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BUSINESS & POLITICS IN THE WORLD GLOBAL OPINION REPORT NO. 738-739 Week:
April 11 – April 24, 2022 Presentation:
April 29, 2022 McDonald's
Tops YouGov’s 2022 Dining And QSR Rankings In Malaysia Economy
Is Turkey's Most Important Problem For 9 Out Of 10 People Today Eco-Labels
In Singapore, How Aware Are Consumers Of These Green Certification Marks Six
In Ten People In S'pore Prefer Sustainable Brands, With Those Aged 18 - 24
Most Likely To Say So Iraq
Pulse: Unrest Amid The Covid-19 Pandemic Majority
Of Namibians Say The Country Is A Safe Place To Live, But Levels Of Fear Are
On The Rise Three
In Four Malawians (74%) Believe “A Lot” In The Existence Of Witchcraft Seven
In Ten (72%) Of Britons Would Support The Construction Of A Wind Farm In
Their Local Area More
Than One In Two Britons Support Ban On Whipping Racehorses Should
Selective Breeding Of Dogs With Health Issues Be Banned Majority
Of Britons Say Boris Johnson Should Resign, In Aftermath Of ‘Partygate’ Fines By
37% To 19% Britons Would Prefer Emmanuel Macron Win The French Presidential
Election YouGov
Food Study Shows That Three In Four Britons (75%) Eat Meat Eight
In 10 Britons Say Boris Johnson Lied About Lockdown Parties Most
Britons Now See Rishi Sunak As Untrustworthy And Are Split Over His
Competence 59%
Of Britons Say They Feel Worse Off Since The Last General Election 6
In 10 Would Rather Be A Citizen Of Britain Than Any Other Country In The
World 82%
Of French People Say They Are Worried About The Risks Of A Cyberattack In The
World Boost
For Macron As He Opens Up 8-Point Lead Over Le Pen Final
Study Of The French Elections: Macron Leads 56% To 44% Germans
More In Favor Of Extending The Lifetime Of The Last Nuclear Power Plants Italians
And April 25: The Liberation Between The Past And The Present Race
Is Central To Identity For Black Americans And Affects How They Connect With
Each Other Covid-19
Pandemic Pinches Finances Of America’s Lower- And Middle-Income Families How
The American Middle Class Has Changed In The Past Five Decades Most
Americans Who Are Familiar With Title IX, Say It’s Had A Positive Impact On
Gender Equality Most
(64%) Canadian Farmers “Cautiously Optimistic” About the Next 12 Months Africans
Divided On Russia's Leadership Before Ukraine War A Survey In 19 Nations What
Makes People Happiest 30-Country Ipsos Survey A
Global Median Of 33% Approved Of Russia's Leadership In 2021 Among 116
Countries Incidence
Of Smoking In Pakistan Is Lower Than The Global Average 61%
Across 27 Countries Think The War In Ukraine Poses A Significant Risk To
Their Country The
Image Of U S Leadership Is In A Much Stronger Position, Result Of A Study
Across 34 Nations Europeans
Express Wide Support For A Greener Energy Market, According To A Poll Across
7 Countries INTRODUCTORY NOTE 738-739-43-45/Commentary: Worldwide Celebration Of Easter French And
British Are Most Critical Of Easter Celebrations In Terms Of
Commercialization, A YouGov Poll In 12 Countries Around The World
Easter is
still considered a special or traditional occasion in many countries, after
all Easter is one of the most important festivals in Christianity. Easter
commemorates Christ's resurrection, who sacrificed himself for the sins of
mankind. But are people celebrating this Easter out of their own
traditional interest, or is Easter really just a commercial interest as
consumers feel encouraged to buy and give consumer goods to mark the holiday? A recent
YouGov poll of 13,000 respondents in 12 countries reveals that the majority
of people around the world still think Easter is celebrated for all the right
reasons: as a special holiday. Respondents
from Catholic Poland (82 percent) most often see the Easter holidays as a
real reason to celebrate. Only 11 percent think the celebration of
Christ's resurrection is too commercialized. Danes are second most
likely to think that Easter is still celebrated because of a special occasion
(73 percent) and not because of commercial pressures. The Spaniards (71
percent) and the Swedes (69 percent) follow in third and fourth place. In Germany,
63 percent are of the opinion that the festival is a real
celebration. However, one in four Germans (24 percent) considers the
festival to be too commercialized. The French and British are most
critical of Easter celebrations in terms of commercialization. Only half
of the French (51 percent) think the festival is being celebrated as a
"right" special occasion, while 37 percent think it's more of a
commercialization by companies. In a global comparison, the British are
most likely to think that the festival is too commercialized (40 percent).
(YouGov
Germany) April 12,
2022 Source: https://yougov.de/news/2022/04/12/ist-ostern-zu-kommerzialisiert/ SUMMARY
OF POLLS
ASIA (Malaysia) McDonald's Tops YouGov’s 2022 Dining And QSR Rankings In
Malaysia McDonald's tops YouGov’s 2022 Dining
and QSR rankings in Malaysia. The American hamburger restaurant's Index score
of 45.4 places it ahead of 34 other popular quick service restaurants in the
market. McDonald’s also ranked first in last year’s QSR rankings (50.9), but
its score has fallen by 5.5 points this year. KFC, which achieved an
Index score of 39.4, takes the second spot. The American fried chicken
restaurant also ranked second in 2021, although its score has fallen by 7.5
points this year (from 46.9). (YouGov Malaysia) April 12, 2022 (Turkey) Economy Is Turkey's Most Important Problem For 9 Out Of 10
People Today 91% of the society thinks that the economy
is Turkey's most important problem. With the decrease in the effect of the
epidemic, the epidemic is no longer seen as a significant problem. The
epidemic and economic problems also affect the mood of the society.
Especially with the increase in economic problems, individuals feel more
tired and bored. The feeling of fatigue is at 60% for the first time. It is
of the opinion that the VAT discount on some basic consumption products at
the end of March is not reflected in the prices in the market. And 9 out of
10 people think that the VAT discounts are not an adequate solution to the
high prices in the market. (Ipsos Turkey) 11 April 2022 (Singapore) Eco-Labels In Singapore, How Aware Are Consumers Of These
Green Certification Marks Environmental labelling certifications and eco-labels have made it simpler for consumers
today to identify products that are manufactured and/or can be used with
lower environmental impact. Latest data from YouGov RealTime Omnibus, as of April 2022, reveals that more than
nine in ten consumers in Singapore are aware of the NEA Energy Label (95%) and PUB Water Efficiency Label (96%), of
which more than one-third are “very familiar” and more than half are “quite”
or “slightly familiar” with each label. (YouGov Singapore) Six In Ten People In S'pore Prefer
Sustainable Brands, With Those Aged 18 - 24 Most Likely To Say So Latest data from audience segmentation
tool YouGov Profiles reveals that as many as six in ten
people in Singapore say they prefer brands that are sustainable (58%),
reiterating that environmentally conscious behaviour from brands weighs heavily
on the mind of the consumer. Furthermore, those aged 18-24 are significantly
more likely to be sustainable shoppers, with two-thirds of those in this
demographic preferring sustainable brands (66%). A notable half of
sustainable shoppers aged 25-34 say they spend more when they are members of
loyalty programmes (55%), accounting for the greatest proportion of
sustainable shoppers who say so. (YouGov Singapore) April 20, 2022 MENA (Iraq) Iraq Pulse: Unrest Amid The Covid-19 Pandemic The latest Arab Barometer’s (AB) survey
(Wave VI which was– conducted between March and April of 2021) attempts to
contribute to this debate. The findings of this survey display public
discontent over political life, dissatisfaction with education and health
systems and economic performances, and concerns about civil liberties. The
public views corruption as one of the main challenges that hinder progress in
the country. Nearly a quarter (23%) of Iraqis say that corruption is the most
important challenge facing their country; the highest of all countries
included in the AB spring 2021 survey. (Arabbarometer) April 19, 2022 AFRICA (Namibia) Majority
Of Namibians Say The Country Is A Safe Place To Live, But Levels Of Fear Are
On The Rise Three out of four Namibians consider their
country a safe place to live, a recent Afrobarometer survey indicates. The
same proportion of citizens say safety and security have improved in Namibia
over the past five years – even as increasing numbers report fear of crime.
