) as Republicans (22%) say a lot
more needs to be done. Black adults are broadly skeptical about
the progress the U.S. has made on this issue over the past 50 years. Only 19%
say the country has made a lot of progress, while 64% say it has made a
little and 16% say the country has made no progress at all. A majority of
White adults (56%) say the U.S. has made a lot of progress on racial equality
in this period, as do smaller shares of Asian American (44%) and Hispanic
adults (38%).
The survey finds little change in the past
year in opinions about whether White people benefit from advantages that
Black people do not have. But there has been an increase since 2016,
especially among Democrats, in the share saying White people benefit a great
deal because of their race. Overall, 31% of the public says White
people benefit a great deal from societal advantages that Black people do not
have; 27% say they benefit a fair amount, while 40% think White people derive
little or no benefit from advantages that Black people lack. A 53% majority of Democrats say White
people benefit from advantages in society that Black people do not have.
While that is little changed in the past year, the share of Democrats
expressing this view has increased 15 percentage points since 2016 (from 38%
to 53%). There has been very little change in
Republicans’ views over the past five years: Just 6% of Republicans now say
White people benefit from advantages that Black people do not have. Nearly
three-quarters of Republicans (73%) say White people get little benefit (39%)
or no benefit at all (34%) from advantages that Black people do not have. Public sees progress ensuring equal rights
for all Americans regardless of racial or ethnic background – also says more
needs to be done
Reflecting back over the last 50 years,
more than nine-in-ten Americans say the country has made progress toward
“ensuring equal rights for all Americans regardless of their racial or ethnic
backgrounds” – about half of the public (48%) says a lot of progress has been
made, while nearly as many (45%) say a little progress has been made. Only 7%
say the country has not made any progress toward racial equality. However, while many Americans say the
country has made at least some progress toward racial equality, many say
there is more to be done: 50% say a lot more needs to be done, while another
34% say a little more needs to be done. But 15% say nothing at all still
needs to be done. There are wide differences in how Americans
view the country’s progress toward racial and ethnic equality across
demographic groups. For example, adults ages 50 and older (52%)
are more likely than younger adults (43%) to say the country has achieved a
lot of progress toward ensuring equality for all Americans. And adults under
the age of 50 are slightly more likely than older adults to say there is a
lot more progress needed (53% vs. 47%). Black adults, in particular, stand out for
their views on progress on racial equality in the country. Just 19% of Black
adults say the country has made a lot of progress toward ensuring equality
for all Americans regardless of racial or ethnic backgrounds over the last 50
years, compared with much larger shares of White (56%), Asian American (44%),
and Hispanic adults (38%). Nearly two-thirds of Black adults (64%) say the
country has only made a little progress toward racial equality. Black adults also are the most likely to
say that a lot more needs to be done to ensure equality for all Americans:
Nearly eight-in-ten Black adults (78%) hold this view. Smaller shares of
Hispanic (59%) and Asian adults (56%) say a lot more needs to be done to
achieve equality for all Americans. And while 42% of White adults say the
country has a lot more to do to achieve racial equality, 38% say only a
little more needs to be done. About two-in-ten White adults (19%) say the
country does not need to do more to ensure equality for all Americans
regardless of racial or ethnic background – much higher than any other racial
or ethnic group. Republicans and Republican leaners (71%)
are far more likely than Democrats and Democratic leaners (29%) to say the
country has made a lot of progress toward racial equality over the last 50
years. About six-in-ten Democrats (61%) say the country has made a little
progress over the last half-century toward ensuring equality for all
Americans regardless of racial or ethnic backgrounds. In contrast, while about three-quarters of
Democrats (74%) say there is a lot that needs to be done to achieve racial
equity, just 22% of Republicans hold this view. About half of Republicans
(47%) say a little more needs to be done to ensure racial equality and 30%
say nothing more at all needs to be done.
Those who say the country has only made a
little progress in ensuring equal rights for all Americans are more likely
than others to say a lot more needs to be done to continue the progress. Overall, 70% of adults who say the country,
over the last 5o years, has made a little progress toward racial equality
say a lot more still
needs to be done to ensure equal rights for all Americans. A much smaller
share of adults who say the country has made a lot of progress in the past
(31%) say the same. Six-in-ten adults who say there has been no progress
toward racial equity in the country say there is a lot more that needs to be
done to ensure this equality. And while this pattern occurs among both
Republicans and Democrats, large partisan gaps are evident in the shares who
say a lot more still needs to be done to achieve racial equality. About
eight-in-ten Democrats who say a little has been done in the last
half-century (81%) also say a lot more needs to be done, as do 62% of
Democrats who say a lot has been done and 70% of Democrats who say no
progress has been made. By comparison, the opinion that a lot more needs to
be done to ensure equal rights for all Americans is held by 39% of
Republicans who say little progress has been made in the last five decades
and an even smaller share (15%) of Republicans who say a lot of progress has
been made. Americans who say a lot has to be done to
ensure equal rights for all split over whether many laws and institutions
need to be ‘completely rebuilt’ While half of Americans say that a lot
needs to be done to ensure equal rights for all Americans, those who express
this view are divided over what needs to be done.
A quarter of Americans say that to ensure
equal rights for all Americans, “most U.S. laws and major institutions need
to be completely rebuilt because they are fundamentally biased against some
racial and ethnic groups.” A nearly identical share (24%) says “while there
are many inequities in U.S. laws and institutions, the necessary changes can
be made by working within the current systems.” Overall, nearly six-in-ten Black adults
(58%) say that in order to ensure equality for all Americans regardless of
their racial or ethnic backgrounds, most major U.S. institutions need to be
completely rebuilt because they are fundamentally biased against some racial
and ethnic groups, while just 19% say necessary changes to address inequities
can be made within the current systems; about two-in-ten say little or
nothing at all needs to be done. Among other racial and ethnic groups,
smaller shares overall say a lot more needs to be done; those who do are
roughly evenly split between those who say changes can be made within current
systems and those who think most institutions need to be completely rebuilt
because they are fundamentally biased. As a result, Black adults (58%) are
significantly more likely than Hispanic (30%), Asian American (24%) and White
(18%) adults to say most institutions and laws need to be completely rebuilt. There also are substantial age differences
in these views: Younger adults are not only more likely than older adults to
say a lot more needs to be done to ensure racial equality, but those who do
are also more likely than their older counterparts to say most U.S. major
institutions need to be rebuilt to ensure racial equality. Nearly four-in-ten
adults ages 18 to 29 (37%) say this, compared with 21% of those 50 to 64 and
16% of adults 65 and older. About three-quarters of Democrats say a lot
needs to be done to ensure equality for all Americans, including 40% who say
that achieving this requires rebuilding most major institutions and 33% who
say changes can be made by working within current systems. Among Democrats,
there are ideological differences in these views: About half of liberal
Democrats (47%) say most laws and institutions need to be completely rebuilt
to address fundamental biases against some racial and ethnic groups; 35% of
conservative and moderate Democrats say this (a third of each group says
necessary changes can be made within the system). Only about two-in-ten Republicans (22%) say
there is a lot more that needs to be done to ensure equal rights for all racial
and ethnic groups, with 14% saying that necessary changes can be made from
within the system and just 7% saying that institutions need to be rebuilt in
order to ensure equality for all Americans. Across racial and ethnic groups, younger
adults are more likely than those who are older to say the best way to ensure
equality for all Americans is to rebuild most major U.S. laws and
institutions. Still, both Black adults under 50 (64%) and those ages 50 and
older (52%) are more likely than those in other racial or ethnic groups to
say that in order to ensure equal rights for all Americans, most institutions
need to be rebuilt. White and Hispanic Democrats are more
likely than their Republican counterparts to say a lot more needs to be done
to ensure equality for all Americans. And this pattern holds among partisans
when looking at shares who say the way to ensure equality for all Americans
requires rebuilding most U.S. laws and institutions.
