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BUSINESS & POLITICS IN THE WORLD GLOBAL OPINION REPORT NO. 729 Week:
February 07 –February 13, 2022 Presentation:
February 18, 2022 Youtube
Tops Yougov’s Best Buzz Rankings 2021 In India According
To 55% Of Turkish People Their Electricity Expenses Are Very Difficult For
Them Young
Adults Are Affected The Most By UAE's New Work Week Policy About
Four In 10 Moroccans Have Not Heard Of Climate Change Public
Criticism Of Conservatives’ Handling Of The Economy Continues To Grow Consumer
Confidence Slips As Britons’ Household Finance Concerns Increase 31%
Of Parents Declare That Their Children Have Been, At Least Once, Victim Of
Cyber Violence 1
In 10 French People Are Boycotting The Winter Olympics This Year New
Media Consumption Habits – But Which Ones Will Stick After The Pandemic Two-Thirds
Of Black Protestants (65%) Approve Of The Job That Biden Is Doing As
President Nearly
Half (46%) Of Canadians Say They “May Not Agree With Everything” Trucker
Convoy Says Or Does Conspiracy
Theories People Around The World Believe In 2021 Across 24 Countries INTRODUCTORY NOTE
729-43-21/Commentary:
43%
Of Americans Think Tackling Racism Should Be A “High Priority” For The U S,
Survey Of 13 Western Countries
Nations
across the world face a vast array of issues and problems, from defence to
societal issues and climate change. All of which could be argued to be just
as pressing of an issue as the others, so with so much to juggle, what should
their focus be? Data from
the YouGov-Cambridge
Globalism Project shows how people living in major
western nations think their governments should prioritise certain goals. Should tackling racism be a priority for the West? The death of
George Floyd in May 2020 brought discussions of societal racism across the
Western world to the forefront once again, with major protests across the
United States, UK, and Europe. The YouGov-Cambridge
Globalism Project shows that large majorities in all
countries surveyed believed it should be a medium or high priority for their
nations. Britain is
among the top three of the nations surveyed who think combatting racism
should be a “high priority” (55%), and a further 28% think it should be a
“medium priority”. Only the Spanish (58%) and Greeks (59%) are more likely
than Brits to think fighting racism should be a high priority for their
nations. The United
States, on the other hand, is third from bottom among the countries included
in the survey. While some 43% of Americans think tackling racism should be a
“high priority” for the US, another 18% think it should be a low priority or
not a goal at all.
Should Western nations build up their military forces? With an
ever-growing Russian military presence on the borders of Eastern Europe, how
much of a priority do people in the West feel their military presence
overseas should be? The survey,
carried out last summer, found that those closer to the east are among the
keenest to see a build-up of their nation’s forces, including nearly one in
three Greeks (29%) and 20% of Poles who say that it should be a high priority
for their country. Despite
already having one of the biggest militaries, 22% of those in the United
States think increasing their military reach overseas should be a high
priority, and a further 28% think it should be a medium priority. However,
some 19% of Americans think it should not be a goal at all. Among
Britons, one in nine (11%) think building the reach of the British military
should be a high priority goal for the UK, compared to 18% who think it
should not be a goal at all. Hungarians (32%) and Germans (30%) are among the
most likely to think their countries should not focus on their military
influence overseas at all.
Should reducing immigration be a priority for the West? Immigration
has become a pressing issue across Europe in recent years, as people flee
from conflict and unrest in other parts of the globe. Repeated crossings of
the English Channel by migrants have become a particular point of contention
between the British and French – but is it a priority issue? There is a
general consensus across major western nations that it is – however some
nations are more divided than others. The Greeks (58%) and French (44%) are
the most likely to say reducing immigration should be a high priory target
for their nations – as do similar numbers of Swedes (43%), Hungarians (42%),
and Italians (42%). Around a
third of Britons (32%) think reducing immigration should be a high priority
for the UK, while 23% think it should be a medium priority. On the other
hand, 20% say it should be a low priority, and 17% say it should not be a
goal at all. Poles (24%)
and Canadians (23%) are the least likely to say their nations should make
cutting immigration numbers a high focus target.
Should the West prioritise the equality of women? Issues such
as the MeToo movement and the gender pay gap have revealed that the sexes are
not perhaps as equal as many like to think they are. Approaching two thirds
of Greeks think that pursuing and promoting women's equality should be a
“high priority” target for their country, while 62% of Spaniards think the
same and so do 55% of Italians. While most
people in each nation surveyed think promoting women's equality should be a
high or medium priority, Britain and the United States come bottom of the
list in terms of those who think it should be a high priority (both 37%). A
quarter of those in the United States (26%) think this should be either a low
priority or not one at all.
Should being carbon neutral be a priority for the West? In 2021, the
industrialised nations of the world came together for the COP-26 climate
change conference. While it might not have achieved all of its aims, the
build-up certainly helped increase awareness around the issue. Asked
shortly before the conference kicked off, the YouGov-Cambridge
Globalism Project found most people across the nations
surveyed to be in favour of moving their economy towards greener alternatives
and away from carbon-heavy industries – with Hungarians the most likely to
say this should be a high priority (61%). Sentiment is similar among Greeks
and Spaniards with 60% and 57% respectively thinking a green economy should
be a high priority goal for their nations. Among
Britons, 49% say moving towards an eco-friendlier economy should be a high
priority target for the UK, while a further 30% think it should be of medium
priority. Only 14% think it should be either a low priority goal or not one
at all. Across the pond, 38% of Americans think changing their economy away
from polluting industries should be a high priority target. Another 34% think
it should be a low priority target if one at all – the highest among the
nations asked.
(YouGov UK) February 08,
2022 ASIA (India) Youtube
Tops Yougov’s Best Buzz Rankings 2021 In India YouTube has dethroned its parent company
Google to become the top-ranked brand in YouGov’s Best Buzz Rankings 2021 in India (51.4). Google, which had
previously held the top spot (in 2018 & 2019) dropped down one place to
second (50.1) in the 2021 rankings. YouGov’s BrandIndex measures the public’s
perception of brands on a daily basis across a range of metrics. The annual
Buzz rankings are compiled using Buzz scores from the entire years’ worth of
data. Buzz scores measure whether people have heard anything positive or
negative about a brand during the previous two weeks and the scores are
reported as NET scores. (YouGov India) February 10, 2022 (Turkey) According To 55% Of Turkish People Their Electricity
Expenses Are Very Difficult For Them 55% of individuals state that their
electricity expenses are very difficult for them. In addition to electricity
expenses, other expense items that force the citizens to come to the fore are
clothing, natural gas, household cleaning and food products. However, in
general, it is seen that all kinds of expense items force individuals. While
66% of individuals try to meet their minimum needs in grocery shopping and
keep their expenses to a minimum by giving up some categories. (Ipsos Turkey) 7 February 2022 MENA (UAE) Young Adults Are Affected The Most By UAE's New Work Week
Policy As the UAE moved to a new week work schedule
this year, YouGov’s latest survey reveals young adults in the country seem to
be most affected by this transition. Across different age groups, a higher
proportion of young adults aged 18-24 claim to be affected by this change (at
76%) as compared to older adults aged 35-44 (59%) or 45+ (49%). Currently, a
majority (79%) in the UAE claim their organization has made a switch to the
new workday policy. Of these, the proportions claiming to follow a
four-and-a-half-day workweek (Mon- Fri noon) and a new five-day work week
(Monday-Friday) are similar (47% and 53%, respectively). (YouGov MENA) AFRICA (Morocco) More Than Two-Thirds (68%) Of Moroccans “Agree” Or
“Strongly Agree” That Immigrants Strengthen The Country’s Cultural Diversity More than two-thirds (68%) of Moroccans
“agree” or “strongly agree” that immigrants strengthen the country’s cultural
diversity. More than half (52%) of citizens say immigrants help fill vacant
jobs (52%), and only about one-third (35%) see immigrants as increasing
levels of crime and insecurity. More than eight in 10 citizens express
tolerant attitudes toward immigrants and foreign workers, saying they would
like (22%) or would not mind (59%) having them as neighbors. (Afrobarometer) 9 February 2022 About Four In 10 Moroccans Have Not Heard Of Climate Change More than six in 10 Moroccans (61%) say
they have heard of climate change, a 7- percentage-point increase compared to
2018 (54%) . Men and highly educated, economically well-off, young and urban
citizens are more likely to be aware of climate change than women and less
educated, poorer, older, and rural respondents. (Afrobarometer) 11 February 2022 WEST
EUROPE (UK) Public Criticism Of Conservatives’ Handling Of The Economy
Continues To Grow The economy is now seen by Britons as the most important
issue facing the country, jumping 12 points since last week from
45% to 57%. This is the highest percentage of people picking the issue since
March last year. Last week the issue was tied in first place but is now
15-points ahead over second-placed health (42%), with the environment
languishing in a distant third, at 27%. The percentage of Britons who say the
government are handling the economy badly has gone up seven points since last week, from 57% to 64%. (YouGov UK) February 09, 2022 Consumer Confidence Slips As Britons’ Household Finance
Concerns Increase The (then-speculative) increase in UK
energy bills has already had an impact on consumer confidence, according to
the newest analysis from YouGov and the Centre for Economics and Business
Research (Cebr). While the overall index saw a decline of just one point from
110 to 109.0, scores across every metric except home value measures and
business activity for the year ahead fell – in some cases, dramatically
so. (YouGov UK) February 09, 2022 Starmer And Labour Remain Unconvincing To Older Voters
Almost Half (49%) Of The Over-55 Electorate Would Vote Conservative With recent events taking their toll on the
Conservative party, a new YouGov looks at how the party is holding up among
their most important supporters: older people. According to our data, almost
half (49%) of the over-55 electorate would vote Conservative, while just over
a quarter (28%) would vote Labour. Only 10% would vote Lib Dem, 5% Green, 4%
Reform UK, and 3% for other parties. (YouGov UK) February 11, 2022 (France) 31% Of Parents Declare That Their Children Have Been, At
Least Once, Victim Of Cyber Violence More than 4 out of 10 French people have
already been victims of online violence. Although this phenomenon
particularly concerns 18-24-year-olds, 87% of whom declare having suffered a
situation of cyber violence, it is not confined to this age group and affects
the entire French population. If social networks and instant messaging
appear to be the spaces most conducive to cyber violence, they are found in
all digital spaces, from forums to dating applications, via SMS. (Ipsos France) February 9, 2022 1 In 10 French People Are Boycotting The Winter Olympics
This Year In general, the Winter Olympics
mobilize the attention of two thirds of French people, 51% say they generally
consider this event, if only for a few events, and 16% inquire at
least about the results. A passion for the Winter Olympics which is first
and foremost the fact of men, since ¾ of them say they have been let
down by this event in general. As for the diplomatic boycott (following the
allegations of human rights violations directed against China), although
supported by 53% of public opinion, this does not translate into
action: only 1 French out of 10 declares that he will boycott the Games
this year. (Ipsos France) February 10, 2022 (Germany) New Media Consumption Habits – But Which Ones Will Stick