More than half of Namibians say they experienced fear of crime in their homes
and felt unsafe walking in their neighborhoods during the past year. Three-fourths
(74%) of respondents say Namibia is a "somewhat safe" (39%) or
“very safe” (35%) country to live in. (Afrobarometer) 11 April 2022 (Malawi) Three In Four Malawians (74%) Believe “A Lot” In The
Existence Of Witchcraft Most Malawians strongly believe that
witchcraft exists and support changing the law to criminalize its practice, a
new Afrobarometer survey shows. Educated citizens are more likely to believe
in the existence of witchcraft than those with no formal education. Most
Malawians associate witchcraft with using magic to kill people, make them
sick or bring them misfortune. The survey shows that the elderly, especially
elderly women, are at the greatest risk of being victims of witchcraft
accusations. Almost three-fourths (72%) of Malawians say witchcraft should be
criminalized. (Afrobarometer) 14 April 2022 (Angola) Only One In Five Angolans (21%) Say They Trust The National
Electoral Commission (CNE) Somewhat Or A Lot As Angolans approach general elections in
August, only one in five citizens say they trust the National Electoral
Commission, a new Afrobarometer survey shows. Only one in five Angolans (21%)
say they trust the National Electoral Commission (CNE) “somewhat” or “a lot,”
a 6-percentage-point decline compared to 2019. Levels of trust are higher
among men (25% vs. 17% of women) and among older respondents (34% of those
aged 46 and over vs. 17%-19% of 18- to 35-year-olds). (Afrobarometer) 22 April 2022 WEST
EUROPE (UK) Seven in ten (72%) of Britons would support the
construction of a wind farm in their local area A new YouGov survey finds, however, that
Britons are perhaps more open to onshore wind than anticipated. Seven in ten
(72%) of Britons would support the construction of a wind farm in their local
area – including 33% who would "strongly" back one. Only 17% would
oppose a new wind farm in their area. This compares to just 34% who would
support a nuclear power plant in their area. Half (50%) would oppose the
creation of a new nuclear site near them, with some 28% strongly opposed to
the suggestion. (YouGov UK) April 11, 2022 More Than One In Two Britons Support Ban On Whipping Racehorses New research from Ipsos UK, released ahead
of this weekend’s Grand National, reveals that more than one in two Britons
aged 16-75 (55%) want jockeys banned from using the whip whilst three in ten
(31%) believe horse racing is unacceptable. Men (54%) and women (55%) are
united in supporting a ban on the whip. However, there is a gender divide
about whether horse racing as a sport is acceptable or not - 38% of women
believe horse racing is unacceptable compared with 24% of men. (Ipsos MORI) 12 April 2022 Should Selective Breeding Of Dogs With Health Issues Be
Banned YouGov asked the British public whether
they would support or oppose a ban in the UK on the selective breeding of
certain types of dogs. Half of the respondents were asked whether they would
support a ban on selective breeding where it results in serious health
issues, like breathing problems or increased cancer risk, and the other half
were asked whether they would support a ban on selective breeding of
brachycephalic (flat-faced) dogs, like pugs and French bulldogs. Seven in 10
(71%) would support banning selective breeding where it results in dogs with
serious health issues, with just 20% opposed and 9% unsure. (YouGov UK) April 13, 2022 Majority Of Britons Say Boris Johnson Should Resign, In
Aftermath Of ‘Partygate’ Fines New polling of the British public on
Tuesday (12th) and Wednesday (13th) this week in the aftermath of the Prime
Minister being issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice shows that Britons think
Boris Johnson should resign by a 2:1 margin. 54% would support the Prime
Minister resigning and 27% would oppose. Support for his resignation is
unchanged from a similar poll taken April 1st to 3rd, which asked what people
thought he should do if he received a fine. Meanwhile, there are some signs
Conservative voters from 2019 are rallying behind the Prime Minister. 48% now
oppose his resignation compared to 37% at the beginning of the month. (Ipsos MORI) 14 April 2022 By 37% To 19% Britons Would Prefer Emmanuel Macron Win The
French Presidential Election The French public went to the polls over
the weekend for the first round of their presidential election. The results
are a repeat of 2017, with centrist Emmanuel Macron facing off against
far-right Marine Le Pen in a run-off vote next weekend. Here in Britain,
Macron is the preferred candidate, by 37% to Le Pen’s 19%. The largest
portion of the public (44%), however, do not seem to be au fait with French
politics, answering “don’t know”. (YouGov UK) April 15, 2022 4 In 10 (39%) Britons Say Affordable Decent Housing Needs
To Be Improved Ahead Of The Local Elections On 5th May Ahead of the local elections across parts
of the country next month, new research by Ipsos shows half of Britons say
the conditions of roads and pavements are most in need of improvement (50%)
in their local area, while 4 in 10 (39%) say affordable decent housing needs
to be enhanced. The public’s priorities also include improvements in health
services (37%), wages and local cost of living (36%), shops and the local
high street/town centre (36%), and cleanliness of streets (34%) in their
local area. (Ipsos MORI) 20 April 2022 YouGov Food Study Shows That Three In Four
Britons (75%) Eat Meat The YouGov Food Study shows that three in
four Britons (75%) eat meat, with this being more the case for men (82%) than
women (69%). Six percent describe themselves as vegetarian (8% of women and
3% of men), while a further 11% say they are flexitarian. Two percent of
Britons are vegans and 3% are pescatarians. Our study shows that the younger
Britons are, the less likely are they to eat meat: 75% of those aged 16-24
eat meat, compared to 95% of those 60 and older. (YouGov UK) April 20,
2022 Eight In 10 Britons Say Boris Johnson Lied
About Lockdown Parties New polling from YouGov / The Times reveals
more than three quarters of Britons (78%) think Boris Johnson has lied in his
response to the issue of parties being held at Downing Street during
lockdown. Just 8% think he has not lied, and 14% are unsure. Half of those
who currently intend to vote Conservative (51%) say Boris Johnson has lied
about ‘partygate’, with a quarter (25%) saying he has not lied and a further
25% unsure. Those who backed the party in the 2019 general election are more
likely still to think that the prime minister has lied, at 61%. (YouGov UK) April 21, 2022 Most Britons Now See Rishi Sunak As
Untrustworthy And Are Split Over His Competence New YouGov polling shows a dramatic shift
in the tone of the public’s perceptions of Rishi Sunak. Half of the
population now consider him to be “untrustworthy” (58%) – a figure up 30pts
compared to January 2021 (28%). While only 19% of the public currently
consider Sunak trustworthy, Conservative voters are split 38% to 40% on
whether the Chancellor is trustworthy or not. Indeed, while this change is
far from positive, Sunak does again retain a lead over Boris Johnson, who is seen as untrustworthy by far more
people (74%) than Sunak, with 12% saying he is trustworthy. (YouGov UK) April 21, 2022 59% Of Britons Say They Feel Worse Off
Since The Last General Election New polling from Ipsos, taken on April 7th
and 8th, shows that 59% of Britons think they are worse off than when the
Conservatives won the last General Election. 15% say they are better off and
the rest say neither or don’t know. 17% said they would be better off if
Boris Johnson’s Conservatives won the next General Election. 51% said they
would be worse off. 29% said they would be better off if Keir Starmer’s
Labour Party won the next General Election. 34% said they would be worse off. (Ipsos MORI) 22 April 2022 6 In 10 Would Rather Be A Citizen Of
Britain Than Any Other Country In The World New research from Ipsos, ahead of St.