Among Democrats, however, there are
differences by race and ethnicity on whether necessary changes to ensure
racial equity can come from within current systems or require fundamental
changes: Black Democrats (61%) are far more likely than Hispanic (39%), White
(34%) and Asian Democrats (31%) to say that major institutions in the country
need to be completely rebuilt in order to ensure equal rights for all
Americans. Four-in-ten White Democrats say that although there are inequities
within U.S. laws and institutions, it is possible for necessary changes to be
made by working within current systems, while equal shares of Hispanic and
Asian Democrats (32% each) say the same. Two-in-ten Black Democrats hold the
view that racial inequities can be addressed by working within current
systems. Narrow majority of the public says increased
attention to history of slavery and racism is good for society
As the country continues to grapple with
the issue of race, about half of American adults (53%) say that the
“increased public attention to the history of slavery and racism” is good for
society, including 30% who say it is very good for society. About a quarter
of adults say this increased attention is somewhat bad (14%) or very bad for
society (11%). Another 21% say it is neither good nor bad. Views on whether the public’s increased
attention to the history of slavery and racism is good or bad for society are
divided by age and education, as well as by race and political affiliation. Black adults are most likely to say that
increased public attention to the history of racism is good for society.
Three-quarters of Black adults say this increased attention is good,
including more than half (54%) who say it is very good for society. Smaller
majorities of Hispanic (59%) and Asian adults (64%) also say greater
attention to the history of racism is good for society. Among White adults,
46% express this view; about a third of White adults (32%) view this as a bad
thing, while 22% say it is neither good nor bad. Younger adults hold a more positive view on
the public’s increased interest in America’s racial issues than do older
people: Two-thirds of adults ages 18 to 29 view the public’s increased
attention to the history of slavery and racism as a good thing for society,
compared with about half of adults over the age of 30. Those with higher education are more likely
to say the public’s increased attention on racial issues is good for society
than those with less formal education. For example, 61% of adults with a
college degree or more education say this is good for society, compared with
about half of those without a college degree (49%). This pattern is evident
among both White and Black adults; Hispanic adults with a four-year college
degree are about as likely as those who do not have a degree to view the
increased attention to the history of slavery and racism as a good thing for
society. While partisanship is a major factor in
these opinions, both parties are divided ideologically in views of the impact
of increased public attention to the history of slavery and racism. While
large shares of both liberal Democrats and conservative and moderate
Democrats view the increased attention as good for society, liberal Democrats
are far more likely to say it is very good (64% vs. 37%). Among Republicans,
35% of moderates and liberals express positive views of the impact of
increased attention to racism, compared with just 19% of conservative
Republicans.
There also are demographic differences in
these opinions within partisan groups, especially among Republicans. Hispanic Republicans are about twice as
likely as White Republicans to say the increased public attention to
historical racial issues is good for society (42% vs. 21%). And while 42% of Republicans under age 30
say the increased attention to America’s racial history is good for society,
only about quarter of older Republicans say the same. About half of
Republicans ages 50 and older (52%) say this increased interest is bad for
society, with 24% saying it is very bad for society. By contrast, Democrats and Democratic
leaners across age and racial and ethnic groups are largely united in their
views that the increased public attention to the history of slavery and
racism is a good thing for society. Black adults overwhelmingly say White
people benefit from advantages because of their race; White adults are
divided About six-in-ten adults say that White
people benefit a great deal (31%) or a fair amount (27%) from advantages in
society that Black people do not have. About a quarter say that White people
benefit not too much and another 17% say White people do not benefit at all
from advantages in society that Black people do not have.
Black adults, in particular, stand out for
the view that White people benefit from societal advantages: About
nine-in-ten Black adults say White people benefit at least a fair amount,
including 71% who say they benefit a great deal. And while smaller majorities of Hispanic
(70%) and Asian adults (73%) say White people have advantages over Black
people, White adults are divided: 47% say White people benefit at least a
fair amount from advantages that Black people do not have, compared with 52%
who say they do not benefit much or at all from any advantages. Nearly three-quarters of Republicans (73%)
say that White people do not benefit much or at all from advantages in
society that Black people do not have, while 26% say that White people
benefit at least a fair amount from advantages. However, among Republicans,
views on whether these advantages exist differ by ethnicity. While a large majority of White Republicans
(78%) say that White people do not benefit much or at all from advantages
Black people do not have, views among Hispanic Republicans are more divided:
46% say White people benefit at least a fair amount, while 53% say that White
people do not benefit much or at all from advantages Black people do not
have. Sizable majorities of Democrats in all
racial and ethnic groups say that White people benefit at least a fair amount
from advantages that Black people do not, but there are differences over
whether White people benefit a great deal from these advantages. About
three-quarters of Black Democrats say White people benefit a great deal from
advantages in society that Black people do not have, compared with smaller
shares of Asian (54%), Hispanic (52%) and White Democrats (45%). The public’s views on whether White people
benefit from advantages Black people do not possess have changed only
modestly since 2016. Yet Democrats increasingly say White people benefit a
great deal from these advantages, while Republicans’ views are largely
unchanged.
Currently, 53% of Democrats say that White
people benefit a great deal from societal advantages Black people do not
have, up from 38% in 2016. Over the past year, however, there has been little
change in Democrats’ views. The shares of Democrats who say White
people have a great deal of advantages over Black people have increased among
all racial and ethnic sub-groups since 2016. About three-quarters of Black
Democrats (76%) say White people benefit a great deal from these advantages
today, compared with 68% who said this in 2016. The share of White Democrats
who hold this view has also risen sharply – from 26% in 2016 to 45% today. Views among Republicans have largely
remained unchanged over the last five years. A sizable majority of
Republicans (73%) continue to say White people benefit only a little or not
at all from advantages that Black people lack. (PEW) AUGUST 12, 2021 703-704-43-27/Polls Nearly Half 49% Of U.S. Adults Have Tried Marijuana
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The percentage of U.S. adults who say they have
tried marijuana has ticked up to 49%, the highest Gallup has measured to
date. More than 50 years ago, just 4% said they had tried the drug, but that
percentage surpassed 20% in 1977, 30% in 1985 and 40% in 2015. A much smaller proportion of U.S. adults, 12%, say they "smoke
marijuana." The percentage of current marijuana smokers has been steady
in recent years, varying between 11% and 13% after increasing from the 7%
Gallup initially measured in 2013.