After The Pandemic The current
Global Media Outlook Report from YouGov shows that the trends
from the past year are continuing. However, not
all of the global developments were felt so clearly in Germany after the first year of the pandemic
. At that time, less than a third of the adults surveyed in this country
used streaming services – far below average. However, at 36 percent, the
proportion of video-on-demand users is now at the level of the global average
from 17 markets that the study compares with each other. (YouGov Germany) February 14, 2022 NORTH AMERICA (USA) 58% Americans Favor Vaccine Requirement For Air Travel, But
Fewer Back Requiring Vaccines To Dine Or Shop Nearly two years after the coronavirus outbreak took hold in the United States,
Americans are increasingly critical of the response to COVID-19 from elected
officeholders and public health officials. Amid debates over how to address
the surge in cases driven by the omicron variant, confusion is now the most
common reaction to shifts in public health guidance: 60% of U.S. adults say
they’ve felt confused as a result of changes to public health officials’
recommendations on how to slow the spread of the coronavirus, up 7 percentage
points since last summer. (PEW) FEBRUARY 9, 2022 Two-Thirds Of Black Protestants (65%) Approve Of The Job
That Biden Is Doing As President Roughly two-thirds of Black Protestants
(65%) approve of the job that Biden is doing as president, according to
a Pew Research Center survey conducted Jan. 10-17. That is down
sharply from 92% in March 2021, shortly after he took office. Today, 47% of
religious “nones” – respondents who describe their religious identity as
atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” – approve of Biden’s
performance, down from 71% in April 2021 and 65% in March 2021. The share of
“nones” who now approve of Biden is the lowest it has been since his
inauguration, falling below the previous low of 55% in September 2021. (PEW) FEBRUARY 10, 2022 For (43%) Black Americans, Family And Friends Are A Primary
Source Of Information On U S Black History Nearly nine-in-ten Black Americans say they
are at least somewhat informed about the history of Black people in the
United States, with family and friends being the single largest source of
information about it, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey of Black adults. About half of Black Americans (51%) say
they are very or extremely informed about the history of Black people in the
U.S. Nearly four-in-ten (37%) say they are somewhat informed, while 11% say
they are a little or not at all informed. (PEW) FEBRUARY 11, 2022 (Canada) Nearly Half (46%) Of Canadians Say They “May Not Agree With
Everything” Trucker Convoy Says Or Does Nearly half (46%) of Canadians say they
“may not agree with everything the people who have taken part in the truck
protests in Ottawa have said, but their frustration is legitimate and worthy
of our sympathy.” The proportion of 18-34-year-olds who adopt this point of
view is 61%, while those aged 35-54 (44%) and 55+ (37%) are much less likely
to agree. Regionally, those in Alberta (58%) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba
(58%) are most likely to align with this argument, while a sizeable minority
in Quebec (47%), Ontario (44%), Atlantic Canada (43%), and British Columbia
(36%) agree. Politically, most Conservative voters (59%) are on this side of
the argument, while a minority of Bloc (44%), NDP (43%) and Liberal (30%)
voters are also aligned. (Ipsos Canada) 11 February 2022 AUSTRALIA Roy Morgan Business Confidence Plunges 18.7pts To 101.5 In
January As Omicron Variant Sweeps Australia The plunge in January came as the Omicron
variant swept Australia causing the infection of over 2 million Australians
with COVID-19 and forcing millions more into isolation for being close
contacts of confirmed cases. The disruption to businesses caused problems
throughout the economy and led to breakdowns in supply chains which are only
now being gradually rectified. On a State-based level there were monthly
decreases across the board in January led by NSW, down 17.1pts (-13.7%) to
107.6, Victoria, down 22.6pts (-19%) to 96.3, Queensland, down 23.4pts
(-20.2%) to 92.5 and South Australia, down 12.3pts (-11.2%) to 97.4. (Roy Morgan) February 10 2022 MULTICOUNTRY STUDIES With The Emergence Of The Omicron Variant 25% Of APAC
Consumers Are Delaying Their Travel Booking, Survey Carried out In 25
Countries Latest data from YouGov Global Travel Profiles shows that over half of APAC
consumers have domestic leisure trips planned for 2022. This ranges from more
than 60% of consumers in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, over 50% of
consumers in China, India and Australia, and more than 40% of consumers in
the Philippines and Japan. Demand for international travel, while lower, is
above 20% in most APAC markets – except for China (10%) and Japan (5%). This
data gives travel marketers a head start as they assign their spending for
the first quarter of 2022. (YouGov Philippines) February 7, 2022 Source: https://ph.yougov.com/en-ph/news/2022/02/07/APAC-2022-travel-outlook-forecast/ Conspiracy Theories People Around The World Believe In 2021
Across 24 Countries The theory that a single group of people
who secretly control events and rule the world together, outside of official
governments, had the highest average levels belief across all 24 countries
out of our list of 12 popular conspiracy theories. Support for this theory
was particularly prevalent in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, with 72%, 69%
and 61% respectively saying they thought it was definitely or probably true.
A further 17% of Kenyans, 22% of Nigerians and 27% of South Africans said
they didn’t know either way: that it might be true, or it might be false. (YouGov UK) 43% Of Americans Think Tackling Racism Should Be A “High
Priority” For The U S, Survey Of 13 Western Countries Britain is among the top three of the
nations surveyed who think combatting racism should be a “high priority”
(55%), and a further 28% think it should be a “medium priority”. Only the
Spanish (58%) and Greeks (59%) are more likely than Brits to think fighting
racism should be a high priority for their nations. The United States, on the
other hand, is third from bottom among the countries included in the survey.
While some 43% of Americans think tackling racism should be a “high priority”
for the US, another 18% think it should be a low priority or not a goal at
all. (YouGov UK) February 08, 2022 Globally, The Proportion Of Adults Who Are Likely To Use
Each Type Of Media Is Increasing, A Study In 17 Markets Globally, a larger proportion have
increased their use of digital media such as websites / apps, social media
and streaming of video services. The biggest change is noticeable in the
use of websites / apps, something that 42% has spent more time on. At
the same time, we see that an increasing proportion of global consumers have
reduced their use of traditional media. For example, 19% spend less time
listening to the radio, 18% read fewer newspapers or magazines and a
corresponding proportion watch less linear television. (YouGov Sweden) February 9, 2022 Source: https://yougov.se/news/2022/02/09/det-globala-medielandskapet-2022/ ASIA
729-43-01/Polls Youtube Tops
Yougov’s Best Buzz Rankings 2021 In India
YouTube has dethroned its parent company
Google to become the top-ranked brand in YouGov’s Best Buzz Rankings 2021 in India (51.4). Google, which had
previously held the top spot (in 2018 & 2019) dropped down one place to
second (50.1) in the 2021 rankings. YouGov’s BrandIndex measures the public’s
perception of brands on a daily basis across a range of metrics. The annual
Buzz rankings are compiled using Buzz scores from the entire years’ worth of
data. Buzz scores measure whether people have heard anything positive or
negative about a brand during the previous two weeks and the scores are
reported as NET scores.
Amidst a tough year with global backlash
for its new privacy policy, WhatsApp recorded a decline in its Buzz scores
and dropped down two places to fourth (44.7). On the other hand, Instagram
strengthened its position in the Indian market and climbed up three places to
sixth (36.5) in the 2021 rankings. Online delivery app Flipkart also recorded
an improvement to its Buzz scores, moving up one place to seventh (36.3),
while Zomato slipped down from seventh in 2019 to ninth in 2021 (35.0). Air India’s successful acquisition by the
TATA group generated a lot of noise, placing the national carrier in the list
of buzziest brands of the year- in eighth (35.4). Lastly, MakeMyTrip moved
down to tenth place (35.0), completing the top ten list in India. YouGov BrandIndex has also released the ten
“most improved” brands of the past year. In 2021, growing concerns over
privacy gave a huge boost to encrypted messaging services. Telegram emerged
as the most improved brand of the past year in India, with a change of +7.0.
Tata Motors is the second most improved
brand, with a change in score of +4.5. Along with being one of the top ten brands
of 2021, Air India is also the third most improved brand of the past year
(+3.5). Indigo is another airline that appears on the list of improvers this
year, in fifth (+3.0). With stay-at-home restrictions during the
pandemic accelerating the adoption of online retailing in India, it’s not
surprising to see online fashion brand Myntra feature as the sixth (2.8) most
improved brand of the past year. The improvers list also features leading
banks like YES Bank (3.2) and Punjab National Bank (2.7), consumer
electronics giant- Samsung (2.2), and smartphone brands such as Vivo (2.2)
and Realme (2.1) (YouGov India) February 10, 2022 Source: https://in.yougov.com/en-hi/news/2022/02/10/youtube-tops-yougovs-best-buzz-rankings-2021-india/ 729-43-02/Polls According To
55% Of Turkish People Their Electricity Expenses Are Very Difficult For Them
Electricity Expenses Are The Most Difficult
Expenses For The Society In This Period 55% of individuals state that their
electricity expenses are very difficult for them. In addition to electricity
expenses, other expense items that force the citizens to come to the fore are
clothing, natural gas, household cleaning and food products. However, in
general, it is seen that all kinds of expense items force individuals.
Majority of Society Trying to Reduce Their
Spending on Grocery Shopping While 66% of individuals try to meet their
minimum needs in grocery shopping and keep their expenses to a minimum by
giving up some categories if necessary, 24% are looking for ways to make the
products they consume cheaper.
The Opinions of Half of the Society on
House Income Aren't Very Positive While 54% of individuals state that their
household income has decreased in the last 12 months, their expectations for
their personal economy in the next few months are not positive either. Also,
57% say their personal economy will get worse in the next few months. The
rate of those who think that their personal economy will be better for the
future is only 6%.
Majority of Society Thinks The Current
Situation Of The Turkish Economy Is Not Good The rate of those who think that the
current situation of the Turkish economy is not good is 81%. Only 3% think
the economy is good.
Economy The Most Important Problem of
Society As of June 2021, the rate of mentioning the
economy as the most important problem was ahead of the epidemic. Today, the
economy is the most important problem for 9 out of 10 people. Even the rapid
transmission in the epidemic or the increase in the number of cases does not
cause the Coronavirus Outbreak to be seen as a significant problem. Only 5%
of individuals consider the epidemic to be the most important problem.
Ipsos Turkey CEO Sidar Gedik made the
following evaluations about the data; We continue to receive the answer to
the question, which is the most important problem of the country, economy by
far. At this point, in order to clarify the approach a little more, we asked
an interesting question the previous week, we said, would you destroy the
epidemic or fix the economy if you had the opportunity to solve only one
problem, and we got the answer to this question, again, economy by a large
margin. Looking at the results of this week, we can say that the most
important problem of the country, the economy, has become our only problem,
so important that we forget almost all other problems. While the rate of
those who say that the coronavirus epidemic is the most important problem is
5%, those who say that the economy is the most important problem are 86%.
That's why this week we focused on the economy topic. The majority think that their personal
economic situation will worsen in the near future. Nearly one-third think
their personal economy will stay the same or get better in the near future.