George’s Day on 23rd April, shows a majority of British citizens agree with
the statement, “I would rather be a citizen of Britain than of any country in
the world,” 6 in 10 (60%) agree while only 13% do not. This is broadly in
line with the results six years ago in 2016. Older Britons (70% of
55-75 year olds) and 2019 Conservative voters (76%) are most likely to agree. (Ipsos MORI) 24 April 2022 (France) 82% Of French People Say They Are Worried About The Risks
Of A Cyberattack In The World The study reveals that two out of
three French people consider that in France, the risk of nuclear disaster or
industrial accident due to a cyberattack is significant. In a
particularly uncertain geopolitical context, the French are worried about the
global risks of cyberattacks, a weapon that has become increasingly common in
modern conflicts. 82% of French people say they are worried about the
risks of a cyberattack in the world and 79% in France. (Ipsos France) April 13, 2022 Boost For Macron As He Opens Up 8-Point Lead Over Le Pen With the race to win the French presidency
reaching its final stage, the two second round candidates – Emmanuel Macron
and Marine Le Pen – are competing for every vote in what is expected to be a
tight and tough contest. Second round vote intention figures ahead of last
Sunday’s ballot showed Macron with a two-point lead, but today’s new
YouGov/DataPraxis poll puts the incumbent eight points ahead, with 54% of
current vote intention compared to 46% for Le Pen. (YouGov UK) April 15, 2022 Final Study Of The French Elections: Macron Leads 56% To
44% Our YouGov / Data Praxis study reveals 12
points ahead for Emmanuel Macron (56% against 44% for Marine Le
Pen). Such a result would represent a drop of 10 points from Emmanuel
Macron's 2017 vote share – nevertheless, he achieves a clear victory over his
opponent. One of the decisive factors in the second round is the voting
choice of voters who supported Jean-Luc Mélenchon (22%). According to
our data, one in five voters (18%) who voted for Mélenchon intend to vote for
Le Pen vs 38% for Macron. (YouGov France) April 22, 2022 (Germany) 26 Percent Of German Citizens Who Are Eligible To Vote Say
They Will Vote For The CDU/CSU If The General Election Is Next Sunday As in the previous month, 26 percent of
German citizens who are eligible to vote say they will vote for the CDU/CSU
if the general election is next Sunday. The SPD would currently vote for
21 percent, 2 percentage points less than in the previous month. This
increases the Union's lead again slightly to 5 percentage points. The FDP
remains unchanged at 9 percent, the left still at 6 percent. 12 percent
of German voters would vote for the AfD if there were a federal election next
Sunday (11 percent in the previous month). (YouGov Germany) April 14, 2022 Germans More In Favor Of Extending The
Lifetime Of The Last Nuclear Power Plants 49 percent of the German population would
support an immediate ban on imports of natural gas and oil from Russia, even
if this had consequences for the German economy. Two out of five
respondents (39 percent) would reject this. 59 percent of German voters made
this statement. On the other hand, 30 percent would reject an extension
of the term, most frequently Green Party voters (56 percent). The most
common endorsement would come from Union voters (77 percent). (YouGov Germany) April 22, 2022 (Italy) Italians And April 25: The Liberation
Between The Past And The Present April 25 is the Liberation
Day , in memory of April 1945 which saw the end of the
Nazi-Fascist occupation in Italy. 52 % of Italians celebrate it, while 43% do not, and a
further 6% say they are uncertain. The most common ways to celebrate
are family celebrations (61%),
watch themed TV programs (28%),
share themed posts on social media (19%), or participate
in events and parades
(17%); a percentage, the latter, which reaches 23% in the North-West,
where the main events are held, including the parade in Milan, which will
return in 2022 after 2 years of absence. (YouGov Italy) April 21, 2022 NORTH AMERICA (USA) Race Is Central To Identity For Black Americans And Affects
How They Connect With Each Other A majority of non-Hispanic Black Americans
(78%) say being Black is very or extremely important to how they think about
themselves. This racial group is the largest among Black adults, accounting for 87% of the adult population,
according to 2019 Census Bureau estimates. But among other Black Americans,
roughly six-in-ten multiracial (57%) and Hispanic (58%) Black adults say
this. Specifically, 76% of Black adults ages 30 to 49, 80% of those 50 to 64
and 83% of those 65 and older hold this view, while only 63% of those under
30 do. (PEW) APRIL 14, 2022 Covid-19 Pandemic Pinches Finances Of America’s Lower- And
Middle-Income Families From 2019 to 2020, the median income of
lower-income households decreased by 3.0% and the median income of
middle-income households fell by 2.1%. In contrast, the median income of
upper-income households in 2020 was about the same as it was in 2019,
according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of government data. The
median incomes of households in all income tiers had increased at about the
same pace – an annual average rate of 1.8% for lower-income families, 1.6%
for middle-income families and 1.9% for upper-income families, after
adjusting for inflation. (PEW) APRIL 20, 2022 How The American Middle Class Has Changed In The Past Five
Decades The middle class, once the economic stratum
of a clear majority of American adults, has steadily contracted in the past
five decades. The share of adults who live in middle-class households fell from
61% in 1971 to 50% in 2021, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis
of government data. The median income for lower-income households grew more
slowly than that of middle-class households, increasing from $20,604 in 1970
to $29,963 in 2020, or 45%. (PEW) APRIL 20, 2022 Most Americans Who Are Familiar With Title IX, Say It’s Had
A Positive Impact On Gender Equality Fifty years after the passage of Title IX, which prohibits high schools and colleges
that receive federal funding from discriminating based on sex, most Americans
who have heard about the law say it’s had a positive impact on gender
equality in the United States (63%). Still, 37% of those who are familiar with
Title IX say it has not gone far enough in increasing opportunities for women
and girls to participate in sports, according to a February Pew Research
Center survey of U.S. adults. (PEW) APRIL 21, 2022 (Canada) Most (64%) Canadian Farmers “Cautiously Optimistic” About
the Next 12 Months Despite the degree of uncertainty that the
future hold, most Canadian farmers remain “cautiously optimistic” (64%) about
the next twelve months, while 17% are very optimistic, according to the new
RBC Agriculture Poll conducted by Ipsos. Only one in five farmers is
pessimistic (7% mostly/12% somewhat) about the next year. Moreover, seven in
ten (71%) agree (32% strongly) that they’re making progress on recruiting and