Line graph. Trends in marijuana usage among U.S. adults. In 1969, 4%
of U.S. adults told Gallup they had ever tried marijuana. The percentage
increased to 11% in 1972, 24% in 1977, 33% in 1985, and has been 44% or
higher since 2015, including 49% this year. Gallup first asked Americans
whether they smoke marijuana in 2013. 7% said they did. The percentage has
been between 11% and 13% since then. The results are based on Gallup's annual Consumption Habits poll,
conducted July 6-21. Generational patterns explain the increase in marijuana
experimentation over the last five decades. The oldest Americans living
today, those born before 1945 whom Gallup calls "traditionalists,"
are much less likely than those in other birth cohorts to have tried
marijuana, with just 19% saying they have done so. That compares with about
half of millennials (51%), Generation Xers (49%) and baby boomers (50%). These generational figures are based on combined data from the
2015-2021 Consumption Habits surveys. Gallup does not yet have sufficient
data to provide reliable estimates for Generation Z, the oldest of whom are
24 years old now. Comparing the most recent generational figures with data from the
1980s and 1990s finds little change in the rate of marijuana experimentation
among baby boomers and Gen X. Combined data from the 1985 and 1999 Gallup
polls shows that 44% of members of Gen X and 50% of baby boomers had tried
marijuana as of then. During those years, a lower proportion of traditionalists than today
had tried marijuana (10%). The increase in that group today compared with the
1980s and 1990s probably reflects the dying off of many of the oldest members
of that generation, who were much less likely than younger traditionalists to
have tried marijuana. Percentages of Americans in Each Generation Who Have Tried Marijuana,
Over Time Keeping in mind that all of your answers in this survey are
confidential, have you, yourself, ever happened to try marijuana?
Thus, with little change in generational rates of marijuana
experimentation over time, the increase in the proportion of U.S. adults who
have tried marijuana mainly reflects millennials replacing older traditionalists
in the U.S. adult population. Younger Americans Most Likely to Smoke
Marijuana While Americans born during the Baby Boom era or later differ little
in whether they have tried marijuana, younger Americans are more likely than
older Americans to say they currently smoke marijuana. The combined 2015-2021
data shows that 20% of millennials smoke marijuana, compared with 11% of Gen
Xers, 9% of baby boomers and 1% of traditionalists. These age differences,
which have been consistent in Gallup's polling, indicate that, at least
historically, people tend to try marijuana at a younger age but as they get
older, most no longer continue smoking it. In addition to the age differences in current marijuana smoking,
Gallup has also found differences by gender, religiosity, political
orientation and education:
Bottom Line The percentage of Americans who have tried marijuana has steadily
climbed in recent decades. Soon it should reach 50%, but it may not get much
higher than that given the rates of experimentation have been steady around
50% in Gen Xers and among baby boomers. Half of millennials have also tried
marijuana, and with many in that group approaching middle age, that
proportion seems unlikely to increase in future years. As such, Gen Z's incidence of trying marijuana will likely determine
the trajectory of the trendline. If Gen Z experimentation rates are similar
to their predecessors', the percentage may soon level off. It could, however,
continue to grow if Gen Z and succeeding generations try marijuana at rates
above 50%. Gallup has a shorter trend line on current marijuana smoking. That
percentage has been steady near 12% in recent years. Still, nearly as many
Americans today say they smoke marijuana as say they smoke
cigarettes, given the long-term decline in cigarette smoking. (Gallup) AUGUST 17, 2021 Source: https://news.gallup.com/poll/353645/nearly-half-adults-tried-marijuana.aspx 703-704-43-28/Polls Roughly Half Of U S Adults (48%) Now Say The Government Should Take
Steps To Restrict False Information
Amid rising concerns over misinformation online – including
surrounding the COVID-19
pandemic, especially vaccines – Americans are now a bit more open to the
idea of the U.S. government taking steps to restrict false information
online. And a majority of the public continues to favor technology companies
taking such action, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
Roughly half of U.S. adults (48%) now say the government should take
steps to restrict false information, even if it means losing some freedom to
access and publish content, according to the survey of 11,178 adults
conducted July 26-Aug. 8, 2021. That is up from 39% in 2018. At the same
time, the share of adults who say freedom of information should be protected
– even if it means some misinformation is published online – has decreased
from 58% to 50%. When it comes to whether technology companies should take steps to
address misinformation online, more are in agreement. A majority of adults
(59%) continue to say technology companies should take steps to restrict
misinformation online, even if it puts some restrictions on Americans’
ability to access and publish content. Around four-in-ten (39%) take the
opposite view that protecting freedom of information should take precedence,
even if it means false claims can spread. The balance of opinion on this
question has changed little since 2018.
Partisan divisions on the role of government in addressing online
misinformation have emerged since 2018. Three years ago, around six-in-ten in
each partisan coalition – 60% of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents and
57% of Democrats and Democratic leaners – agreed that freedom of information
should be prioritized over the government taking steps to restrict false
information online. Today, 70% of Republicans say those freedoms should be
protected, even it if means some false information is published. Nearly as
many Democrats (65%) instead say the government should take steps to restrict
false information, even if it means limiting freedom of information. Partisan views on whether technology companies should take such steps
have also grown further apart. Roughly three-quarters of Democrats (76%) now
say tech companies should take steps to restrict false information online,
even at the risk of limiting information freedoms. A majority of Republicans
(61%) express the opposite view – that those freedoms should be protected,
even if it means false information can be published online. In 2018, the
parties were closer together on this question, though most Democrats still
supported action by tech firms. Some demographic differences that existed on these questions in 2018
have now largely disappeared. Three years ago, older Americans and those
with less education were more likely than younger and more educated adults,
respectively, to say the U.S. government should take steps to restrict false
information online, even if means limiting some freedoms. Now, Americans
across nearly all age groups are fairly evenly divided between the two views.
Similar changes have occurred when it comes to Americans’ educational
background. Women still tend to be more open than men to the idea of both the
government and tech companies taking action to restrict false information
online, though both groups have become a bit more supportive of the
government taking such steps.
(PEW) AUGUST 18, 2021 703-704-43-29/Polls Roughly Seven-In-Ten Rural Americans (72%) Say They Have A Broadband
Internet Connection At Home
Rural Americans have made large gains in adopting digital technology
over the past decade and have narrowed some digital gaps. However, rural
adults remain less likely than suburban adults to have home broadband and
less likely than urban adults to own a smartphone, tablet computer or
traditional computer. Roughly seven-in-ten rural Americans (72%) say they have a broadband
internet connection at home, according to a Pew Research Center survey of
U.S. adults conducted from Jan. 25 to Feb. 8, 2021. While broadband adoption
has not significantly increased for urban and suburban Americans in the last
five years, rural residents have seen a 9 percentage point rise in home
broadband adoption since 2016, when about six-in-ten (63%) reported having a
high-speed internet connection at home. Despite the rise in rural adoption,
rural residents are still less likely than those living in suburban areas to
report having home broadband. As is true for the nation as a whole, mobile technology use among
rural adults has also risen rapidly, with the share of those owning
smartphones and tablets increasing sharply since 2011. While smartphone
ownership rose significantly (9 points) among rural residents in the past
three years, their tablet ownership has remained relatively equivalent to
what it was in 2019. Similarly, rural ownership of desktop or laptop
computers remains largely unchanged.