However, when we evaluate the national economy and personal economy questions
together, we see that some of this group, who is more hopeful about their own
situation, is not satisfied with the state of the country's economy. 54% of respondents in our survey state that
their household income has decreased in the last 12 months. In parallel with
the question of personal economy, about 40% of people in this question state
that the household income did not change much or increased during the same
period. If we remember that the rate of those who say that the most important
problem of the country is the economy is 86%, we can say that a significant
part of those who have not experienced any loss in household income see the
economy as a problem. We see that the item that affects the
citizens the most in price increases is the electricity bill. With the effect
of the winter season, clothing costs are another item. Other inevitable
monthly invoice items such as natural gas and water also have a significant
impact. Two out of every three people who participated in our research state
that they can stop consuming certain product categories in order to save
money in grocery shopping. The economy has turned into a problem
independent of political preferences. We understand this from the fact that
eight out of every ten people describe the state of the country's economy as
bad, according to the latest published research, no political party or
alliance has 80% of the votes, citizens are dissatisfied with the economy
regardless of their vote preference. (Ipsos Turkey) 7 February 2022 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/tr-tr/bireyleri-en-cok-zorlayan-gider-kalemi-elektrik MENA
729-43-03/Polls Young Adults
Are Affected The Most By UAE's New Work Week Policy
YouGov's latest study shows the impact of
the new work week policy on the lives of UAE residents As the UAE moved to a new week work
schedule this year, YouGov’s latest survey reveals young adults in the
country seem to be most affected by this transition. Across different age
groups, a higher proportion of young adults aged 18-24 claim to be affected
by this change (at 76%) as compared to older adults aged 35-44 (59%) or 45+
(49%).
Currently, a majority (79%) in the UAE
claim their organization has made a switch to the new workday policy. Of
these, the proportions claiming to follow a four-and-a-half-day workweek
(Mon- Fri noon) and a new five-day work week (Monday-Friday) are similar (47%
and 53%, respectively). However, the former transition is more prevalent in
the public sector, while the latter is dominant among private-sector
employees. When asked about the challenges they are
experiencing as a result of this shift, almost a third (31%) of working
respondents expressed their difficulty in readjusting their weekend leisure
schedules, and a similar percentage (30%) said they are experiencing traffic
jams on Fridays. Difficulty in adjusting to new work week
(29%), trouble in planning holidays (26%), and less family time (24%) due to differing
work weeks are stated as some other issues that people in UAE are currently
facing or are likely to face in future. Data shows young adults between 18-24 years
seem to be experiencing all the above-mentioned challenges much more than the
other age groups.
Despite the challenges, a majority (61%) of
UAE residents said they are happy with the new work week policy, with
respondents aged 35-44 years appearing happier than others with this
development (at 67%). When asked
about the benefits of the new work policy, almost
half (48%) of the respondents stated that shorter work weeks lead to better
work-life balance or higher productivity. Despite claiming to be most
impacted by the transition, more than half of 18–24-year-olds (54%)
recognised this as an advantage.
Nearly half of all respondents (47%) think
that the new policy will boost the economy as it eliminates the weekend gap,
making UAE look more attractive to foreign talents and investments. At a personal level, two in five (42%)
see it as an opportunity to better align their schedules with international
colleagues, while almost the same number (43%) say that it will be now easier
for them to visit or plan holidays with friends and family staying abroad. (YouGov MENA) Source: https://mena.yougov.com/en/news/2022/02/11/young-adults-are-affected-most-uaes-new-work-week-/ AFRICA
729-43-04/Polls More Than Two-Thirds
(68%) Of Moroccans “Agree” Or “Strongly Agree” That Immigrants Strengthen The
Country’s Cultural Diversity
A majority of Moroccans express welcoming
attitudes toward immigrants, saying they strengthen the country’s cultural diversity
and help fill job vacancies, according to the latest Afrobarometer survey. Most citizens say they would not mind
having immigrants as neighbours, and a majority disagree with the idea that immigrants
increase crime or insecurity. By a 3-to-1 margin, citizens say the
government should not limit the cross-border movement of people and goods. But in reality, most citizens say they find
it difficult to move across international borders to work or trade in other countries in the region.
While the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) has been working to allow free movement of goods,
persons, and services within the sub-region, Morocco is yet to allow free entry from
other AMU member states. Key findings ▪ More than two-thirds (68%) of
Moroccans “agree” or “strongly agree” that immigrants strengthen the country’s cultural
diversity. More than half (52%) of citizens say immigrants help fill vacant jobs (52%), and
only about one-third (35%) see immigrants as increasing levels of crime and
insecurity (Figure 1).
▪ More than eight in 10 citizens
express tolerant attitudes toward immigrants and foreign workers, saying they would like (22%) or
would not mind (59%) having them as neighbours (Figure 2).
(91%) and different religion (81%), but
fewer than two in 10 (18%) are tolerant toward people in same-sex relationships. ▪ Almost three-fourths (73%) of
Moroccans say North Africans should be able to move freely across international borders in
order to trade or work in other countries (Figure 3).
▪ But in practice, the same
proportion (74%) say it is difficult for people to cross borders in the region (Figure 4).
(Afrobarometer) 9 February 2022 729-43-05/Polls About Four
In 10 Moroccans Have Not Heard Of Climate Change
Moroccans’ awareness of climate change and
its negative impact on the country has improved over the past three years,
according to the latest Afrobarometer study. Even so, about four in 10 citizens have not
heard of climate change. And among those who are familiar with the concept, half do not
see its effects as harmful. As the country battles more frequent
droughts, the government has taken steps to fight climate change, including strategies to
meet half of Morocco’s electricity needs through renewable energy (solar, wind, and
hydropower) by 2030. The 2019 Climate Vulnerability Index ranked
Morocco 57th out of 182 countries in exposure, sensitivity, and ability to adapt to the
negative effects of climate change. Key findings ▪ More than six in 10 Moroccans (61%)
say they have heard of climate change, a 7- percentage-point increase compared to 2018
(54%) (Figure 1).
▪ Men and highly educated,
economically well-off, young and urban citizens are more likely to be aware of climate change than
women and less educated, poorer, older, and rural respondents (Figure 2).
▪ Among those who have heard of
climate change, half (49%) say it is making life in Morocco “somewhat worse” or “much worse,” a
12-percentage point increase from 2018 (37%). But the share who think climate
change is making life better also increased, from 26% to 39% (Figure 3).
(Afrobarometer) 11 February 2022 WEST
EUROPE
729-43-06/Polls Public Criticism Of Conservatives’ Handling Of The Economy Continues
To Grow
The economy is now
seen by Britons as the most important issue facing the country, jumping
12 points since last week from 45% to 57%. This is the highest percentage of
people picking the issue since March last year. Last week the issue was tied
in first place but is now 15-points ahead over second-placed health (42%),
with the environment languishing in a distant third, at 27%.
While the Conservative party are still seen as the best political
party to manage the economy overall - with
30% saying so, compared to 22% for Labour - Britons are becoming
more and more sceptical about how well the government is handling the economy
and surrounding issues such as taxation and inflation. The percentage of Britons who say the government are handling the
economy badly has gone
up seven points since last week, from 57% to 64%. This pattern is
mirrored among 2019 Conservative voters, with an increase from 34% saying
badly last week to 42% now.
There has been widespread public concern over inflation, with some
predicting cost increases as large as 7% in coming months. Public attitudes
to how the government is handling inflation, have seen a similarly negative
shift to the wider economy. The number of Britons who say inflation is being
handled badly has
increased by seven points in the last week, from 66% to 73%. Again, this is
mirrored with a nine-point jump amongst Conservative voters, with a strong
majority now thinking it is being managed badly (61%, vs 30% who think the
government is doing well).
Concern over the state of the UK’s economy also includes the
forthcoming National Insurance rise. This is reflected in attitudes to the
government handling of taxation, with
another seven-point increase in Britons labelling it ‘bad’, from 64% last
week to 71% now. We also witness discontent growing further amongst
Conservative voters, with 54% now saying badly (up from 47%).
(YouGov UK) February 09, 2022 729-43-07/Polls Consumer Confidence Slips As Britons’ Household Finance Concerns
Increase
The (then-speculative) increase in UK energy bills has already had an
impact on consumer confidence, according to the newest analysis from YouGov
and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr). While the overall
index saw a decline of just one point from 110 to 109.0, scores across every
metric except home value measures and business activity for the year ahead
fell – in some cases, dramatically so.
YouGov collects consumer confidence data every day, conducting over
6,000 interviews a month. Respondents answer questions about household
finances, property prices, job security, and business activity, both over the
past 30 days and looking ahead to the next 12 months. While the
rising energy price cap (reportedly set to cost millions of Britons as much as £693 per year)
was announced in early February, January saw plenty of speculation that bills would significantly
increase across the country. Against this backdrop, confidence in household
finances took an immediate blow: scores for the past month deteriorated from
83.7 to 80.6, while outlook deteriorated from 83.6 to 79.1.
Business activity measures were a mixture of good and bad news. While
scores for the past month went from 111.7 to 108.9 (perhaps indicating a
post-Christmas slump), scores for the next 12 months increased from 124.7 to
127.1: an increase of 2.4 points that effectively wipes out the 2.4 point
loss of confidence from December 2021. Along with business owners, homeowners also had reason to be cheerful
in January 2022 – with house prices at their highest level since 2005. For
the third month in a row, measures for the past month and the 12 months ahead
increased; in February 2022, both rose by 1.8 points.
Darren Yaxley, Head of Reputation Research at YouGov: “Consumers’ economic outlook at the start of the
year reveals a complicated picture. Although the headline consumer confidence
slipped by a point in January, there was a lot going on under the surface
that shaped their economic optimism. While consumers’ outlook for their
household finances has not been as bleak since the autumn of 2013 homeowners’
views of the property market have not been this strong since September 2014.
Both are likely to be shaped over the coming months by announcements that
took place at the start of February, after this data was collected – the
announcement of the increase in the energy price cap and the Bank of England
raising interest rates.” Sam Miley, Senior Economist at Cebr: “This month’s drop in the YouGov/Cebr Consumer Confidence Index
highlights the impact of the rising cost of living on household sentiment.
Away from the headline indicator, consumers’ assessment of their finances
over the coming year provides for a particularly stark reading - reaching a
near nine-year low. Rising inflation and the planned uplift to National
Insurance contributions are just two likely factors behind this weaker
outlook. This sentiment is also mirrored in Cebr’s latest forecasts, with
real disposable incomes expected to fall year-on-year and the household
savings ratio set to narrow significantly.” (YouGov UK) February 09, 2022 729-43-08/Polls Starmer And Labour Remain Unconvincing To Older Voters Almost Half
(49%) Of The Over-55 Electorate Would Vote Conservative
With recent events taking their toll on the Conservative party, a new
YouGov looks at how the party is holding up among their most important
supporters: older people. According to our data, almost half (49%) of the over-55 electorate
would vote Conservative, while just over a quarter (28%) would vote Labour.
Only 10% would vote Lib Dem, 5% Green, 4% Reform UK, and 3% for other parties.
However, there is some evidence of a decent-sized swing in vote
intention from the Conservatives to Labour – 5% of 2019 Conservative voters
in this age group now intend to vote Labour. Further, similarly to the
national picture, almost a quarter Conservative 2019 voters now either do not
know who they vote for (19%) or would not vote at all (4%). Indeed, just 62% of older voters who backed Boris Johnson’s party at
the last election still intend to vote Conservative again now. So, despite still maintaining a 21-point lead among older voters, the
Conservatives are nonetheless struggling to hold on to significant numbers of
one of their most loyal tribes. Current YouGov vote intention figures among the country as a whole
show sizeable Labour leads, with data from 2 February showing the
Conservatives nine points behind their main rivals. That represents a
difference of -30 points in terms of leads between the over 55s and the
general population as a whole. Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson are about
equally disliked among older Britons While the over 55s do have a negative view of the Conservative party
(net -13), they have much stronger disdain for the Labour party (-35). The
difference is much smaller when we look at the two respective leaders,
however; older people are negative about both Johnson (net -26) and Starmer (-31). That Johnson is much less popular than his own party among older
voters suggests that there could yet still be further damage done to the
Conservative party brand should the prime minister remain in power but fail
to improve his own personal ratings.