promoting a diverse workforce, including women in all levels. In fact, six in
ten (61%) farmers say that their leadership team includes women. (Ipsos Canada) 12 April 2022 Canadians Believe Poilievre Has Edge Over Rest Of
Conservative Field, But Are Less Certain That They Want Him To Win Canadians don’t have a particularly
favourable impression of any of the declared or likely candidates for the
leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada. Moreover, according to a new
Ipsos poll conducted for Global News, out of the 11 candidates tested, a majority
of Canadians say they don’t know enough about 9 of them to have an opinion
one way or the other, leaving only Pierre Poilievre and Jean Charest as the
candidates that most Canadians are familiar with – for better or for worse. (Ipsos Canada) 20 April 2022 AUSTRALIA Real Unemployment In Australia Is Far Higher Than Claimed
By The ABS, And High Under-Employment Keeps A Lid On The Wage Growth Of
Workers The first Omicron wave began in early
December and led to infections peaking in mid-January at over 700,000 before
declining rapidly over the next few weeks and bottoming in February. A second
Omicron wave began in early March and is still ongoing with tens of thousands
of new cases every day. The forced isolation of many employees is in turn
forcing businesses to hire more workers on part-time hours. In March
part-time employment increased by 289,000 to a near-record high of over 4.7
million. (Roy Morgan) April 14 2022 8 In 10 Australians Are Concerned About Climate Change With
A Clear Public Expectation Of Government Action Australians are concerned about climate change (83%)
and 70% consider that Australia is
already being affected by climate change, primarily with more
frequent and extreme natural disaster events which is a steady increase in
concern and up from 56% in 2011. Interestingly, the proportion of people
expressing doubt about whether climate change is actually occurring has
remained relatively steady over the same period, with 24% currently
expressing this view. The level of doubt is significantly higher in NSW with
this figure rising to one in three (32%). (Ipsos Australia) 20 April 2022 MULTICOUNTRY STUDIES Biden Ended His First Year In Office With A 45% Median
Approval Rating Across A Total Of 116 Countries And Territories A new Gallup report details that by early August 2021,
median approval of U.S. leadership worldwide stood at 49% across 46 countries
and territories surveyed by that point. This approval rating matched the
record-high rating when former President Barack Obama first took office in
2009. However, the United States' overall rating slipped in the second half
of the year. Across 70 additional countries and territories surveyed during
and after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, median approval stood at 43%. (Gallup) APRIL 12, 2022 Source: https://news.gallup.com/poll/391661/approval-ratings-retreat-afghanistan-withdrawal.aspx Worldwide Celebration Of Easter French And British Are Most
Critical Of Easter Celebrations In Terms Of Commercialization, A YouGov Poll
In 12 Countries Around The World A recent YouGov poll of 13,000 respondents
in 12 countries reveals that the majority of people around the world still
think Easter is celebrated for all the right reasons: as a special holiday. In
Germany, 63 percent are of the opinion that the festival is a real
celebration. However, one in four Germans (24 percent) considers the
festival to be too commercialized. The French and British are most
critical of Easter celebrations in terms of commercialization. Only half
of the French (51 percent) think the festival is being celebrated as a
"right" special occasion, while 37 percent think it's more of a
commercialization by companies. In a global comparison, the British are
most likely to think that the festival is too commercialized (40 percent). (YouGov Germany) April 12, 2022 Source: https://yougov.de/news/2022/04/12/ist-ostern-zu-kommerzialisiert/ Africans Divided On Russia's Leadership Before Ukraine War
A Survey In 19 Nations Overall, median approval of Russia's
leadership stood at 42% across Africa in 2021, which is lower than the
approval ratings of the leadership of the U.S. (60%), China (52%) and Germany
(49%). However, approval of Russia's leadership remains consistently higher
in Africa than the global median of 33%. Africans have held a more positive
view of Russia for some time, reaching a peak of 57% approval in 2011, before
opinions started declining over the past decade. Line graph. Trend line
showing median approval ratings of Russia's leadership across Africa and
worldwide, from 2007 to 2021. In 2021, a median of 42% of Africans approved
of Russia's leadership, versus 33% approval worldwide. (Gallup) APRIL 13, 2022 Source: https://news.gallup.com/poll/391718/africans-divided-russia-leadership-ukraine-war.aspx What Makes People Happiest 30-Country Ipsos
Survey An Ipsos global survey run at the end of
2021, prior to the current war in Ukraine and at the beginning of the cost of
living crisis, found that happiness amongst Britons had returned to pre-COVID
levels, with 83% of people reporting to be very or rather happy (82% in 2019,
prior to the pandemic). This is considerably higher than the global average
of 67%, across 30 countries. Happiness is most prevalent in the
Netherlands and Australia, with 86% and 85% respectively describing
themselves as “very” or “rather” happy. China and Great Britain (both 83%),
India (82%), France and Saudi Arabia (both 81%), and Canada (80%) follow. (Ipsos MORI) 14 April 2022 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/what-makes-people-happiest-health-family-and-purpose A Global Median Of 33% Approved Of Russia's Leadership In
2021 Among 116 Countries Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine this
year, Russia's leadership remained relatively unpopular in most parts of the
world, with a global median approval rating of 33% in 2021. As unimpressive
as this current rating seems, it's still a marked improvement from the 22%
median approval rating in 2014, notably the last time Russia invaded Ukraine
and ended up annexing Crimea. After Crimea, Russia's global reputation slowly
started to improve, reaching as high as 34% in 2020. (Gallup) APRIL 15, 2022 Source: https://news.gallup.com/poll/391775/russia-leadership-not-highly-popular-ukraine-war.aspx Incidence Of Smoking In Pakistan Is Lower Than The Global Average According to a Gallup Pakistan Survey in
Pakistan (and similar surveys done by Worldwide Independent Network of Market
Research (WIN) across the world), the incidence of smoking in Pakistan is
lower than the global average; a quarter of the male adult population and 7%
of the female population claim to smoke in Pakistan. A nationally
representative sample of adult men and women from across the four provinces
was asked the following question, “How often would you say that you...? -
Smoke” In response to this question in Pakistan, 10% said very often, 4% said