When looking at differences by community type in technology
ownership, rural adults are less likely than urban adults to own traditional
or tablet computers. In addition, rural residents are less likely than
suburbanites to say they have a tablet. Rural adults are also less likely than suburban and urban adults to
have multiple devices
or services that enable them to go online: Three-in-ten adults who live in
rural communities report owning or having a desktop or laptop computer, a
smartphone, a home broadband connection and a
tablet computer, compared with 44% of urban and 43% of suburban adults. Rural residents go online less frequently than their urban
counterparts. Eight-in-ten adults who live in rural communities say they use
the internet on at least a daily basis, compared with roughly nine-in-ten of
those in urban areas (88%). In addition, three-in-ten or more urban (37%) and
suburban (30%) residents say they are online almost constantly while about a quarter of rural
residents (23%) say the same. In a 2018 Center survey, adults who lived in rural areas were more
likely to say access to high-speed internet was a
major problem in their local community: 24% said this, compared with
13% of urban adults and 9% of rural adults. Similar rates of concern about
access to high-speed internet were shared by rural adults in both lower- and
higher-income households, as well as by those with various levels of
educational attainment. These comparably lower levels of adoption among rural residents may
be due to a unique feature of rural life. Even though rural areas are more
wired today than in the past, current infrastructure does not support consistently
dependable broadband access in many rural areas.
This lack
of reliable high-speed internet access has come to the forefront of
discussions about navigating remote
work and school during the coronavirus
pandemic. Although rural residents are less likely to be broadband users than
are suburban residents, only 29% of rural adults say the government has a
responsibility to ensure that all Americans have a high-speed internet
connection at home during the coronavirus outbreak. In comparison, 50% of
urban residents and 35% of suburbanites say the same, according to previously
unexplored data from an April
2020 Pew Research Center survey. (PEW) AUGUST 19, 2021 703-704-43-30/Polls Out Of The Starting Blocks - More Of The Same: Liberals 36%,
Conservatives 31%, NDP 20%, Bloc 6%, Green 5%
Toronto, ON, Aug 17, 2021 — Despite
the Prime Minister calling an election that a majority (56%) of Canadians
believe should not be
held during a pandemic, a new Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Global News
has shown that nothing has changed substantially with party standings even
with the official start of the campaign. If the election were held tomorrow, the results would be very similar
to the results of Ipsos’ polling last month: the Liberals under Justin
Trudeau would receive 36% of the decided popular vote nationally (unchanged
since last month), while Erin O’Toole and the Conservatives would receive
31%, up 1 point. Jagmeet Singh’s NDP would receive 20% of the popular vote,
unchanged, while Annamie Paul and the Green Party would receive the support
of 5% of Canadians, up 2 points. The Bloc, led by Yves-Francois Blanchet,
would receive 6% of the vote nationally (down 1 point), or 28% in Quebec.
Just 1% would vote for Maxime Bernier and the People’s Party (down 1 point),
and 1% would vote for some other party (down 1 point). Nearly two in ten
(17%) Canadians either remain undecided (13%) or would not vote in this
election (4%), suggesting that the election is still far from over. While match point remains elusive for the Liberals, they hold the
advantage in some of Canada’s most seat-rich provinces:
These vote figures within the regions would likely fail to produce a
meaningful difference to the distribution of seats that presently comprises
the House of Commons, suggesting that another minority government remains the
likely outcome of this election. The data also reveal that there are some key differences in voting
intentions by gender, and by age:
Underlying assessments of the Trudeau government remain lukewarm.
Overall, 51% approve of the performance of the Liberal government under
Justin Trudeau (up 1 point), but this assessment is tepid at best with only
11% saying they strongly approve while 39% somewhat approve. In contrast, 49%
disapprove (28% strongly/21% somewhat) Moreover, 41% believe the Trudeau government has done a good job and
deserves re-election (down 1 point), a figure which sits 5 points above the
Liberal vote intention. It seems that many Canadians would give Trudeau a
thumbs up for his performance as Prime Minister but are still willing to
entertain the possibility of change, with 57% saying it’s time for another
party to take over. The quest for a majority is made more difficult by the fact that
Canadians are split down the middle as to whether things in Canada are headed
in the right direction (48%) or are headed off on the wrong track (50%). The
Prime Minister will need to convince Canadians that a future under his
continued leadership is better than the alternatives, and that he can steer
Canada in the right direction. (Ipsos Canada) 17 August 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/news-polls/Out-of-the-Starting-Blocks-More-of-the-Same 703-704-43-31/Polls Strong Majority Of Canadians (Almost 80%) Support Vaccination
Mandates; Open To Measures Including Vaccine Passports
Toronto, ON, Aug 19th, 2021
— The 44th Canadian Federal Election is already
being dubbed “the pandemic election”, and we are barely into the first week
of the campaign period. Is it any wonder then that subjects related to
COVID-19 are top of mind for Canadians? According to a recent Ipsos poll, in light of the recent mandate that
vaccination will be mandatory for air and train travel as well as for public
servants, Canadians show that not only do they agree with these measures, but
they would support imposing a vaccine mandate for healthcare workers and
teachers as well. A strong majority agree with the recently announced
mandatory vaccination for federal public servants (80%) and the requirement
for proof of vaccination for flying on an airplane or taking a train
international or inter-provincially (82%). Similar proportions support
mandatory vaccination for healthcare workers (84%), for teachers (81%), or
vaccine passports to enter restaurants, gyms, or other indoor spaces (72%). Support for these measures is expectedly strong among the Liberals
and NDP. More surprisingly, despite Erin O’Toole campaigning against
mandatory vaccination it appears his base feels differently as a majority of
Conservative voters supported all tested policies on mandatory vaccination or
vaccine passports. Support for Pandemic Measures, by Stated
Vote Intention
On the subject of vaccine mandates, support is high across the
country, including the province of Quebec where it was recently announced by
Premier Legault that vaccines would become mandatory for all healthcare
workers. Ontario has also indicated that healthcare workers and teachers will
be required to get the vaccine. Support for Mandatory Vaccination for
Healthcare Workers, by Region
Canadians Place Liberals as the Party with
the Best Plan for Canada Post-COVID If this election isn’t a referendum on Justin Trudeau’s handling of
the pandemic, then it could be considered a referendum on the options for a
post-COVID Canada. A majority of Canadians (58%) approve of the Prime
Minster’s performance handling the COVID crisis, up 4 points since May and
now on par with the provincial premiers as a whole, but below local mayors
(58% approve of the job their premier did, down 1 point since May; 72%
approve of their local mayor’s handling, up 3 points). Looking ahead, Canadians appear to think the Liberals would be best
placed to handle the pandemic moving forward: 32% state that the Liberals
have the best plan for the country’s post-COVID-19 future, with less than two
in ten indicating the same for any other party (18% CPC, 12% NDP, 3% Bloc, 2%
Green, 1% PPC). Three in ten (30%) say none has the best plan and that
they’re all the same. Healthcare and COVID-19 Pandemic Top
Issues; Pandemic Increasingly Important Taking a wider view of the issues that Canadians think are important,
healthcare (31%) and the COVID-19 pandemic (26%) are named as the most
important in driving how Canadians will vote, from among a list of thirty