In terms of prospective Conservative replacements for Johnson as
party leader, older people are positive about Rishi Sunak (net +15), but
negative about Liz Truss (-19), Jeremy Hunt (-23), and Michael Gove (-32). As with voting intention, over 55s tend to be more favourable toward
Johnson and the Conservatives than the national rate. Latest YouGov figures
have net favourability for Boris Johnson at -52, and the Conservatives at
-41. That’s a full 26-point difference on Johnson, and a 28-point net
difference for his party. Meanwhile, the general population is more positive (or, less
negative) about both Keir Starmer (-19), and the Labour party (-16). Those
national figures are 12 points higher for Starmer and 16 points higher for
Labour. (YouGov UK) February 11, 2022 729-43-09/Polls 31% Of Parents Declare That Their Children Have Been, At Least Once,
Victim Of Cyber Violence
An alarming finding The data collected from the French on cyberviolence and cyberbullying
paint an alarming picture: 41% of French people say they have been
victims of cyberviolence and 31% admit to having committed
it . Online violence is an extremely widespread phenomenon that
particularly targets young people and people belonging to minority
groups. They have serious consequences on the life and health of the
victims, sometimes even attempting suicide for more than 1 in 10 victims, and
yet remain largely minimized and unpunished.. The fight against this violence
still relies mostly on the victims, who, for lack of satisfactory remedies in
terms of reporting and legal proceedings, develop self-defense strategies
that tend to restrict their freedom of expression.
Cyberviolence and cyberbullying are a
massive phenomenon that does not only concern the youngest. More than 4 out of 10 French people have already been victims of
online violence. Although this
phenomenon particularly concerns 18-24 year olds, 87% of whom declare having
suffered a situation of cyberviolence, it is not confined to this age group
and affects the entire French population. If social networks
and instant messaging appear to be the spaces most conducive to
cyberviolence, they are found in all digital spaces, from forums to dating
applications, via SMS.
Cyber-violence has serious consequences on
the health and life of those who are victims of it. The psychological and social consequences
of cyberviolence are numerous and significant for the victims, even more when
it comes to children, women and people belonging to minority groups.. Victims
of online violence report very heavy impacts, whether socio-economic or
health-related. Thus 22% have unsubscribed from social networks, 11% say
they have lost their job or failed in their studies following the violence,
41% of them have felt depressed or desperate, 17% have thought about suicide
and 16% that they deserved what was happening to them. The recurrence of
online attacks amplifies the consequences for the victims: almost half (45%)
of people who have been victims of the dissemination of degrading or intimate
photos and videos on several occasions have thought about
suicide. Belonging to a minority group and being a woman are also
factors that increase the impact of violence. Ignorance of the law and the trivialization
of this violence encourage impunity. If the vast majority of French people are aware of what cyberbullying
is, the fact that these actions fall under the law is often less known. Barely more than a quarter of French people
recognize all the acts of cyberviolence listed as such . It is the people most familiar with social networks
(young people, people present on many networks) who have the most difficulty
in recognizing these situations as cyberviolence. In
addition, 73% of French people say they do not know the criminal risks
incurred when an act of cyberviolence or cyberharassment is committed. Remedies that appear to be insufficient and
reports that remain a dead letter. The majority, whether or not they have been victims of cyberbullying, the French do not know who to contact in the event
of cyberviolence or cyberbullying. More than half of French
people say they do not know (59%) or did not know (52%) how to react or who
to contact as a victim of an act of cyberviolence. While 1 in 5 victims
say they have gone to the police or the gendarmerie to file a complaint, less
than half of these complaints (47%) have given rise to legal proceedings and
two thirds (67%) of those who have took the step of filing a complaint were
refused this deposit. In addition, the support of social media platforms
in the fight against cyberbullying is mostly perceived as insufficient.Nearly two-thirds (65%) of French people believe
that the platforms do not do enough in the fight against online violence . If
more than 1 in 3 French people say they have already taken the step of
reporting content or a profile considered malicious or inappropriate, in more
than half (58%) of cases, either the social network did not respond , or his
answer was unsatisfactory.
Self-censorship as a means of self-defense. Among the 6 out of 10 French people using
the networks who say they do not publish anything, 1 out of 10 declares that
they refuse to do so for fear of the consequences despite their desire to
publish . As for the people who publish,
they say they are careful; only a minority publish content without
restriction. The online presence is therefore designed defensively and
the fact of having been a victim several times amplifies the tendency to
self-censorship. Posts about religious beliefs, political opinions,
sexual orientation, and nude photos (eg, bathing suits) are where social
media users say they restrict themselves the most. Essential levers to fight against
cyberviolence according to the French. Strengthening prevention and rights
education seems essential to the French to improve information for the public
and in particular for the youngest. They also
recommend highlighting 3018, the emergency number for young victims of
digital violence, or simplifying the filing of complaints to better support
victims. On the other hand, the lifting of anonymity or pseudonymity is
not considered to be an important lever, and for good reason, since in the
majority of cases the victims know the identity of the perpetrator of the
violence. (Ipsos France) February 9, 2022 729-43-10/Polls 1 In 10 French People Are Boycotting The Winter Olympics This Year
Between diplomatic boycott and sporting interest, the French are
divided In general, the Winter Olympics mobilize the attention of two
thirds of French people, 51% say they generally consider this event, if
only for a few events, and 16% inquire at least about the
results. A passion for the Winter Olympics which is first and foremost
the fact of men, since ¾ of them say they have been let down by this
event in general. And it ended again for the 2022 edition of these Winter Olympics in
Beijing, with a majority of the French public who are receptive to this
event: 10% of those questioned will have to follow every day and 46% a
few trials. Conversely, a third of French people do not say they are
interested in this event. As for the diplomatic boycott (following the allegations of human
rights violations directed against China), although supported by 53% of
public opinion, this does not translate into action: only 1 French out
of 10 declares that he will boycott the Games this year. The events that mobilize the most attention: alpine skiing, biathlon,
figure skating As soon as we ask the French people who have to follow these Winter
Olympics in Beijing about the key events, three disciplines are of particular
interest: alpine skiing comes first with 47% of intention to follow, biathlon
and figure skating completing the podium, with 40% attention level for
each. The level of interest in these 3 major sports is also more
pronounced among those aged 55 and over ; it should be noted
that figure skating also interests more women (59% who intend to watch
the events) than men (26% only). Among the other events that would have also provided strong
audiences, we also find ski jumping (39% follow-up intention), freestyle
skiing (31%), cross-country skiing (28%) or snowboarding. , the latter sport
attracting more young people (16-24 years). Will French athletes shine? it is the wish of many For the French who plan to follow the Beijing Olympics, the
predictions for this 2022 edition are mostly between 5 to 15 medals: 46%
hope that France will collect between 5 and 10 charms, and 36% rather
anticipate 10 to 15 medals. The most optimistic even seeing the French athletes win the 15 medals
(10% of them) (Ipsos France) February 10, 2022 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/fr-fr/1-francais-sur-10-boycotte-les-jo-dhiver-cette-annee 729-43-11/Polls New Media Consumption Habits – But Which Ones Will Stick After The
Pandemic
Everything is becoming more and more digital - and the pandemic is
amplifying this development. This is reflected in media consumption,
among other things. For traditional media around the world, lockdowns
and changing daily routines have meant that pre-pandemic downtrends have
accelerated. Radio listeners, for example, shrank because commuters no longer
made many car journeys. Meanwhile, video streaming services like Netflix
and Amazon Prime have surged, as have podcasts -- mostly driven by the
younger generation. The current Global Media Outlook Report from YouGov
shows that the trends from the past year are continuing. However, not all of the global developments were felt so clearly in
Germany after the first year of the pandemic . At that time,
less than a third of the adults surveyed in this country used streaming
services – far below average. However, at 36 percent, the proportion of
video-on-demand users is now at the level of the global average from 17
markets that the study compares with each other. Growth driver video on demand But which trends will continue and which will reverse when
pandemic-related restrictions are lifted or eased? YouGov also provides
data on this. In the case of video streaming subscriptions in Germany,
growth will therefore continue: fewer respondents say they want to cancel
their subscription than respondents say they can imagine taking out a new
subscription this year. Globally, it is evident that growth can also be expected from
existing customers. 71 percent of those surveyed consumed the same or
more video-on-demand in 2021. Of these respondents, almost all (86
percent) say they plan to maintain or increase this level of usage; more
than a third (36 percent) anticipate greater use this year. Comparable trends can be seen in music streaming, social media use,
website and app use, and podcast listening. It is noticeable: These are
all non-linear, digital online offers. The proportion of those who, on
the other hand, used traditional media offerings such as television, radio
and newspapers and magazines (offline and online) at least as much as in the
previous year and want to increase their use this year is significantly
lower. One in three wants to listen to more
podcasts But that should not hide the fact that traditional media can still
have very high usage rates. Above all, linear television is watched a
lot worldwide as well as in Germany. But the greatest growth can be expected in digital media
consumption. Media producers and advertisers can assume that the new
consumption habits caused by the pandemic will not change anytime soon and
that video streaming in particular will continue to grow. There is great
potential in the audio sector, with 17 percent of respondents who currently
do not have a paid music streaming subscription but could imagine subscribing
to a service this year. It should also not be neglected that 30 percent
of those surveyed stated that they wanted to increase their podcast
consumption in 2022. The pandemic will continue to increase media consumption worldwide
for some time to come. Looking ahead, however, it can be assumed that
the trend will flatten out. If you would like to take a look at the full
Global Media Outlook Report 2022, you can download it here . (YouGov Germany) February 14, 2022 Source: https://yougov.de/news/2022/02/14/neue-gewohnheiten-beim-medienkonsum-aber-welche-bl/ NORTH
AMERICA
729-43-12/Polls 58% Americans Favor Vaccine Requirement For Air Travel, But Fewer
Back Requiring Vaccines To Dine Or Shop
Nearly two years after the coronavirus
outbreak took hold in the United States, Americans are increasingly
critical of the response to COVID-19 from elected officeholders and public
health officials. Amid debates over how to address the surge in cases driven by the
omicron variant, confusion is now the most common reaction to shifts in
public health guidance: 60% of U.S. adults say they’ve felt confused as a
result of changes to public health officials’ recommendations on how to slow
the spread of the coronavirus, up 7 percentage points since last summer.
Americans are now almost evenly divided over how well public health
officials, such as those at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
are responding to the outbreak, with about half (49%) saying they are doing
an only fair or poor job and half (50%) saying they are doing an excellent or
good job. Positive ratings of public health officials have fallen 10 points
since August and are well below ratings for their initial response to the
outbreak in early 2020. Evaluations of elected leaders at all levels of government have also
moved lower. A majority (60%) now describes the job Joe Biden is doing
responding to the coronavirus as only fair or poor. The share of Americans
who say Biden is doing an excellent or good job (40%) is down 7 points since
August and is now only slightly higher than the share who said Donald Trump
did an excellent or good job responding to the coronavirus outbreak over the
course of his presidency (36%). The new Pew Research Center survey finds that 78% of U.S. adults say
they have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including 73% who
say they are fully vaccinated – having received either two Pfizer or Moderna
vaccines or one Johnson & Johnson. Among fully vaccinated adults, 66% say
they’ve received an additional COVID-19 “booster shot” within the past six
months (this group makes up 48% of all U.S. adults). When it comes to the
decision to get a vaccine:
Among Republicans, the decision to get a vaccine, as well as broader
views on the outbreak, differ across key demographics and characteristics.