fairly often, 3% said sometimes, 7% said occasionally and 76% said never. (Gallup Pakistan) April 15, 2022 Source: https://gallup.com.pk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/15-April-2022-English-1.pdf An Average Of 39% Agree That Their Government Has A Clear
Plan In Place To Tackle Climate Change In A 30 Country Survey 68% think government and businesses need to
act now or risk failing future generations. Just 39% agree that their
government has a clear plan in place to tackle climate change. Climate change
sits 8th on a list of concerns for the public. The public believe there is a
shared responsibility among government (77%), businesses (76%) and
individuals (74%) to tackle climate change. Some business sectors are seen as
having a greater responsibility for reducing their contribution to climate
change – particularly energy companies (82%), car manufacturers (80%),
airlines (77%) and public transport providers (77%). (Ipsos South Africa) 18 April 2022 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-za/global-advisor-earth-day-2022 61% Across 27 Countries Think The War In Ukraine Poses A
Significant Risk To Their Country A new Ipsos survey finds that, on average
across 27 countries, 70% of adults report closely following the news
about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and 61% think it poses a significant risk
to their country. Majorities in every one of the countries surveyed
support taking in Ukrainian refugees and oppose getting involved militarily
in the conflict. However, opinions on economic sanctions and providing
weapons to the Ukrainian military differ widely across countries. Those who
follow the news about the war in Ukraine represent between 57% and 77% of
those surveyed in all but three of the 27 countries. The only exceptions
are Japan (89%) and Sweden (83%) at one end of the spectrum and Malaysia
(49%) at the other end. (Ipsos South Africa) 19 April 2022 Source:
https://www.ipsos.com/en-za/war-in-ukraine-april-2022 Globally Respondents Strongly Support The Notion Of
Businesses/Brands Taking Steps To Reduce Their Environmental Impact, A Study
In 17 Nations On the occasion of World Earth Day,
YouGov’s international study which polled more than 19,000 people across 17
countries, reveals that a majority (81%) of urban Indians said it’s
“important” (46% “very” and 35% “fairly”) for brands or businesses to
actively take steps to minimise their impact on the environment. A larger
proportion of female respondents said this, indicating that women feel more
strongly about this issue than men in the country (83% vs 79%). Similarly,
the older adults aged 55+ are most likely among the different age groups to
advocate this view. (YouGov India) Source: https://in.yougov.com/en-hi/news/2022/04/20/most-urban-indians-want-brands-take-active-measure/ The Image Of U S Leadership Is In A Much Stronger
Position, Result Of A Study Across 34 Nations Gallup surveys show median approval of U.S.
leadership across Asia shot from 31% in 2020 to 41% in 2021, and the U.S. now
essentially ties Germany for the most-positively viewed leadership in the
region. Unlike approval of the U.S., Germany's 2021 approval rating was
mostly unchanged from previous years, while Russia (33%) and China (27%) were
also on a similar footing to where they have ranked in the past. China's
approval continued to drift slightly lower in 2021. (Gallup) APRIL 22, 2022 Source: https://news.gallup.com/poll/391940/germany-lead-approval-ratings-asia.aspx Europeans Express Wide Support For A Greener Energy Market,
According To A Poll Across 7 Countries New YouGov EuroTrack polling across seven
European countries suggests that there is significant public appetite for
substantial policy changes that would see a much greener energy market,
something that climate change activists have been pushing for a long time. Across
all countries polled, a majority would support a government policy that ruled
that only renewable energy can be produced. Italians and Spaniards feel
particularly strongly about this, with 80% of Italians, and 75% of Spaniards
supporting such a policy. The Germans need more persuading, with just 53%
supporting this proposal. (YouGov UK) April 22, 2022 ASIA
738-739-43-01/Polls McDonald's Tops YouGov’s 2022 Dining And
QSR Rankings In Malaysia
McDonald's tops YouGov’s 2022 Dining
and QSR rankings in Malaysia. The American hamburger restaurant's Index score
of 45.4 places it ahead of 34 other popular quick service restaurants in the
market. McDonald’s also ranked first in last year’s QSR rankings (50.9), but
its score has fallen by 5.5 points this year. KFC, which achieved an Index score of 39.4,
takes the second spot. The American fried chicken restaurant also ranked
second in 2021, although its score has fallen by 7.5 points this year (from
46.9). Domino’s Pizza, which achieved an Index
score of 28.1, clinched the third position. The American pizzeria rose one
spot from 2021, when its previous score of 28.3 placed it in fourth
Subway achieved an Index score of 27.8
to come in fourth. The American sandwich restaurant rose one spot from 2021,
when it was fifth (27.7). Pizza Hut, which achieved an Index score of
27.8, rounds out the top five. The American pan pizza restaurant dropped two
spots from last year (30.0), after its score fell by 2.2 points this year. (YouGov
Malaysia) April 12,
2022 Source: https://my.yougov.com/en-my/news/2022/04/12/malaysia-best-quick-service-restaurants-2022/ 738-739-43-02/Polls Economy Is Turkey's Most Important Problem
For 9 Out Of 10 People Today
Economy is
Turkey's Most Important Problem for 9 out of 10 People Today 91% of the
society thinks that the economy is Turkey's most important problem. With the
decrease in the effect of the epidemic, the epidemic is no longer seen as a
significant problem.
6 out of 10
People Have Decreased Household Income 58% of
individuals say their household income has decreased in the last 12 months.
Those who say that their household income has increased are only 10% of the
society.
Society
Feels More Tired and Bored The epidemic
and economic problems also affect the mood of the society. Especially with
the increase in economic problems, individuals feel more tired and bored. The
feeling of fatigue is at 60% for the first time.
It is of the
opinion that the VAT discount on some basic consumption products at the end
of March is not reflected in the prices in the market. And 9 out of 10 people
think that the VAT discounts are not an adequate solution to the high prices
in the market. The rate of
those who think that reducing the VAT rate from 18% to 8% on some products
such as cleaning products, shampoo, toilet paper, baby diapers and sanitary
pads does not reflect on the prices in the market, is 81%. The rate of those
who think that this discount is reflected in the prices is only 8%. The rate
of those who think that the VAT reduction on both food products and other
products is not an adequate solution for the high prices of basic consumer goods
is very high.
Sidar Gedik,
CEO of Ipsos Turkey, made the following evaluations about the data; For about a
year, the economy stood out as the most important problem of our country.