possible issues. The economy (25%), climate change (23%), and
affordability/cost of living (23%) are not far behind. The importance of most issues has remained stable from July, with the
exception of the COVID-19 pandemic, whose importance has increased by 6
points in the span of just one month. This perhaps speaks to growing concern over
the fourth wave of the pandemic, mask mandates in public spaces, mandatory
vaccination and vaccine passports. Top Issues
Note: Issues under 10% in August 2021 not
shown. Please see tab 7 of the data tables for full listing. In addition, what Canadians prioritize is certainly not the same
across the country. While those living in Ontario and Quebec say that the
COVID-19 pandemic is a #2 issue (behind healthcare), it has taken a back seat
to other issues among Canadians living elsewhere. Top Issues by Region (mentioned in top three)
Also of note from a regional perspective are issues that may not be
as pressing as others, but nonetheless are key to understanding what citizens
across the country have on their minds. More specifically:
Liberals Trusted on COVID-19 Pandemic,
Healthcare; Conservatives Trusted on Economy While healthcare, the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy,
affordability/cost of living, and climate change are the top five issues that
Canadians say will be the most influential in determining their vote in this
coming election, exactly which parties they believe are best-suited to lead
on these issues is a different matter. For instance, among those who say that healthcare is a top issue for
them personally, the Liberals are favoured (30%), with the Conservatives
(21%) and NDP (20%) statistically tied for second place. The Liberals are
also seen as the party most capable of handling the COVID-19 pandemic, among
those who believe that the pandemic is a top issue. While this is likely due
to the Liberals actually being in power during the pandemic and being able to
concretely show their response, they nonetheless have a commanding lead (48%)
over any other party. Among those who say that the economy top-of-mind for
them, the Conservatives (41%) are seen as the party best suited to tackle the
issue. Here, the Liberals trail by eight percentage points (33%). Finally,
the NDP and Greens are seen as the party best suited to deal with
affordability/cost of living and climate change respectively (among those who
name those issues as being important). In short, the Liberals lead on issues
one and two, while the other national parties own just one issue each from
among the top five. Party Best Suited to Deal with Top 5 Issues (among those selecting issue in top 3)
Approval of Handling the Economy Split
Along Party Lines With the handling of the economy set to be a major campaign issue, it
is perhaps expected that Canadians are divided about how the economy has been
handled through the pandemic. Half (53%) of Canadians approve of the current
Federal Government’s overall management of the Canadian economy, while 47%
disapprove. This division largely falls along party lines with Liberal voters
being significantly more likely to approve of how the federal government has
handed the economy (93% vs. 52% NDP, 51% BQ, 46% Green, 18% CPC) while
Conservative voters are more likely to state their disapproval (82%
Conservative voters disapprove). (Ipsos Canada) 19 August 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/news-polls/majority-of-canadians-support-vaccination-mandates 703-704-43-32/Polls Justin Trudeau Still Best to Lead Country, Say Canadians (39%), Ahead
of O’Toole (25%) and Singh (23%)
Toronto, ON, August 20, 2021 — At
the outset of a snap election called by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, new
Ipsos polling done exclusively for Global News reveals the public’s views on
who is best to lead, and what Canadians think about this election’s
candidates to lead the country into a post-COVID future. Trudeau Best Candidate for PM Most Canadians (39%) feel that Justin Trudeau is the federal party
leader best fit to be the Prime Minister of Canada. Around a quarter see Erin
O’Toole (25%) and Jagmeet Singh (23%) as the best candidates, while Canadians
expressed much lower levels of confidence in Yves-François Blanchet (4%, 18%
in Quebec) and Annamie Paul (4%). Six percent said they did not know or
refused to comment. Notably, based on current Ipsos polling data, Trudeau and
Singh both poll ahead of overall vote intention for their parties (i.e., 36%
of Canadians intend to vote for the Liberal party, and 39% say Trudeau is the
best fit to be the Prime Minister), while O’Toole, Blanchet, ad Paul trail
behind.
Trudeau received consistent support across most regions in Canada,
including Quebec (48%), Ontario (40%), BC (39%), and Atlantic Canada (38%).
By contrast, those in the prairie provinces were far more skeptical of Trudeau’s
leadership (AB 25%, SK/MB 23%), favouring O’Toole (44% of Albertans and 35%
of those from Saskatchewan and Manitoba feel O’Toole would make the best
Prime Minister). Singh is significantly more popular among urban voters (25%)
compared to rural voters (11%), as well as younger voters (18-34 32%, 35-54
22%, 55+ 17%), while O’Toole was more likely to be selected as top pick among
older voters (18-34 16%, 35-54 24%, 55+ 31%). A Safe Bet in Uncertain Times The prospect of a federal election at the outset of Canada’s fourth
wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has likely left many Canadians feeling jaded;
after the pandemic’s ravaging of the economy, the healthcare system, and
national morale, 35% of Canadians feel that none of the federal party leaders
up for election will make things more affordable, and 38% feel that none of
the candidates will keep their election promises. However, Trudeau emerges as the top leader who Canadians feel will
best represent the country on the world stage (39%), can manage Canada during
tough economic times (34%), and has the right temperament and maturity to be
the Prime Minister (34%). Comparatively weak leadership among the
Conservatives coupled with pandemic-related exhaustion may mean that
Canadians are less likely to want to make significant changes to the status
quo. In fact, across the candidates, Trudeau leads on all 16 positive traits.
While O’Toole is the candidate with many of the second highest scores, he
does not lead on any positive traits. That said, 44% of Canadians feel Justin Trudeau will say anything to
get elected, 36% feel he has a hidden agenda, and just 28% feel he is someone
they can trust. Notably, just one quarter (24%) feel he will keep his
election promises. While Canadians may not wish to make a major leadership
change this election, they may also be wary of Trudeau’s motives for calling
an election. Comparing O’Toole and Singh, O’Toole is seen as the candidate with
the best handle on taxpayer spending (21% feel he will do so wisely),
managing during tough economic times (22%), and representing Canada on the
world stage (20%), but Singh is seen as more sincere (22%) – 27% feel O’Toole
will say anything to get elected, compared to 7% for Singh. Singh is also the
candidate seen as on par with Trudeau (30%) in protecting the interests of
cultural, religious, and other minorities in Canada (29%), compared to 13%
for O’Toole. In comparing these perceptions with recent Ipsos polling on issue
Canadians care about the most, sentiment on choice for best Prime Minister
and on each of the candidates is given a bit more colour. The most recent
Ipsos polling has found that healthcare, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the
economy are the top three issues that are the most related to how Canadians
will vote in September. It is therefore unsurprising that Canadians may wish
to stick with the candidate who has navigated the country through the
pandemic and provided economic support to struggling Canadians as the end may
still be far from view. Party Leader Attributes: Which Major
Federal Party Leader is Someone Who Is/Will…
(Ipsos Canada) 20 August 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/news-polls/justin-trudeau-still-best-to-lead-country AUSTRALIA
703-704-43-33/Polls 22% Of Esports Fans (~ 1.2 Million People) Say They Will Buy A Car
Within The Next 12 Months
Esports has been a hot topic across the
globe in the past few years. With COVID and all restrictions, people are
forced to stay home more often, which has potentially grown the industry too.