For instance, age and education strongly shape the vaccine decision among
Republicans:
With vaccines widely available, businesses and institutions are
grappling with whether to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination to
participate in a range of activities. The survey finds:
Partisan gaps on vaccine requirements are among the largest of any
seen in the survey. Majorities of Republicans oppose vaccine requirements for
all five activities listed in the survey, while majorities of Democrats favor
them. For instance, 76% of Democrats favor requiring proof of COVID-19
vaccination to attend a sporting event or concert, compared with just 26% of
Republicans. Not surprisingly, unvaccinated adults broadly oppose all vaccine
requirements, while those who have received a vaccine support most of these
measures. Views on vaccine requirements highlight how partisanship and vaccine
status are intertwined, yet both factors play a role shaping views. Among
Republicans, those who have received a vaccine are more open to vaccination
requirements than those who have not received a vaccine. On air travel, for
example, 43% of Republicans who have received a vaccine say they would favor
requiring proof of vaccination to travel by plane. Just 9% of Republicans who
have not received a vaccine favor this. One big change seen in the new survey is the increased comfort
Americans express around everyday activities. Large shares now say they are
comfortable visiting with close family and friends in their home (85%) and
going to the grocery store (84%). Majorities also say they feel comfortable
visiting a hair salon or barbershop (73%) or eating out in a restaurant
(70%). Comfort levels with most activities in the survey are roughly 20
percentage points higher than in November of 2020, before the availability of
COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S.
In part, these gaps in comfort tie to the finding that adults who
have not received a vaccine are less concerned
than vaccinated adults about getting a serious case of the coronavirus
themselves. This has been the case throughout the outbreak. Levels of
personal concern about the disease have been one of the core factors tied to
the decision of whether or not to get vaccinated since vaccines became widely
available. These are among the principal findings from Pew Research Center’s
survey of 10,237 U.S. adults conducted from Jan. 24 to 30, 2022, on the
coronavirus outbreak and Americans’ views of a COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccination rates among U.S. adults The rise in cases spurred by the omicron variant put renewed focus on
vaccination rates in the U.S. as well as the role booster shots play in
limiting the impacts from the coronavirus.
Overall, 78% of U.S. adults say they have received at least one dose
of a COVID-19 vaccine, including 73% who say they are fully vaccinated (5%
say they’ve received one shot, but need one more). According to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “fully vaccinated” means having
received two doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose of the Johnson
& Johnson. Two-in-ten U.S. adults say they have not received a vaccine for
COVID-19. These estimates generally align with other national public opinion
surveys, including those conducted by the Kaiser
Family Foundation. When it comes to booster shots, the current survey finds that 66% of
adults who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 say they have also received a booster shot
within the last six months. This group makes up 48% of all U.S. adults. There continue to be sizable differences across groups in the shares
who say have received at least one
dose of a COVID-19 vaccine (78% of all U.S. adults).
Among the largest differences is partisan affiliation: Democrats and
those who lean to the Democratic Party are 26 percentage points more likely
than Republicans and Republican leaners to say they’ve received a COVID-19
vaccine (90% vs. 64%). White evangelical Protestants continue to be less likely than other
major religious groups to say they have gotten vaccinated for COVID-19. About
six-in-ten White evangelical Protestants (62%) have received at least one
dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, compared with 77% of White non-evangelical
Protestants, 80% of religiously unaffiliated adults and 85% of Catholics. Those with higher levels of education and income are more likely than
those with lower levels to say they have received a vaccine for COVID-19. And
those with health insurance are 16 points more likely than those without to
have gotten a vaccine. Some demographic differences in vaccination status are more
pronounced within one
partisan group than another. For instance, 80% of Republicans ages 65 and
older say they have received a COVID-19 vaccine, compared with far fewer
Republicans 18 to 29 (52%). There is a much more modest gap between the
shares of Democrats 65 and older and those 18 to 29 who say they’ve received
a vaccine (94% vs. 88%). See
the Appendix for more details on vaccination status within partisan
groups. Partisan differences in the share who’ve
received a booster shot or would be willing to do so every six months Among those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, Democrats and
Democratic leaners are more likely to say they’ve received a booster shot
within that last six months than Republicans and GOP leaners.
About three-quarters of fully vaccinated Democrats (73%) say they
have received a COVID-19 booster shot within the last six months. This group
makes up 62% of all Democrats. Among fully vaccinated Republicans, 55% say they have received a
COVID-19 booster shot within the last six months (33% of all Republicans). Public health experts are continuing to evaluate
whether to recommend regular COVID-19 booster shots.
The survey finds that 64% of adults who have received a COVID-19
vaccine say they would probably be willing to get a vaccine booster about
every six months, if public health officials recommended it; 35% of
vaccinated adults say they probably would not be willing to get a booster shot every six months
or so. Among adults who have received a COVID-19 vaccine, Democrats and
Democratic-leaning independents are far more likely than Republicans and
Republican leaners to say they’d be willing to get a booster shot regularly
(77% vs. 42%). High marks for hospitals and medical
centers, but criticism of top officials’ COVID-19 response grows
A large majority of Americans (81%) continue to say hospitals and medical
centers in their area are doing an excellent or good job responding to the
coronavirus. Ratings are far less positive for the performance of public health
officials and elected officeholders at the state, local and federal level. Half of Americans now say public health officials, such as those at
the CDC, are doing an excellent or good job responding to the outbreak, down
from a high of 79% early in the outbreak and from 60% last August. The same share (50%) say their local elected officials are doing an
excellent or good job responding to the coronavirus outbreak, and 46% say
this about their state elected officials. Ratings for both groups are down
since August and are much lower than they were at earlier stages of the
outbreak. Four-in-ten say Joe Biden is doing an excellent or good job dealing
with the coronavirus, compared with 60% who say he is doing an only fair or
poor job. Positive ratings for Biden’s performance dealing with the
coronavirus have continued to decrease, down 7 percentage points since August
and 14 points since February 2021, shortly after his inauguration as
president. The share of Americans with a positive view of Biden’s handling of
the coronavirus outbreak is now nearing that for Trump after he left office
(36%).
Republicans are especially critical of the response to the
coronavirus outbreak by public health officials. Just 26% of Republicans and
Republican leaners say public health officials, such as those at the CDC, are
doing an excellent or good job; a majority (73%) say they are doing an only
fair or poor job. By contrast, 69% of Democrats and Democratic leaners rate
the job health officials are doing as excellent or good. This contrasts with views of public health officials measured in the
early stages of the coronavirus outbreak. For instance, in May of 2020,
during Trump’s administration, 68% of Republicans and 75% of Democrats said
public health officials were doing an excellent or good job responding to the
outbreak.
Partisans continue to offer starkly different ratings of Biden’s
response to the coronavirus outbreak: 64% of Democrats now say he is doing an
excellent or good job, while 89% of Republicans say instead that he is doing
an only fair or poor job. Partisan gaps are more modest in ratings of state and local elected
officials, and majorities of both Republicans (76%) and Democrats (86%) say
hospitals and medical centers in their area are doing an excellent or good
job responding to the coronavirus outbreak. Changing public health guidance sparks confusion,
concern Americans have encountered a number of changes to public health
guidelines about how to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. over
the past two years.
When asked how they’ve felt about these changes, confusion is the top
reaction Americans express: 60% say they have felt confused by changes in
recommendations on how to slow the spread of the coronavirus, up 7 percentage
points from the share who said this in August 2021. Nearly as many (57%) say changes in health officials’ recommendations
on how to slow the spread made them wonder if public health officials were
holding back important information. And 56% say it made them feel less
confident in the recommendations. The share saying they’ve felt less
confident in public health officials’ recommendations is up 5 points since
August. Changing health guidance has also prompted some positive reactions
from the public: 56% say they’ve felt that these changes made sense because
scientific knowledge is always being updated. Still, the share who say
they’ve felt this way is down 5 points since last summer. Fewer Americans
(43%) say changes to health officials’ recommendations on how to slow the
spread of the coronavirus made them feel reassured that officials were
staying on top of new information, down 8 points since August. Vaccinated adults express much more positive reactions to changing
public health guidance on how best to slow the spread of the coronavirus than
adults who have not received a vaccine. Partisan affiliation also strongly
shapes views, with Democrats taking a more positive view of changes in
recommendations than Republicans.
Two-thirds (66%) of adults who have received a COVID-19 vaccine say
changes in recommendations have made sense because scientific knowledge is
always being updated; just 26% of adults who have not received a vaccine
express this view. Negative reactions register more widely with adults who have not
received a vaccine than those who have. Still, 50% of vaccinated adults say
changes in guidance on how to slow the spread of the coronavirus have made
them less confident in health officials’ recommendations, and 58% say they’ve
made them feel confused. Democrats and Democratic leaners are 38 points more likely than
Republicans and Republican leaners to say changes in officials’ coronavirus
recommendations have made sense because scientific knowledge is always being
updated (74% vs. 36%). About three-quarters of Republicans say changes in
guidance have made them wonder if public health officials were holding back
important information and made them less confident in health officials’
recommendations (about four-in-ten Democrats express each of these
reactions). The partisan gap is more modest when it comes to confusion: 69% of
Republicans and 53% of Democrats say they’ve felt confused due to changes in
public health officials’ coronavirus recommendations. Americans now more comfortable with a range
of daily activities
Americans are now much more comfortable with a range of daily
activities than they were in November 2020, before the availability of
COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. Most Americans (85%) now say they feel comfortable visiting with a
close friend or family member inside their home, up 20 percentage points from
the share who said this in November 2020. About as many (84%) say they feel
comfortable going to the grocery store. Majorities also say they are now comfortable going to a hair salon or
barbershop (73%) or eating out in a restaurant (70%). In late 2020, far
smaller shares of Americans felt comfortable doing these activities (53% and
44%, respectively). Still, fewer than half say they feel comfortable attending an indoor
sporting event or concert (43%) or a crowded party (34%), though these
percentages have risen substantially since November 2020. The 20% of U.S. adults who have not received a vaccine are less
likely than vaccinated adults to see the coronavirus outbreak as a major
threat to their own personal health. Consistent with lower levels of concern,
unvaccinated adults tend to express more comfort
with public activities than those who have received a COVID-19 vaccine.
For example, about six-in-ten (62%) of those who are not vaccinated
say they feel comfortable attending an indoor sporting event or concert,
compared with 37% of vaccinated adults. Unvaccinated adults are 29 points
more likely than vaccinated adults to say they’re comfortable attending a
crowded party and somewhat more likely to say they’re comfortable eating in a
restaurant and going to a hair salon or barbershop. Large shares of both vaccinated and unvaccinated adults now say
they’re comfortable visiting with a close friend or family member inside
their home and going to the grocery store.
Partisan affiliation also shapes views on this question, with
Republicans and those who lean to the Republican Party more likely than
Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents to say they feel comfortable
engaging in a variety of activities. A majority of Republicans (62%) say they are comfortable attending an
indoor sporting event or concert, compared with about three-in-ten Democrats
(27%). There’s a similar gap in comfort with attending a crowded party. Large shares of both Republicans and Democrats say they are
comfortable visiting with a close friend or family member inside their home
or going to the grocery store, though the size of the majority is about 10
points higher among Republicans than Democrats in both cases. Mask wearing increased with the arrival of
the omicron variant A separate early-January survey found the share of U.S. adults who
say they have worn a mask all or most of the time in stores and businesses
over the last month increased from 53% in August of 2021 to 61% in January.