With the weakening of the effect of the epidemic in recent months, the
economy has come to a position where all other problems are suppressed. As a
result of inflation that continues to rise, six out of ten people state that
their household's purchasing power has decreased in the past year. Naturally,
when we ask what is the biggest problem of our country, almost no other
problem comes to mind. In order to
cope with price increases, the government, producers and consumers are taking
various measures on their part. Among the measures taken by the government,
there are also VAT reductions. However, eight out of ten citizens do not
think that these discounts are reflected in the labels. And nine out of ten
believe that VAT reductions will not be enough to combat high prices. In
other words, some of us say that even if the discounts are reflected on the
label, it will not be enough. In the last
2 years, we have been really tired in the fight against the epidemic and the
economy. Six out of ten people feel tired, we've never felt so tired. I hope
the spring months will bring not only psychological relief, but also some
economic relief with the reduction of heating costs. (Ipsos
Turkey) 11 April
2022 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/tr-tr/toplum-kendini-daha-yorgun-ve-bikkin-hissediyor 738-739-43-03/Polls Eco-Labels In Singapore, How Aware Are
Consumers Of These Green Certification Marks
Environmental
labelling certifications and eco-labels have
made it simpler for consumers today to identify products that are
manufactured and/or can be used with lower environmental impact. But how
aware are consumers in Singapore of these green marks? Ahead of Earth Day on
April 22, latest research from YouGov throws a spotlight on this. Eco-label awareness in Singapore: Common green marks
YouGov
polled consumers on their familiarity with five eco-labels used in Singapore.
They included the:
Eco-label awareness in Singapore: General population Latest data
from YouGov
RealTime Omnibus,
as of April 2022, reveals that more than nine in ten consumers in Singapore
are aware of the NEA Energy
Label (95%) and PUB
Water Efficiency Label (96%), of which more than one-third
are “very familiar” and more than half are “quite” or “slightly familiar”
with each label. More than
three-fifths are also aware of the Singapore
Green Label (63%), but less than one-third recall ever seeing
the EPEAT Label (29%)
and UL GREENGUARD Label (22%). Eco-label awareness in Singapore: Across age groups The youngest
consumers aged 18-24 years are much more likely than other age groups to be
very familiar with the NEA Energy
Label (55%) and PUB
Water Efficiency Label (47%), while consumers aged 25-34
years were most likely to be very familiar with the EPEAT (9%) and UL GREENGUARD Labels (8%). However,
with the Singapore Green Label,
while consumers aged 25-44 years were most likely to be familiar (11%),
consumers aged 18-24 years were least likely to be familiar (3%). Consumers
aged 55+ years are more likely than other age groups to be completely
unfamiliar with the NEA Energy Label (9%), EPEAT Label (80%) and UL GREENGUARD Label (85%). The Singapore Green Label had the widest
variance in unaware consumers when segmented by age, from just over a quarter
of consumers aged 35-44 years (27%) to more than half of consumers aged 18-24
years (53%). (YouGov
Singapore) Source: https://sg.yougov.com/en-sg/news/2022/04/19/ecolabels-singapore-consumer-awareness/ 738-739-43-04/Polls Six In Ten People In S'pore Prefer
Sustainable Brands, With Those Aged 18 - 24 Most Likely To Say So
Sustainability
has become a global buzzword, especially as consumers are increasingly
cognisant of the impact that the brands they support have on the environment.
Latest data from audience segmentation tool YouGov
Profiles reveals that as many as six in ten
people in Singapore say they prefer brands that are sustainable (58%),
reiterating that environmentally conscious behaviour from brands weighs
heavily on the mind of the consumer. Furthermore, those aged 18-24 are
significantly more likely to be sustainable shoppers, with two-thirds of
those in this demographic preferring sustainable brands (66%).
The data
also indicates that sustainable shoppers (defined as those who agree with the
statement, “I prefer brands that are sustainable”) could be less price
sensitive in their purchases. On the whole, while one in five Singapore
residents say they would shop specific brands without looking at the price
(22%), this increases to one in four among sustainable shoppers (26%). Looking
specifically at price sensitivity toward products that are good for the
environment, where less than half of the general population would be willing
to pay more for eco-friendly products (46%), this increases to six in ten
among sustainable shoppers (60%). Such behaviour is consistent across age
demographics and highest in sustainable shoppers above the age of 55 (63%),
indicating that paying a premium for environmentally friendly products is not
a concern for the sustainable shopper.
Another
factor that contributes to spending among sustainable shoppers is that of
loyalty programmes. Shoppers who prefer sustainable brands are significantly
more likely to spend more with brands when they are a member of their loyalty
programme (48%), as compared to the general population (40%). A notable
half of sustainable shoppers aged 25-34 say they spend more when they are
members of loyalty programmes (55%), accounting for the greatest proportion
of sustainable shoppers who say so. While that
is the case, the biggest behavioural disparity between sustainable shoppers
and the general population is among those aged 45-54, with just under half of
sustainable shoppers saying they tend to spend more when members of a brand’s
loyalty programme, as compared to four in ten of the general population
(38%).
(YouGov
Singapore) April 20,
2022 Source: https://sg.yougov.com/en-sg/news/2022/04/20/six-ten-people-spore-prefer-sustainable-brands-tho/ MENA
738-739-43-05/Polls Iraq Pulse: Unrest Amid The Covid-19
Pandemic
Nearly 19
years have passed since the removal of Saddam Hussein from power and the
establishment of the second republic of Iraq. While the structures of the
State and the political system have been deeply and extensively reshaped, the
impact of this transformation on the life of Iraqis remains debated. The
latest Arab Barometer’s (AB) survey (Wave VI which was– conducted between
March and April of 2021) attempts to contribute to this debate. The findings
of this survey display public discontent over political life, dissatisfaction
with education and health systems and economic performances, and concerns about
civil liberties. In October
2019, the cabinet of then-Prime Minister Adel Abdul al-Mahdi faced a major
wave of popular protests in Baghdad which rapidly spread to other Iraqi urban
centers. Demands revolved around socio-economic reforms and the end of the
corrupt and sectarian political system. The brutality of the response brought
by the police and militias changed the protesters’ attitude to demanding
political reforms and a new social contract for the Iraqi state. Al-Mahdi
submitted his resignation on the 1st of December 2019 and in
May 2020, the Council of Representatives (CoR) asked former intelligence
chief, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, to form a provisional government. Al-Kadhimi was
able, to some extent, to intensify the fight against corruption and meet some
of the popular demands. He strengthened the anti-corruption policies and
established a special committee to investigate allegations of corruption and
unusual crimes, with the help of the Commission of Integrity. Genuine
improvements as a result of these measures may not be obvious right
away. The public
views corruption as one of the main challenges that hinder progress in the
country. Nearly a quarter (23%) of Iraqis say that corruption is the most
important challenge facing their country; the highest of all countries
included in the AB spring 2021 survey. The widespread corruption is a source
of agreement in the country, with 88% of Iraqis saying it is prevalent to a
large of medium extent in state institutions and national agencies. The
country had general elections in October 2021, but no government has been
formed yet, causing a major political vacuum.