But what does it mean to Australian advertisers and how can they capture the
opportunities arise from this market? Data from YouGov, an international research
data and analytics group, shows that it is possible for advertisers to target
this specific group of audience and measure the impact of their campaigns.
YouGov leverages its consumer profiling tool, Profiles, to segment, profile and target esports fans ,
and clearly demonstrates that esports fans are an untapped market
for Australian marketers, especially when compared to conventional sports
fans. Let’s do a comparison for esports fans and AFL & NRL fans, as
sponsorship plays a large role in both sports and esports marketing. According to YouGov data, there are 5.37
million Australians (18+) who have an interest in esports. This is already
almost half of the 10.8 million Australians with the same level of interest
in AFL and closing in on the 6.32 million Australian NRL fans. This is not a
‘niche’ group.
Significantly, esports fans represent a
much younger demographic than their AFL & NRL counterparts. They also
possess a higher disposable income. As they tend to be younger than
conventional sports fans they have a lot of major spending milestones still
to come. For example, 22% of esports fans (~ 1.2 million people) say they
will buy a car within the next 12 months. This is considerably higher than
conventional sports fans and the
population as a whole.
Likewise, they are far more likely to be in
the market for credit cards, loans and saving & investment accounts.
When it comes to advertising, esports fans
are more likely to say that advertising plays a role in their purchasing
decisoins.
They are also more likely to be influenced
by celebrity endorsements and brands that make a stand on social issues.
Esports fans have different values that marketers need to be aware of. For
example, when it comes to purchasing clothes esports fans put a much higher
emphasis on product quality.
So how to target them? Unfortunately for
some marketers, esports fans are hard to reach on traditional media. A
whopping 22% of them say they don’t watch any live TV. However, you will find
them on streaming platforms such as Netflix.
The most obvious way to engage this
audience is to sponsor a team or an event or a league. Esports fans are more
likely to respond to sponsorship of their team.
YouGov data demonstrates that sponsoring an
esports team, league or event is a fantastic way to engage this audience.
Using YouGov’s brand tracking tool, BrandIndex,
we can measure how effective different marketing campaigns and sponsorships
are. Take a look at this example from 2019.
In 2019 JB Hi-Fi sponsored and presented
the Melbourne Esports Open (MEO), which took place over the last weekend of
August. This was the largest esports event in Australian history with over
17,000 spectators attending over the weekend. This had a huge and immediate
impact on consideration and buzz, a metric that measures whether people have
heard something positive or negative about the brand. In the aftermath of the
MEO JB Hi-Fi’s net buzz score amongst esports fans (pink) shot up from -2
(hearing more negative than positive things about the brand) to 16 in just
two weeks. This trend continued for another six weeks, finally peaking at 31
on the 30th of October, an overall increase of 33.
Consideration (purple) also rose dramatically over the same time period. At
the end of August 2019 34% esports fans said they would consider shopping at
JB Hi-Fi. By the end of October this had increased to 46%. For the population
as a whole, both metrics were largely unchanged. (YouGov Australia) Source: https://au.yougov.com/news/2021/08/11/esports-untapped-market-australian-advertisers/ 703-704-43-34/Polls Australians Are Set To Spend Around $800 Million On Father’s Day
Presents This Year With Alcohol And Food Topping The Gifts For Dad
Australians are set to spend around $800 million on Father’s Day presents
this year with alcohol and food topping the gifts for dad, according to
research from the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) in conjunction with
Roy Morgan.
Question 1 “Do you plan on buying gift/s for Father’s
Day which is set to be held on the first Sunday in September?” By Gender
& Age.
“Do you plan on buying gift/s for Father’s
Day which is set to be held on the first Sunday in September?” By State &
Area.
#Sample sizes with fewer than 100
respondents should be treated with caution.
For those who already know what gift they
plan to buy… (Top 3 Highlighted)
#Sample sizes with fewer than 100
respondents should be treated with caution.
For those who already know what gift they
plan to buy… (Top 3 Highlighted)
#Sample sizes with fewer than 100
respondents should be treated with caution. Question 3 “Do you plan on spending more or less on
Father’s Day gift/s than last year?” By Gender & Age.
#Sample sizes with fewer than 100
respondents should be treated with caution. Question 3 (continued) “Do you plan on spending more or less on
Father’s Day gift/s than last year?” By State & Area.
#Sample sizes with fewer than 100
respondents should be treated with caution. “How much do you plan on spending on
Father’s Day gift/s?” By Gender & Age.
#Sample sizes with fewer than 100
respondents should be treated with caution.
#Sample sizes with fewer than 100
respondents should be treated with caution. (Roy Morgan) August 15 2021 703-704-43-35/Polls NAB Likely To Leapfrog ANZ With 4.5 Million Customers Following
Agreement To Purchase Citigroup’s Australian Business
NAB’s decision to seek the permission of regulators to acquire
Citigroup’s Australian banking assets, known as Citibank in Australia,
follows a similar sized ‘merger’ announced earlier this year between Bank
of Queensland and ME Bank and valued at $1.3 billion. There are significant differences between the customer profiles of
NAB and Citibank in Australia across a range of demographics including
geography, socio-economic quintile, age, employment status, education level and
even where customers were born. A look at the geographical distribution of the customers of the two
banks shows that the Victorian-based NAB draws well over a fifth of its
customers from Melbourne (22.6%) compared to only 18.9% in Sydney whereas
this situation is reversed for Citibank – over a quarter of their 1 million
odd customers are in Sydney (25.5%) compared to only 18.5% in Melbourne. There is also a significant difference in the third largest market of
Brisbane from where Citibank draws 15.1% of its customers compared to only
9.6% for NAB. NAB draws slightly larger shares of its customers from both
Perth and Adelaide than Citibank does. NAB and Citibank customer distribution by
Capital City
Citibank banking customers are heavily
over-represented in the top Socio-Economic Quintiles The geographic differences between the two brands offer a good degree
of complementarity for NAB and these differences are even more pronounced
when looking at socio-economic quintiles which segment Australians based on
their education, income and occupation as full-time workers. *See below for a full explanation for how the socio-economic
quintiles are determined. Although both NAB and Citibank draw the highest share of their
customers from the top AB Quintile the distribution of customers amongst the
five quintiles is significantly different. Over a third of Citibank’s consumer banking customers (35.9%) are
found in the highest value AB Quintile compared to 22.8% of NAB customers
while a further 24.4% of Citibank’s customers are in the second highest C
Quintile compared to 19.8% of NAB customers. NAB’s far larger customer base is more evenly distributed with
population and each of the lower D, E and FG Quintiles comprise between
18-21% of NAB customers. In comparison only 13.5% of Citibank’s customers are
drawn from the E Quintile and just 7.3% from the lowest FG Quintile. These new findings are drawn from Roy Morgan Single Source,
Australia’s leading consumer survey, derived from in-depth interviews with
over 50,000 Australians annually. NAB and Citibank consumer banking customer
distribution by Socio-Economic Quintile
Michele Levine, CEO Roy Morgan, says NAB’s
proposed acquisition of Citigroup’s Australian consumer banking assets
(Citibank) will strengthen the Melbourne-based bank in Sydney and Brisbane as
well as increase the bank’s share of high value customers: “NAB’s proposed $1.2 billion acquisition of
Citigroup’s consumer banking assets in Australia will increase NAB’s customer
base to well in excess of 4.5 million people and propel NAB past local rival
ANZ in terms of the size of its customer base. “Citibank in Australia has around 1 million
customers covered by its consumer banking arm and its lucrative White Label
Credit Card customers. Citibank’s customers are disproportionately drawn from
the valuable higher socio-economic quintiles with over 60% of Citibank’s
consumer banking customers in either the AB Quintile (35.9%) or C Quintile
(24.4%). “Citibank’s customers are also far more
likely to be drawn from NSW or Queensland with 40.6% from either Sydney or
Brisbane compared to 28.5% of NAB’s customers. In contrast the Melbourne
headquartered NAB draws 22.6% of its customers from the Melbourne market
compared to 18.5% of Citibank’s customers in the southern capital. “There are other differences as well with
over 50% of Citibank’s customers aged 50+ compared to around 40% for NAB and
over a quarter of Citibank’s customers are born in either Europe, Asia or
North America (26%) compared to under a fifth of NAB’s customers (19.4%).