Those who have received a COVID-19 vaccine (70%) continue to be far more likely
than those who have not (32%) to say they’ve been wearing a mask in public
places regularly. See
Appendix for more details. Majority of Americans favor vaccine requirement
for air travel, but not for shopping or dining
A majority of U.S. adults (58%) favor requiring proof of COVID-19
vaccination before being allowed to travel by air. Slightly more Americans favor (53%) than oppose (46%) a vaccine
requirement to go to a sporting event or concert. By 52% to 47%, more also favor than oppose requiring proof of
COVID-19 vaccination for attending public colleges and universities in
person. Support for this proposal is 5 percentage points lower than it was in
August of 2021. Americans lean against requiring proof of vaccination to eat inside
of a restaurant (53% oppose, 46% favor), and 59% oppose requiring proof of
vaccination to shop inside stores and businesses. Support for both of these
proposals has also declined slightly since last summer.
Unsurprisingly, Americans who have not received a coronavirus vaccine
are overwhelmingly against vaccine requirements, with around eight-in-ten or
more opposing each of these measures. There continue to be large partisan differences in how Americans view
vaccination requirements. Majorities of Democrats favor requiring proof of
vaccination status to do each of the five activities listed, while majorities
of Republicans oppose requirements in each of these cases. For example, eight-in-ten Democrats and independents who lean toward
the Democratic Party favor requiring those traveling by airplane to show
proof of vaccination, while only about three-in-ten (31%) Republicans and
Republican leaners say they favor this.
Among Republicans, opposition to vaccine requirements is far more
widespread among those who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine than among
those who have. For instance, 43% of vaccinated Republicans favor requiring
proof of COVID-19 vaccination for air travel, compared with just 9% of
unvaccinated Republicans who say this. (Overall, 64% of Republicans and
Republican leaners have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine; 33%
have not.) (PEW) FEBRUARY 9, 2022 729-43-13/Polls Two-Thirds Of Black Protestants (65%) Approve Of The Job That Biden
Is Doing As President
About a year into his presidency, Joe Biden’s job
approval rating is much lower among the U.S. public overall – and
among most demographic groups – than it was in the early months of his
administration. The changes in Biden’s job ratings also are evident among
several Christian subgroups and religiously unaffiliated Americans. While his
rating continues to be low among White Christians, especially White
evangelical Protestants, there have been sizable declines in positive ratings
from Black Protestants and the religiously unaffiliated – two groups that are
among the Democratic Party’s most
loyal constituencies. Roughly two-thirds of Black Protestants (65%) approve of the job that
Biden is doing as president, according to a Pew
Research Center survey conducted Jan. 10-17. That is down sharply
from 92% in March 2021, shortly after he took office.
Religiously unaffiliated adults also are increasingly skeptical about
Biden’s job performance. Today, 47% of religious “nones” – respondents who
describe their religious identity as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in
particular” – approve of Biden’s performance, down from 71% in April 2021 and
65% in March 2021. The share of “nones” who now approve of Biden is the
lowest it has been since his inauguration, falling below the previous low of
55% in September 2021. Although the surveys analyzed here include respondents from many
religious backgrounds, including Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and others,
they did not have enough interviews with members of these religious groups to
report separately on their views about Biden. The January survey was conducted ahead of the two-year anniversary of
the U.S. coronavirus
outbreak, and as Congress was bogged down on key
pieces of Biden’s agenda. White evangelical Protestants’ support of Biden has been consistently
low, with the share who now disapprove of him similar
to the share who approved of
former President Donald Trump at the height of Trump’s popularity. Currently,
14% of White evangelicals approve of Biden’s job performance, down from 22%
last March. White Protestants who are not evangelical are somewhat more
positive in their assessments of Biden, but his standing among this group has
fallen as well: 31% of White non-evangelical Protestants now approve of his performance,
down from 40% in March 2021. Biden’s ratings among various religious groups reflect differences in
how those groups identify politically. Black
Protestants and religiously unaffiliated Americans have long
been staunchly
Democratic. Nine-in-ten Black Protestants (91%) voted
for Biden in 2020, as did seven-in-ten nones (71%), according to Pew
Research Center’s validated
voter study. White evangelical Protestants,
by contrast, are among the most solidly and consistently Republican religious
groups in the United States, and they have grown even more Republican in
recent decades. Among White evangelical Protestants, just 15% cast their
votes for Biden in the 2020 election, while 84% voted for Trump. In the most recent survey, Biden’s job approval rating has also
declined notably among his fellow Catholics, though levels of support among
Catholics continue to differ by race. Among Catholics overall, 46% now approve of Biden’s performance, down
from 56% in March 2021. Among White Catholics, a clear minority (35%) now
approve of Biden, down from 46% last March. Among Hispanic Catholics, 64%
approve of Biden’s job performance. From the start of his presidency, support
for Biden has been lower among White Catholics than among Hispanic Catholics,
reflecting broad racial
and ethnic divides in partisanship. Biden often speaks about his
Catholic faith, and in March 2021, most U.S. adults said they believe
Biden is at least somewhat religious. However, Catholics
have been divided along partisan lines about Biden’s adherence
to Catholic teachings, and some U.S. Catholic leaders
say he should be denied communion due to his stance
on abortion. Looking ahead to the rest of his term, religious groups in the U.S.
also differ in their views of whether Biden will be a successful president or
not. Overall, 20% of American adults say Biden will be a successful
president, while roughly twice that share (43%) say he will be unsuccessful
and 37% say it is too early to tell.
Among those who affiliate with a religion, Black Protestants (35%)
and Hispanic Catholics (32%) are most likely to believe Biden will be a
successful president – though the most common response in both groups is that
it is too early to tell. Conversely, just 7% of White evangelical Protestants
believe he will be a successful president while an overwhelming majority
(78%) say he will be unsuccessful. Few White non-evangelical Protestants (13%) and White Catholics (17%)
predict Biden will be a successful president, while roughly half in each group
say he will be unsuccessful. Among the religiously unaffiliated, 22% say Biden will be successful,
while 34% say he will be unsuccessful and 44% say it is too early to tell. (PEW) FEBRUARY 10, 2022 729-43-14/Polls For (43%) Black Americans, Family And Friends Are A Primary Source Of
Information On U S Black History
Nearly nine-in-ten Black Americans say they are at least somewhat
informed about the history of Black people in the United States, with family
and friends being the single largest source of information about it,
according to a recent Pew Research Center survey
of Black adults. The achievements of Black Americans are recognized every February
during Black History Month, which traces its roots to an exhibition
commemorating their emancipation from slavery. The historical origins of Black History
Month Black History Month has its origins in
a Black history display that Carter G. Woodson created in 1915 for an
exhibition honoring the 50th anniversary of Black Americans’ emancipation
from slavery. Woodson wanted the celebration of Black American freedom and
achievement to continue beyond the exhibition, so he founded several
intellectual and cultural endeavors: the Association for the Study of Negro
Life and History in 1915, the Journal of Negro History in 1916, and ultimately
Negro History Week in 1926. Woodson selected February for Negro History Week to align with
previously established Black American celebrations of both Frederick
Douglass’ and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays. Fifty years after its founding,
Negro History Week was expanded to Black History Month in 1976 by the
organization Woodson founded, now known as the Association for the Study of
African American Life and History. About half of Black Americans (51%) say they are very or extremely informed
about the history of Black people in the U.S. Nearly four-in-ten (37%) say
they are somewhat informed, while 11% say they are a little or not at all
informed. Among Black adults who identify as Black alone, 51% say they are very
or extremely informed about U.S. Black history. An identical share of
multiracial (51%) adults say the same. About half of U.S.-born Black adults
(51%) and Black immigrants (50%) also say they are very or extremely informed
about U.S. Black history. There are notable differences among Black adults in how well informed
they say they are when it comes to U.S. Black history. Black adults who say
being Black is highly important to their identity are almost twice as likely
as those who say being Black is less important (57% vs. 29%) to say they are
very or extremely informed about the history of Black people in the U.S.
In addition, Black adults ages 30 and older are more likely than
those under 30 to say that they are very or extremely informed. Black Americans who know at least a little about U.S. Black history
say they learned about it in many different ways. The most common way is from
family and friends, with 43% saying they learned everything or most of what
they know about Black history from those close to them. (See detailed tables
below for more on how subgroups of Black Americans rate their knowledge of
Black history and where they learned about it.) Smaller shares say they learned about U.S. Black history from the
media (30%), the internet (27%) and K-12 schools (23%). For those with at
least an associate degree, 24% say they learned about U.S. Black history from
higher education. Views of one’s own racial identity can influence how Black Americans
learn about U.S. Black history. The share of Black Americans who say they
learned this history from family and friends reaches 48% among those who say
being Black is a very or extremely important part of their identity, compared
with just 30% among those who say being Black is less important to their
identity. Black Americans who say being Black is an important part of their
identity are also more likely to have learned about Black history from the
media (33% vs. 22% who say being Black is less important to them), internet
(30% vs. 18%) and higher education (26% vs. 14%), for those with at least an
associate degree. Black adults under age 30 (38%) and ages 30 to 49 (31%) are more
likely than those 50 to 64 (22%) and 65 and older (14%) to say they learned
everything or most things they know about Black history from the internet. Black
adults under 30 (31%) and ages 30 to 49 (25%) also are more likely than those
50 to 64 (20%) and 65 and older (17%) to say they learned all or most of what
they know about their history from K-12 schools. Non-Hispanic Black adults (45%) are more likely than Black
multiracial adults (32%) to say they learned everything or most things they
know about Black history from their family and friends. While U.S.-born Black
adults (44%) and Black immigrants (36%) are similarly likely to rely on
family and friends as sources, Black immigrants are more likely than
U.S.-born Black adults to have learned about Black history from the media
(45% vs. 29%) and the internet (40% vs. 26%). (PEW) FEBRUARY 11, 2022 729-43-15/Polls Nearly Half (46%) Of Canadians Say They “May Not Agree With
Everything” Trucker Convoy Says Or Does
The trucker convoy that has descended upon Ottawa and has morphed
into a wider protest has the sympathy of many Canadians, even if they don’t
agree with everything that has been said or done by the protestors, according
to a new Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Global News. Nearly half (46%) of Canadians say they “may not agree with everything the people who have taken part in the
truck protests in Ottawa have said, but their frustration is legitimate and
worthy of our sympathy.” The proportion of 18-34-year-olds who
adopt this point of view is 61%, while those aged 35-54 (44%) and 55+ (37%)
are much less likely to agree. Regionally, those in Alberta (58%) and
Saskatchewan and Manitoba (58%) are most likely to align with this argument,
while a sizeable minority in Quebec (47%), Ontario (44%), Atlantic Canada
(43%), and British Columbia (36%) agree. Politically, most Conservative
voters (59%) are on this side of the argument, while a minority of Bloc
(44%), NDP (43%) and Liberal (30%) voters are also aligned. Conversely, a slim majority (54%) adopt a contrasting point of view,
arguing that “what the people taking part
in the truck protests in Ottawa have said and done is wrong and does not
deserve any of our sympathy.” Those aged 55+ (63%) are most
aligned with this point of view, followed by those aged 35-54 (56%) and only
a minority of those aged 18-34 (39%). Regionally, British Columbians (64%)
are most inclined to agree with this position, followed by those living in
Atlantic Canada (57%), Ontario (56%), Quebec (53%), Alberta (42%) and
Saskatchewan/Manitoba (42%). Politically, seven in ten (70%) Liberals
maintain this argument, while fewer NDP (57%), Bloc (56%) and Conservative
(41%) voters also hold this position. This issue divides along regional, generational and political fault
lines and it is capturing the attention of Canadians: six in ten (60%) agree
(21% strongly/39% somewhat) that they
are paying close attention to what’s happening with the truck
protests. What is also clear is that sympathy with the movement is no longer
at a point where the minority, which has been categorized as being on the
fringes, is grossly overshadowed by the majority. A sizeable minority
of Canadians (37%) agree (16% strongly/21% somewhat) that while they might not say it publicly, they agree
with a lot of what the truck protestors are fighting for, rising
to 63% of Conservative voters and 45% of Canadians aged 18-34. In fact, one
in four (24%) agree (6% strongly/18% somewhat) that they’d consider joining the truck protest if a small
fringe group had not raised Nazi flags and shown their intolerance and racism,
rising to 38% of Conservative voters and 39% of those aged 18-34. Examining some of the attitudes Canadians have towards the protests
reveals further divisions in opinions:
The Prime Minister so far has refused to meet with the leaders of the
movement, and Canadians are divided on whether this is the right move or not.