Trust in
state institutions is low. When AB conducted the sixth wave survey in Iraq
(March 2021), al-Kadhimi’s provisional government was already facing multiple
challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic, the need to address the demands
of protesters, and the preparation for legislative elections. Around a fifth
of Iraqis (22%) express their trust in the government, while more than half
of the population (56%) say they have no trust at all in it. As for
performance, the Iraqi government ranked among the lowest in the AB survey
for providing security and order (12% – lowest), controlling inflation (3% –
second lowest), and combating COVID-19 (6% – lowest)
Trust in the
legal system is also low. The Federal Supreme Court (FSC) – which is the
highest judicial body in Iraq and notably tasked to interpret and enforce the
constitution – has never been approved by CoR. The establishment of the
Court, required in Article 92-2 of the 2005 constitution, must be vetted by a
two-thirds resolution by CoR. However, the Court was formed by the
provisional government of Ayad Allawi (2004-2005). Therefore, there is an
argument that the FSC was not established in accordance with the rule of law
and its decisions are often a source of contestation, especially between the
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Federal Government (FG). KRG
views the Court as unconstitutional and is reluctant to implement its verdicts.
KRG-FG relations are based on closed-door consensuses instead. For instance,
in February 2022, FSC declared that a 2007 oil and gas law of Iraq’s
Kurdistan Region (KRI) is unconstitutional. The decision sparked a political
dispute between the FG and KRG with the latter declaring that FSC is
unconstitutional. Finally, there are constant criticisms of the Court’s
political neutrality, especially when it comes to ruling on questions that
involve high political profiles. The Central
Criminal Court has not been able to resolve major corruption and fraud cases.
It has violated basic fair trial criteria of Islamic State-related cases. In
January 2020, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) concluded that the
Court’s hearings are “ineffective legal representation,” and lack “adequate
time and facilities to prepare a case”. As for trust
in the armed forces, the Iraqi army was able to regain some of the trust it
lost after its humiliating defeat at the hands of the Islamic State in Iraq
and Syria (ISIS) in Mosul in the summer of 2014. The army includes popular
figures who fought heroically against IS – such as the commander of the Iraqi
Counter-Terrorism Service (ICTS), Lieutenant General Abdel-Wahab
as-Saa’di. According to the AB survey, 85% of Iraqis say they have a great
deal of trust or quite a lot of trust in their armed forces. However, the
army faces the challenge to integrate the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF)
militia. The official consolidation of the PMF under the formal security
system from December 2017 has politicised the army. This perception was
evident in fall 2019 when former Prime Minister al-Mahdi, arguably pressured
by the PMF, stripped off Lieutenant General Abdel-Wahab as-Saa’di of his
power as the commander of the ICTS and assigned him to an administrative
position at the Ministry of Defence. As-Saa’di saw the move as a humiliation
to his military rank and feat of arms, and reportedly stated that he would
rather go to jail than accept the decision. Mahdi’s decision was allegedly
the trigger that sparked the protests of October 2019. In May 2020,
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi reappointed as-Saa’di as the commander of
the ICTS, but the growing influence of the PMF inside the army might
eventually decrease the public trust of the army.
Civil
liberties in Iraq are routinely abused. For instance, suspected IS members
are denied fair trials, and there is evidence of torture in Iraqi jails. The
policing measures against the October 2019 protests caused about 500 deaths
and over 7,000 injuries. This infringement perhaps explains why as few as 27%
of people say that the freedom to participate in peaceful protests is
guaranteed, the lowest percentage among the countries included in the AB
survey. In addition, the authorities have jailed 3,000 demonstrators.
Militias are frequently harassing LGBTQ+ people. Only a third of Iraqis say
that freedom of expression (32%) and freedom of the press (35%) are
guaranteed, which are the lowest among all countries included in the survey.
Women’s
rights are regularly violated. For instance, domestic violence cases
increased in numbers during the Covid-19 pandemic (UN women 2020). In
addition, women experience discrimination in the labor market. On the one
hand, they lack means of transportation to access the job market. On the
other, priority for employment is often given to men, while women are
expected to take care of the household. This issue is especially challenging
in rural areas. That said, most Iraqis (77%) do not object to women becoming
presidents or prime ministers of the country. Moreover, the majority agree
that university education is crucial across gender.
Iraq’s
economy remains heavily dependent on oil. The drop in oil prices in 2020
caused a decrease in Iraq’s GDP. While Iraq embraces the market economy,
political instability, corruption, and the Iraqi investment law have hindered
the establishment of the private sector. Hence, public dissatisfaction over
the economic performance of the FG is high, especially given that
al-Kadhimi’s government is not able to control corruption and smuggling
activities across the borders with Iran and Syria. Only 12% of Iraqis
evaluate the current economic situation as very good or good With the
decline of oil prices, poverty rose further during the Covid-19 pandemic,
especially among internally displaced persons (IDPs). In addition,
international reports show that more than 4 million individuals in Iraq are
in need of humanitarian assistance. Moreover, unemployment rates have
increased from 8% in 2012 to nearly 14% in 2020. When asked about the most
important issue the government should be focusing on to improve economic
conditions, Iraqis often point to the need to create more job opportunities
(50%).
The country
confirmed its first case of Covid-19 in March 2020. According to the World
Health Organization (WHO), Iraq had 2,313,370 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and
25,105 deaths between 3 January 2020 and 15 March 2022. A total of 17,014,009
vaccination doses has been delivered as of March 2022. Like
anywhere else, the pandemic had a major impact in the poor and rural areas.
Public’s dissatisfaction with the FG reached new heights because of the
mishandling of the Covid-19 outbreak. As mentioned above, only 6% of Iraqis
say the government is doing a very good or a good job in responding to the
COVID-19 outbreak. While it was able to impose a broad lockdown, the
government could not provide resources to track, test, and treat Covid-19
cases. Moreover, hospitals were swamped, with limited medical oxygen supplies
and prices of hygiene products and masks soaring. The government was unable
to secure alternative sources of income for those who lost their businesses
or jobs due to confinement measures, nor was it able to secure relief aid to
the public in general. The pandemic
weakened KRG’s Syrian refugee policy. And due to unresolved budget concerns
with the FG and the economic constraints created by the pandemic, the KRG
reduced the pay of many civil servants by around 20%, which caused unrest and
protests in 2020. (Arabbarometer) April 19,
2022 Source: https://www.arabbarometer.org/2022/04/11258/ AFRICA
738-739-43-06/Polls Majority Of Namibians Say The Country Is A Safe Place To Live, But Levels
Of Fear Are On The Rise
Three out of four Namibians consider their
country a safe place to live, a recent Afrobarometer survey indicates. The same proportion of citizens say safety
and security have improved in Namibia over the past five years – even as increasing
numbers report fear of crime. More than half of Namibians say they
experienced fear of crime in their homes and felt unsafe walking in their neighbourhoods
during the past year. Citizens facing a security threat are most
likely to seek assistance first from the police, according to the survey. About one in four
say they go to other family members first. Theft and break-ins rank as the most
serious threat to safety and security in the eyes of Namibians, followed by robberies and drugs
and alcohol. Key findings ▪ Three-fourths (74%) of respondents
say Namibia is a "somewhat safe" (39%) or “very safe” (35%) country to live in (Figure 1).
o Urban and rural residents differ little
in the degree of safety they feel. o Women are somewhat more likely than men
to view Namibia as unsafe, 27% vs. 21%. ▪ The same proportion (74%) say
Namibia has become "much more safe" (38%) or "somewhat more safe" (36%) over
the past five years (Figure 2).