Perhaps most crucially the average annual income of a Citibank consumer
banking customer is over $10,000 higher than a NAB customer. “Past experience with analysing mergers and
acquisitions shows that an exodus of customers occurs when the acquiring
party fails to recognise the unique reasons customers choose their brand in
the first place – and why they stayed with it. “For NAB to extract a positive dividend
from this acquisition, assuming it is approved by the relevant regulators, it
will need to continue to satisfy the needs and desires of the 1 million odd
Citibank customers it will inherit with the successful completion of the
deal.” (Roy Morgan) August 17 2021 MULTICOUNTRY
STUDIES
703-704-43-36/Polls Pfizer Vaccine Received A Net Positive Safety Score In Every Country
Surveyed
With vaccination programs in force across the world, a new YouGov
study, conducted in 38 markets, shows how safe people consider several of the
different vaccines to be. Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Johnson &
Johnson and Sputnik V The results show that the Pfizer vaccine received a net positive
safety score in every country surveyed, meaning that more people in each
place considered that vaccine safe than considered it unsafe. In both UAE and KSA, the Pfizer vaccine received a net positive score
of +67 and +61 respectively, with the public seeing the vaccine to be more
safe than unsafe. This is higher than its score in European countries like Bulgaria
(+22), Croatia (+46), Romania (+42), Greece, and Hungary (+55 each). In fact,
the lowest score the Pfizer vaccine received was in Bulgaria (+22), where 48%
see it as safe compared to 25% who see it as unsafe. Apart from Pfizer, two other vaccines that have received high
positive safety scores in UAE and KSA are Moderna and AstraZeneca. Between
the two countries, UAE residents are more likely than the KSA public to
consider both Moderna (+49 in UAE vs +26 in KSA respectively) and AstraZeneca
vaccine (+47 vs +39) safe. Although AstraZeneca managed to get a positive score in the Middle
Eastern countries, it is seen as more unsafe than safe in nine nations. The
countries giving it a negative score are all European, including -20 in
Italy, -26 in France, -30 in Denmark, and -36 in Bulgaria. The highest score
the AstraZeneca vaccine received is +62 in Britain – the country from which
it originates.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is also generally seen as safe
globally, although it tends to score much lower than Pfizer and Moderna. It
also receives negative net safety scores in three countries: Switzerland
(-3), France (-5) and Denmark (-16). Use of the vaccine has been banned
entirely in Denmark, following a blood clots scare in May. Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine is the most likely to be seen as unsafe,
receiving a negative net score in 11 places. Ten of these places are in
Europe* (the exception being Taiwan): the vaccine has not been approved by
the European Medicines Agency, although it has nevertheless been rolled out
in Hungary (where it scores +30). People in Bahrain are the most likely to
consider the vaccine safe, at +53. Sinopharm, Sinovac and Covaxin The study also looked at perceived safety of other vaccines in a
smaller portion of countries (as such vaccines are unlikely to ever be used
in most of Europe and America). The Sinopharm vaccine is most likely seen as safe in UAE, at +63. The
vaccine also received a net positive score in all Middle Eastern countries,
ranging from +5 in Kuwait to +46 in Bahrain and is generally considered to be
safe in all 18 markets where we asked about the Sinopharm vaccine, except in
Taiwan (at -4). The Taiwanese seem to be even more sceptical of the Sinovac vaccine,
giving it a score of -27. Thai people are also torn on Sinovac, with a net
score of -1. In the other five places where YouGov asked about Sinovac –
Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines – the vaccine
received strongly positive scores of between +32 and +66. Covaxin, an Indian-developed vaccine, receives positive net scores in
all eight places where we asked about it, ranging from +8 in Taiwan to +42 in
Vietnam. (YouGov MENA) August 9, 2021 Source: https://mena.yougov.com/en/news/2021/08/09/how-safe-are-covid-19-vaccines-seen-internationall/ 703-704-43-37/Polls Globally A Majority Of People Perceive A Strong Social Division, But
This Is Particularly Common In South Africa (74%), Hungary (72%) And Brazil
(72%)
Seen globally, in 16 of a total of 25 nations surveyed, a majority of
people perceive a strong social division, but this is particularly common in
South Africa (74%), Hungary (72%) and Brazil (72%). Large perceived gap between ordinary people and the elite Logically, almost two thirds of the respondents (64%) agree with the
statement that the largest gap in German society exists between ordinary
citizens and the political and economic elite. The proportion of
respondents who count themselves among the elite in Germany is
correspondingly small: only 14 percent assign themselves to the elite at
least to a certain extent. Every second German (49%) “definitely does
not” see themselves as part of the elite.
In contrast, only a minority would like a “strong leader who will
recapture the country from the rich and powerful” (36%) and “willing to
disregard rules” (23%). In all of the other countries surveyed, the
longing for a strong leader is significantly greater than in Germany. Opinions divided on the effects of immigration When it comes to the general impact of immigration on society,
Germans are divided: 36 percent of respondents think that Germany would be
stronger if immigration were stopped completely. However, about as many
(37%) disagree with this statement. (Ipsos Germany) 9 August 2021 703-704-43-38/Polls More Than Four Million People Are Known To Have Died Globally From
Coronavirus During The Pandemic
While Britain has seen several protests by
anti-lockdown protesters in recent months, a YouGov survey shows
that relatively few Britons question the merits of lockdown or the health
risks of coronavirus compared to elsewhere in Europe. The research, conducted in June in 20 European countries, shows that
Hungarians are the most likely to believe lockdowns ‘do more harm than good’,
at 42%. This is twice as many as those believing they ‘do more good than
harm’, at 20%. Another three in ten Hungarians (28%) say they do both
equally.