Half (53%) agree (29% strongly/24% somewhat) that the Prime Minister is right to refuse to meet with
the truck protestors to hear their grievances, while the other
half (47%) of Canadians disagrees (26% strongly/21% somewhat) that this is
the right decision. Liberal voters (81%) are most aligned on this approach,
while fewer supporters of the NDP (57%), Bloc (49%) or Conservative (31%)
parties endorse this decision. (Ipsos Canada) 11 February 2022 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/news-polls/nearly-half-say-they-may-not-agree-with-trucker-convoy AUSTRALIA
729-43-16/Polls Roy Morgan Business Confidence Plunges 18.7pts To 101.5 In January As
Omicron Variant Sweeps Australia
The plunge in January came as the Omicron variant swept Australia
causing the infection of over 2 million Australians with COVID-19 and forcing
millions more into isolation for being close contacts of confirmed cases. The
disruption to businesses caused problems throughout the economy and led to
breakdowns in supply chains which are only now being gradually rectified. On a State-based level there were monthly decreases across the board
in January led by NSW, down 17.1pts (-13.7%) to 107.6, Victoria, down 22.6pts
(-19%) to 96.3, Queensland, down 23.4pts (-20.2%) to 92.5 and South
Australia, down 12.3pts (-11.2%) to 97.4. Despite the large fall in January Business Confidence remained
marginally in positive territory above the neutral level of 100. The two
indices to drive the positive result relate to conditions over the next year
with a large plurality of 49.8% of businesses expecting ‘good times’ for the
Australian economy over the next year and a clear plurality of 44.5% saying
they expect the business to be ‘better off’ this time next year. Business Confidence in January 2022 plunged to the same mark it was
at during the middle of the ‘Delta wave’ of COVID-19 last year in August 2021
(101.5) and is now well below the long-term average of 113.7. Nevertheless,
Business Confidence is still marginally higher than the latest ANZ-Roy
Morgan Consumer Confidence of 99.9 for January 31 – February 6, 2022.
Source: Roy Morgan Business Single Source, Dec 2010-Jan
2022. Average monthly sample over the last 12 months = 1,402. Business Confidence in January 2022 is
almost identical to two years ago pre COVID-19 and is now highest in Western
Australia (115.8), New South Wales (107.6) and Tasmania (101.8) Business Confidence in January was down 18.7pts (-15.6%) from
December and down 19pts (-15.8%) from a year ago. However, despite the big
monthly fall Business Confidence is nearly identical to its level from two
years ago in January 2020 (101.6) before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a big difference between how Australia began 2021 and how
the country has fared in the early weeks of 2022. One year ago Business
Confidence was in the middle of a record seven-month streak above 120
(December 2020 – June 2021). This high Business Confidence was powered by
virtually no cases of COVID-19 across the country and record Government
spending to support the economy. In contrast, this year began with reduced Government stimulus
spending and a record case-load of COVID-19 with over 2 million Australians
infected with the virus in January and millions more people forced to
isolate, particularly in the three largest States of NSW, Victoria and
Queensland. In January 2022 Business Confidence was lower in all mainland States
than a year ago and was highest in the isolated, and relatively COVID-free,
Western Australia at 115.8. However, this still represents a fall of 24.8pts
(-17.7%) on a year ago. In second place is NSW with Business Confidence of 107.6 in January,
down 11.3pts (-9.5%) from a year ago while Tasmania is also in positive
territory on 101.8. Tasmania is the only State which now has higher Business
Confidence than a year ago, up 9.3pts (+10.1%). The other three States, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland, all
have Business Confidence in negative territory below the neutral level of 100
– and all are down significantly on January 2021. Business Confidence in South Australia is on 97.4, down 21.3pts
(-17.9%) just ahead of Victoria on 96.3, down 27.4pts (-22.2%) and Queensland
on only 92.5, down 23.4pts (-20.2%). All three States have had significant
outbreaks of the ‘Omicron variant’ of COVID-19 during the early weeks of
2022. Business Confidence by State in January
2020 vs. January 2021 vs January 2022
Source: Roy Morgan Business Single Source, Jan. 2020,
n=923, Jan. 2021, n=1,021, Jan. 2022, n=1,426. Base: Australian businesses. Larger businesses with turnover above $50
million are the most confident while Micro businesses with turnover below $1
million are the least confident Looking at businesses turnover shows that Business Confidence is
heavily correlated to the level of turnover. Larger businesses with a
turnover above $50 million are the most confident with Business Confidence of
133.5 in December 2021/ January 2022, although this is down 9.1pts (-6.4%)
from a year ago. Just behind larger businesses are medium businesses with turnover
from $5 – $50 million with a Business Confidence of 129.7. Medium businesses
are the only turnover sector to have higher Business Confidence now than a
year ago, at 129.7, up 3.1pts (+2.4%) from the same period last year. Small businesses with turnover from $1 - $5 million have suffered the
biggest fall in Business Confidence compared to the same period a year ago
now at 122.6, down a large 19pts (-13.4%). The results by turnover show that it is micro businesses with a
turnover of less than $1 million that are the least confident with Business
Confidence of 109.0, a decrease of 9.9pts (-8.3%) on a year ago. Micro businesses have consistently had amongst the lowest Business
Confidence of any size of business since December 2020 when the index soared
as Australia opened up after Victoria’s second wave. In contrast larger
businesses have had amongst the highest Business Confidence particularly over
the last few months as the ‘Delta wave’ subsided and Australia’s vaccination
rates increased significantly. Business Confidence based on annual
turnover size: Dec 2020/Jan 2021 vs. Dec 2021/Jan 2022
Source: Roy Morgan Business Single Source, December 2020 –
January 2021, n=2,607 and December 2021 – January 2022, n=3,123. Base: Australian businesses. Businesses are still largely confident
about their own performance over the next year but became increasingly concerned
about the Australian economy over the next few years
Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan, says
Business Confidence took a significant hit in January as the ‘Omicron
variant’ of COVID-19 swept around Australia with over 2 million cases causing
huge disruptions to business activity across many sectors of the economy: “Roy Morgan Business Confidence plunged by
18.7pts (-15.6%) in January to 101.5, its lowest mark since the middle of the
‘Delta wave’ of COVID-19 in August 2021 (101.5). The big drop was the largest
points drop of the pandemic although was in second place on percentage terms
behind the large drop experienced right at the beginning of the pandemic when
the index dropped 18.2pts (-19.1%). “The ‘Omicron variant’ of COVID-19 emerged
in Australia in early December but its full impact was felt after Christmas
and throughout the first half of January as over two million Australians were
infected with the virus and millions more were forced to isolate for at least
1 week after being close contacts of confirmed cases. “Thankfully, as quickly as the ‘Omicron
variant’ emerged and spread around Australia, the case load has rapidly
reduced in the last few weeks after peaking in mid-January. The highly
vaccinated Australian population also meant the death rate from the ‘Omicron
variant’ has been far lower than earlier strains of the virus although the
sheer number of cases has meant many Australians have been hospitalized and
several have died during this period. “The long-term impact of the ‘Omicron
variant’ is harder to judge but it does suggest the virologists are right
when they say that the more a virus mutates and changes the less deadly it
becomes – even if it does become more contagious at the same time. The two
generally go ‘hand-in-hand’. “Although we may now be past the worst
aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges of inflation and potentially
increasing interest rates, loom large as economic disruptors on the horizon.
There is also the small matter of a Federal Election due in the next few
months to add to the uncertainty. “The hit to Business Confidence by the
‘Omicron variant’ was widespread in January with confidence falling in all
six States in January. Nevertheless, Business Confidence remains in positive
territory above 100 in WA (115.8), NSW (107.6) and Tasmania (101.8). The
index was lagging in South Australia (97.4), Victoria (96.4) and Queensland
(92.5) in January. “On an industry level the most confident
industries were Agriculture (135.6), Public Administration & Defence
(127.1), Property & Business Services (125.3) and Wholesale (121.6).
Agriculture was one of the rare industries to have higher Business Confidence
now than a year ago. Those with the lowest Business Confidence included
Electricity, gas & water (79.5), Construction (86.6), Education & Training
(88.8) and Recreation & Personal (91.5). “The most positive take-out from the
January Business Confidence result is that businesses are still more
confident about the year ahead than not. A large plurality of 49.8% of
businesses say they expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the
next year and almost as many, 44.5%, say they expect the business to be
‘better off’ financially this time next year. “The positive ratings on these two
indicators are why Business Confidence remained in positive territory despite
the widespread outbreak of the ‘Omicron variant’ around Australia during
January.” (Roy Morgan) February 10 2022 Source: https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/8903-roy-morgan-business-confidence-january-2022-202202091615 MULTICOUNTRY
STUDIES
729-43-17/Polls With The Emergence Of The Omicron Variant 25% Of APAC Consumers Are
Delaying Their Travel Booking, Survey Carried out In 25 Countries
COVID-19 has hit the travel and tourism industry hard. According to
data from FlightGlobal, international
passenger numbers in November 2021 reached only 5% of pre-pandemic levels.
And with the emergence of the Omicron variant, latest data from YouGov shows
that 25% of APAC consumers are delaying their travel booking, while some 15%
are either considering cancelling their travel plans or have already done
so.
Latest data from YouGov
Global Travel Profiles shows that over half of APAC consumers have
domestic leisure trips planned for 2022. This ranges from more than 60% of
consumers in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, over 50% of consumers in
China, India and Australia, and more than 40% of consumers in the Philippines
and Japan. Demand for international travel, while lower, is above 20% in most
APAC markets – except for China (10%) and Japan (5%). This data gives travel
marketers a head start as they assign their spending for the first quarter of
2022. To learn more about consumer attitudes on the top obstacles to travel
in specific APAC markets, watch
the full webinar here. A sizeable number of APAC consumers keen on
travelling in 2022 are planning three or more trips
Among APAC consumers who intend to travel locally this year, a
significant 29% of them are planning three or more trips in 2022. And among
those looking to travel abroad, APAC consumers planning three or more
international trips represent a sizeable 43%. These frequent travellers are
an attractive segment for travel companies looking to grow customer loyalty across
trips. Luxury and adventurous travellers are
driving demand for international travel
We broke down APAC consumers who intend to take an international trip
this year by traveller preferences and found that 42% of them identify as
vacationers who looked for luxury experiences abroad (e.g., 5-star hotels).