Sentiment is similar in other southern and eastern European
countries. A third of Croatians (34%), Bulgarians (33%) and Greeks (33%) say
the drawbacks of lockdowns outweigh the benefits – in each case higher than
the proportions that believe the opposite to be true (19% of Croatians, 30%
of Bulgarians and 26% of Greeks). Here in Britain, only one in six (16%) are left feeling that locking
down has been more harmful than beneficial. Over two in five people (45%)
believe the benefits have outweighed the drawbacks, while three in ten people
(29%) say it’s done equal good and harm. Portugal and Spain are the least lockdown-sceptic countries in the
survey, with only 8% and 14% respectively believing that coronavirus
restrictions do more harm than good. How many Europeans believe that the health
risk from coronavirus is overstated? While more than four
million people are known to have died globally from coronavirus
during the pandemic, research shows that a sizeable minority in many European
countries believe the health risk is exaggerated. This view is most prevalent in Romania, where approaching half of the
population (46%) say the risks from Covid-19 are overstated. The remainder
either believe they are stated about right (28%), understated (16%) or are
unsure (10%).
Bulgarians (41%), Croatians (38%) and Greeks (36%) are also among the
most likely to subscribe to this view – all countries with high lockdown
scepticism. Among Britons, a fifth (21%) believe coronavirus is not as harmful as
it’s made out to be. Half (49%) say the risks are stated about right, while
another one in five (19%) say they’re understated. Swedes and the Portuguese are the least likely to believe the risks
have been exaggerated, at 14% and 15% respectively. (YouGov UK) August 17, 2021 703-704-43-39/Polls An Average Of 58% Globally Say They Want To Do Sports But There Is No
Time To Do It (37%)
According to our Global Advisor research, the Netherlands is the most
physically active of the 29 countries surveyed. On average, he spends
12.8 hours a week doing physical exercise or team sports, twice the global
average of 6.1 for 29 countries. Germany and Romania are also the other
most active countries... exercising 11.1 and 11 hours per week. On the other hand, Brazilians appear to be the country with the least
physical activity at three hours a week. Other countries reporting less
than four hours of exercise per week are: France (3.7), Chile (3.7), Italy
(3.6) and Japan (3.3). A third (34%) of Japanese say they do not exercise at all in an
average week, more than double the 14% average of 29 countries. Three
out of 10 Brazilians and 26% of Poles and Italians also say they don't
exercise at all. Most played sports The most common team sports and activities in a normal week are
fitness (20%), running (19%), cycling (13%), football (10%) and swimming
(9%). On the other hand, 38% state that they do not play team sports at
all.
Issues that prevent sports In the 29 countries where the research was
conducted, almost 6 out of 10 people state that they want to do more sports
than they currently do. heThe countries that
stated that they want to do more sports are from Latin America; Peru
(81%), Chile (79%) and Colombia (78%).
(Ipsos Turkey) 17 August 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/tr-tr/spor-yapmak-istiyoruz-ama-vaktimiz-yok 703-704-43-40/Polls Only Seven Percent Of The Global Public In 29 Countries Who
Participated In The Survey Believe That Their Country's Economies Are
Recovering
According to the research we conducted for the World Economic Forum,
respondents from 29 countries state that at least two years are required for
the country's economies to recover due to the Covid-19 pandemic, three out of
every four individuals. Only seven percent of the global public who
participated in the survey believe that their country's economies are
recovering, and 19 percent say they will recover within the next
year. China is one of the most optimistic countries. 56% of
respondents from China state that their economy is recovering. The most
pessimistic country is Russia, with 66% of those who think that the economic
recovery will take more than three years. The global public expects country governments and large/international
enterprises to lead the recovery of their economies. The global average identifies government and leading companies more
than consumers, small businesses and non-governmental organizations as the
institutions they trust most to take leading responsibility for the recovery
of their economies. The three most prominent developments that show their local economies
recovering from the pandemic are: (1) knowing that there are people being
recalled or new jobs (2) opening new jobs and (3) the rise of tourism Click here (Ipsos Turkey) 18 August 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/tr-tr/ulke-ekonomilerinin-kisa-zamanda-toparlanacagina-inanilmiyor 703-704-43-41/Polls In Surveys Conducted In 2020-1, More Than Four-In-Ten Say That U S
Foreign Assistance Helps Advance Women’s Rights And Strengthens Civil Society
In Their Country
Since 1946, the U.S. is estimated to have provided more than $346 billion
dollars of assistance to countries in the Middle East and North
Africa (MENA) region. This aid goes to a variety of causes, including
military, humanitarian, and developmental causes. However, many ordinary
citizens across the region hold suspicions about the true intent from Western
countries like the United States. When surveyed in 2018-9, on average nearly half (47 percent)
said the primary motivation for Western assistance was to gain influence in
their country. By comparison, just 18 percent believed the main motivation is
to promote economic development while 12 percent said it is to increase
internal stability or improve the lives of citizens, respectively.
Nevertheless, many citizens across the region actually favored an
increase in aid from the U.S. More than half of citizens in Jordan (69
percent), Sudan (63 percent), Lebanon (54 percent), Morocco (53 percent) and
Egypt (52 percent) held this view, as did significant percentages in
Palestine (49 percent), Iraq (48 percent), and Tunisia (45 percent).
Only in Libya and Algeria did fewer than a third favor increased levels of
assistance from the U.S.
In part, this desire for more aid from the U.S. is likely a result of
the fact that many citizens believe it is working for the benefit of their
country. In surveys
conducted in 2020-1, more than four-in-ten say that U.S. foreign
assistance helps advance women’s rights in Lebanon (48 percent), Tunisia (45
percent), and Jordan (43 percent). Similarly, at least four-in-ten say U.S.
assistance strengthens civil society in their country in Lebanon (50
percent), Tunisia (46 percent), Morocco (41 percent) and Jordan (40 percent).
However, when asked about the most important areas for foreign aid,
the most common response was improving education, including 45 percent in
Morocco, 41 percent in Algeria, 40 percent in Libya, and 37 percent in
Jordan. The second most common area was improving infrastructure, including
39 percent in Libya, 39 percent in Iraq, 29 percent in Tunisia, and 27
percent in Lebanon. By comparison, 15 percent or fewer in all countries
surveyed think foreign aid should primarily target women’s rights. And, with
the exception of Lebanon (20 percent), 11 percent or fewer in the countries
surveyed prefer aid to target civil society.
Overall, these results suggest citizens across MENA view U.S.
assistance pragmatically. Although many are suspicious of the
motivations of Western countries for providing foreign aid, there is
relatively widespread support for increasing levels of assistance from the
U.S. There is a sense that the aid does advance intended objectives,
but also a belief that the aid should primarily be targeted to improving education
and infrastructure, presumably to help improve economic prospects for
individuals and their countries overall. (Arabbarometer) August 19, 2021 Source: https://www.arabbarometer.org/2021/08/u-s-assistance-to-mena/ |
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