Adventurous travellers seeking mainly outdoor excitement (30%) and package
travellers looking for all-inclusive tours/cruises (30%) also made up a
significant proportion. Additionally, 26% of APAC consumers identify as
responsible travellers (e.g. environmentally-conscious, culturally-minded,
wellness-focused), while budget travellers formed some 21% of APAC
consumers. Travellers from APAC seek good value for
money, outstanding natural beauty and appropriate safety measures
When it comes to why APAC consumers choose certain travel
destinations, the top factors are whether a potential holiday location offers
good value for money (37%), outstanding natural beauty (32%) and appropriate
safety measures with regards to cleanliness and crowd levels (30%). Other key
factors include whether a destination was recommended by someone (24%), is
close to cultural and historical sites (23%) and where family/friends live
(23%), as well as its sustainability and conservation policies (12%). The EMEA region offers the biggest
potential source of tourists to APAC in 2022
The latest data from YouGov
Global Travel Profiles shows that, as of January 2022, EMEA
consumers exhibit the highest intent to travel internationally for leisure
(37%), followed by consumers in the Americas (18%) and APAC (17%).
Additionally, data from YouGov
DestinationIndex also provides key insights into how travel
sentiments in specific EMEA markets towards various APAC destinations have
trended over the past year. (YouGov Philippines) February 7, 2022 Source: https://ph.yougov.com/en-ph/news/2022/02/07/APAC-2022-travel-outlook-forecast/ 729-43-18/Polls Conspiracy Theories People Around The World Believe In 2021 Across 24
Countries
Research by the YouGov-Cambridge
Globalism Project, covering more than 25,000 people across 24 countries,
reveals the different attitudes towards conspiracy theories in different
parts of the world. The theory that a single group of people who secretly control events
and rule the world together, outside of official governments, had the highest
average levels belief across all 24 countries out of our list of 12 popular
conspiracy theories. Support for this theory was particularly prevalent in
Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, with 72%, 69% and 61% respectively saying
they thought it was definitely or probably true. A further 17% of Kenyans,
22% of Nigerians and 27% of South Africans said they didn’t know either way:
that it might be true, or it might be false.
The theory that Donald Trump conspired with
the Russian government in 2016 is popular with countries that are more
sceptical of other conspiracies The theory that members of former US President Donald Trump’s
election team knowingly worked with the Russian government to help him win
the 2016 US election was second on our list, in terms of average belief
across all 24 countries, with particularly high numbers in Kenya (54% say
definitely or probably true). People from countries which are, on average,
more sceptical about other conspiracy theories have higher levels of belief
in this particular theory, which is arguably more of a left-wing conspiracy
theory than the others we asked about.
This phenomenon is present in countries like Great Britain, Sweden,
Germany and France, but Denmark in particular stands out. While Danes’ belief
in our other conspiracy theories ranges from as low as 3% saying it is
‘definitely or probably true’ that the AIDS virus was created and spread
around the world on purpose by a secret group or organisation to 14% saying
they think that the 1969 moon landings were faked, the percentage of Danish
people saying that Donald Trump worked with the Russian government jumps up
to 39%. People are less likely to believe that President Joe Biden stole the
election from Donald Trump in 2020 by committing systemic voter fraud. Belief
in this is highest in India, with 39% saying it’s definitely or probably
true, and Russians (37%), South Africans (33%) and Americans (33%) also have
a significant level of belief in this theory. Vaccine myth has high average support
compared to other conspiracy theories When it comes to average levels of belief across all 24 countries,
the myth that the truth about the harmful effects of vaccines is being
deliberately hidden from the public ranks third in our list. Belief in this
theory is highest in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa (54%, 50% and 59%
respectively say it’s definitely or probably true) and lowest in Sweden,
Great Britain and Denmark (15%, 13% and 10% respectively). However, people of all 24 countries were much less likely to believe
the conspiracy theory that the coronavirus is a myth created by powerful
people and that the virus does not really exist. Belief in this theory was
highest in India, with 30% of Indians saying they thought it was definitely
or probably true, and lowest in Japan (4%), Denmark (4%) and Britain (3%).
Which countries have the highest and lowest
levels of belief in conspiracy theories? Across all 24 countries surveyed, India had the highest average
proportion of people answering “definitely or probably true” to our 12
conspiracy theories. The level of support for each individual theory ranged
from a quarter (26%) who think the 1969 moon landings were faked to half
(50%) who believe a single group of people secretly rule the world together. South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria all had high average support for
conspiracy theories, but this is largely due to the high levels of belief in
a group of people who secretly rule the world together, mentioned above. Danes had the lowest proportion of people answering “definitely or
probably true” to the 12 theories, as previously mentioned. Japan also had
very low average levels of support for conspiracy theories, although this did
not translate into more Japanese people saying the conspiracy theories were
definitely or probably false. In fact, Japan was second only behind Indonesia
in countries which had a high average proportion of people answering “don’t
know either way – this may be true or may be false” to the conspiracies on
our list. (YouGov UK) 729-43-19/Polls 43% Of Americans Think Tackling Racism Should Be A “High Priority”
For The U S, Survey Of 13 Western Countries
Nations across the world face a vast array of issues and problems,
from defence to societal issues and climate change. All of which could be
argued to be just as pressing of an issue as the others, so with so much to
juggle, what should their focus be? Data from the YouGov-Cambridge
Globalism Project shows how people living in major western nations
think their governments should prioritise certain goals. Should tackling racism be a priority for
the West? The death of George Floyd in May 2020 brought discussions of societal
racism across the Western world to the forefront once again, with major
protests across the United States, UK, and Europe. The YouGov-Cambridge
Globalism Project shows that large majorities in all countries
surveyed believed it should be a medium or high priority for their nations. Britain is among the top three of the nations surveyed who think
combatting racism should be a “high priority” (55%), and a further 28% think
it should be a “medium priority”. Only the Spanish (58%) and Greeks (59%) are
more likely than Brits to think fighting racism should be a high priority for
their nations. The United States, on the other hand, is third from bottom among the
countries included in the survey. While some 43% of Americans think tackling
racism should be a “high priority” for the US, another 18% think it should be
a low priority or not a goal at all.
Should Western nations build up their
military forces? With an ever-growing Russian military presence on the borders of
Eastern Europe, how much of a priority do people in the West feel their
military presence overseas should be? The survey, carried out last summer, found that those closer to the
east are among the keenest to see a build-up of their nation’s forces,
including nearly one in three Greeks (29%) and 20% of Poles who say that it
should be a high priority for their country. Despite already having one of the biggest militaries, 22% of those in
the United States think increasing their military reach overseas should be a
high priority, and a further 28% think it should be a medium priority.
However, some 19% of Americans think it should not be a goal at all. Among Britons, one in nine (11%) think building the reach of the
British military should be a high priority goal for the UK, compared to 18%
who think it should not be a goal at all. Hungarians (32%) and Germans (30%)
are among the most likely to think their countries should not focus on their
military influence overseas at all.
Should reducing immigration be a priority
for the West? Immigration has become a pressing issue across Europe in recent
years, as people flee from conflict and unrest in other parts of the globe.
Repeated crossings of the English Channel by migrants have become a
particular point of contention between the British and French – but is it a
priority issue? There is a general consensus across major western nations that it is
– however some nations are more divided than others. The Greeks (58%) and
French (44%) are the most likely to say reducing immigration should be a high
priory target for their nations – as do similar numbers of Swedes (43%),
Hungarians (42%), and Italians (42%). Around a third of Britons (32%) think reducing immigration should be
a high priority for the UK, while 23% think it should be a medium priority.
On the other hand, 20% say it should be a low priority, and 17% say it should
not be a goal at all. Poles (24%) and Canadians (23%) are the least likely to say their
nations should make cutting immigration numbers a high focus target.
Should the West prioritise the equality of
women? Issues such as the MeToo movement and the gender pay gap have
revealed that the sexes are not perhaps as equal as many like to think they
are. Approaching two thirds of Greeks think that pursuing and promoting
women's equality should be a “high priority” target for their country, while
62% of Spaniards think the same and so do 55% of Italians. While most people in each nation surveyed think promoting women's
equality should be a high or medium priority, Britain and the United States
come bottom of the list in terms of those who think it should be a high
priority (both 37%). A quarter of those in the United States (26%) think this
should be either a low priority or not one at all.
Should being carbon neutral be a priority
for the West? In 2021, the industrialised nations of the world came together for
the COP-26 climate change conference. While it might not have achieved all of
its aims, the build-up certainly helped increase awareness around the issue. Asked shortly before the conference kicked off, the YouGov-Cambridge
Globalism Project found most people across the nations surveyed to
be in favour of moving their economy towards greener alternatives and away
from carbon-heavy industries – with Hungarians the most likely to say this
should be a high priority (61%). Sentiment is similar among Greeks and
Spaniards with 60% and 57% respectively thinking a green economy should be a
high priority goal for their nations. Among Britons, 49% say moving towards an eco-friendlier economy
should be a high priority target for the UK, while a further 30% think it
should be of medium priority. Only 14% think it should be either a low
priority goal or not one at all. Across the pond, 38% of Americans think
changing their economy away from polluting industries should be a high
priority target. Another 34% think it should be a low priority target if one
at all – the highest among the nations asked.
(YouGov UK) February 08, 2022 729-43-20/Polls Globally, The Proportion Of Adults Who Are Likely To Use Each Type Of
Media Is Increasing, A Study In 17 Markets
YouGov's "Global Media Outlook Report 2022" is based on
more than 19,000 interviews in 17 markets around the world. To gain a deeper understanding of how media use has changed globally
and to identify trends, we asked consumers in the 17 markets which media they
have spent more time on and which they have spent less time on (over the past
12 months) and how they expects their media use to change over the next 12
months. Global changes in media use
Globally, a larger proportion have increased their use of digital
media such as websites / apps, social media and streaming of video
services. The biggest change is noticeable in the use of websites / apps,
something that 42% has spent more time on. At the same time, we see that
an increasing proportion of global consumers have reduced their use of
traditional media. For example, 19% spend less time listening to the
radio, 18% read fewer newspapers or magazines and a corresponding proportion
watch less linear television. Our expected media use We have also asked questions about the expected media use. While
we have seen that the use of digital media increased sharply during the
pandemic, our data indicate that we will experience a "flattening"
in the next 12 months.
Globally, the proportion of adults who expect to increase their use
is declining, while the proportion of adults who are likely to use each type
of media is increasing by about the same amount. However, the digital
media is likely to continue to grow. The largest expected increases are in websites and apps (29% of
global consumers are likely to increase their use), followed by video
streaming (27%) and social media (24%). Regional differences We also see large regional differences. Especially when it comes
to expectations for the use of social media.
European countries, with the exception of Italy, are below the global
average of 24%, which expects to spend more time on social media. In the
UK, Denmark and Sweden, the proportion who think they will spend more time on
social media is at least (7%, 8% and 9% respectively). This is in stark
contrast to Indonesia, where as many as 59% believe they will increase their
use. (YouGov Sweden) February 9, 2022 Source: https://yougov.se/news/2022/02/09/det-globala-medielandskapet-2022/ |