▪ At the same time, more than half
(52%) of Namibians say they experienced fear of crime in their own homes “just once or
twice,” “several times,” “many times,” or “always” during the past year, the
highest number recorded over the past two decades (Figure 3).
▪ Nearly six out of 10 respondents
(59%) say they felt unsafe walking in their neighbourhoods at least once during the
past year, the highest number since 2012 (Figure 4).
▪ When faced with a security concern,
almost half (46%) of citizens say they turn first to the police. About one-fourth (27%) seek assistance
first from family members, while only one in 10 (11%) go to community
leaders first (Figure 5).
o Rural residents are more likely than
their urban counterparts to reach out to a community leader for assistance (17% vs.
6%). o Older citizens also turn more frequently
to community leaders (17%) than do younger persons (8%-13%) (Figure 6).
▪ Theft and break-ins rank as the
biggest perceived threat to safety and security in communities, cited by 27%
of Namibians, followed by robberies (14%), drugs/alcohol (14%), and livestock
theft (11%) (Figure 7).
(Afrobarometer) 11 April 2022 738-739-43-07/Polls Three In Four Malawians (74%) Believe “A Lot” In The Existence Of
Witchcraft
Most Malawians strongly believe that
witchcraft exists and support changing the law to criminalise its practice, a new Afrobarometer
survey shows. Educated citizens are more likely to
believe in the existence of witchcraft than those with no formal education. Most Malawians associate
witchcraft with using magic to kill people, make them sick, or bring them misfortune. The survey shows that the elderly,
especially elderly women, are at greatest risk of being victims of witchcraft accusations. A majority of Malawians favour changing the
law to criminalise witchcraft, providing support for the findings and recommendations of the
Special Law Commission on the Review of the Witchcraft Act in Malawi. These findings also suggest a need for
raising public awareness and instituting measures to protect segments of the population at risk
of being accused of witchcraft. Key findings ▪ Three in four Malawians (74%)
believe “a lot” in the existence of witchcraft. Only 14% say it doesn’t exist (Figure 1).
▪ Educated citizens (82%) are more
likely to believe in the existence of witchcraft than those with no formal education (71%)
(Figure 2).
▪ More than six in 10 Malawians (63%)
say that in their communities, elderly people are most often associated with witchcraft
(Figure 3).
▪ Almost three-fourths (72%) of
Malawians say witchcraft should be criminalised (Figure 4).
(Afrobarometer) 14 April 2022 738-739-43-08/Polls Only One In Five Angolans (21%) Say They Trust The National Electoral
Commission (CNE) Somewhat Or A Lot
As Angolans approach general elections in
August, only one in five citizens say they trust the National Electoral Commission, a new
Afrobarometer survey shows. While about half of Angolans say the
commission does its job in a neutral fashion, trust in the election management body has declined from
already low levels recorded three years ago. Angola will conduct its fourth peacetime
general election in August. The first three elections, which the Movimento Popular de Libertação
de Angola (MPLA) won by significant majorities, were marred by suspicions of electoral
fraud involving the National Electoral Commission. Key findings Only one in five Angolans (21%)
say they trust the National Electoral Commission (CNE) “somewhat” or “a lot,” a
6-percentage-point decline compared to 2019 (Figure 1).
o Levels of trust are higher among men (25%
vs. 17% of women) and among older respondents (34% of those aged 46 and over
vs. 17%-19% of 18- to 35-year-olds) (Figure 2).
urban areas (18%), as do citizens with
primary or no formal education (26%-27%) compared to those with secondary or
post-secondary qualifications (17%-19%). Only 14% of residents in the Luanda
Province say they trust the commission. About half (48%) of Angolans say
the electoral commission exercises its function in a neutral manner, while close to one-third
(32%) think it favours particular groups (Figure 3). o The perception of the electoral
commission as a neutral body increases with respondents’ education level, ranging from
just 37% of those with no formal schooling to 56% of those with
post-secondary qualifications (Figure 4).
(Afrobarometer) 22 April 2022 WEST
EUROPE
738-739-43-09/Polls Seven In Ten (72%) Of Britons Would Support The Construction Of A
Wind Farm In Their Local Area
Amidst a backdrop of soaring fuel costs,
and questions about whether we should be sourcing power from countries
like Russia the government has published a new
energy strategy for the UK. The plans could see eight new nuclear power plants built at existing
sites across the UK. This represents a stark change from recent years when
plans for several plans fell through, including
a plant on Anglesey and one near Sellafield. Onshore wind is also a feature of the new energy strategy and
reportedly played a role in delaying the policy paper.
Given historic complaints that onshore wind farms aren't particularly
appealing to the eye, the government will be looking for "supportive
communities" to host new schemes. A new YouGov survey finds, however, that Britons are perhaps more
open to onshore wind than anticipated. Seven in ten (72%) of Britons would
support the construction of a wind farm in their local area – including 33%
who would "strongly" back one. Only 17% would oppose a new wind
farm in their area.
This compares to just 34% who would support a nuclear power plant in
their area. Half (50%) would oppose the creation of a new nuclear site near
them, with some 28% strongly opposed to the suggestion. Britons would back local new nuclear in
return for cheaper energy bills Aversion to nuclear power is certainly not a new phenomenon. Indeed,
the war in Ukraine may have raised old fears as both sides fought for control
of the former
plant at Chernobyl. However, Britons are willing to accept new nuclear in their area
under certain conditions. The government's energy
strategy suggests that communities willing to host onshore wind
farms would do so for a guaranteed reduction in their energy bills. When offered the same incentive of lower bills for a local nuclear
power plant, support almost doubles to two-thirds (67%). Only 21% would
oppose a nuclear plant under these circumstances. A further 61% would support
the creation of new nuclear in their area if it meant the UK was less
dependent on Russian energy sources, and 58% would if it led to more progress
on the UK's ‘net zero’ goal.
While most Britons generally support the construction of a wind farm
close to them, support further increases if it meant lower energy bills
(83%), less dependence on external energy (81%), and progress towards
net-zero (77%). (YouGov UK) April 11, 2022 738-739-43-10/Polls More Than One In Two Britons Support Ban On Whipping Racehorses
New research from Ipsos UK, released ahead of this weekend’s Grand
National, reveals that more than one in two Britons aged 16-75 (55%) want
jockeys banned from using the whip whilst three in ten (31%) believe horse
racing is unacceptable. Men (54%) and women (55%) are united in supporting a ban on the whip.
However, there is a gender divide about whether horse racing as a sport is
acceptable or not - 38% of women believe horse racing is unacceptable
compared with 24% of men. There is also a generational split – while 55–75-year-olds are among
the most likely to believe the sport is acceptable (41%), they are also among
the most likely to support a ban on the whip (61%). Overall, around as many people say they are interested in following
horseracing as say they are not interested but have objections to it (both
22%) – the majority say they are either not interested but have no objections
to it (23%) or have no views on horseracing at all (31%). Whipping horses has long been controversial and the British Horse
Racing Authority is reviewing the current rules, which allow eight strokes of
the whip with hands off the reins at any time during a jumps race, such as
the Grand National and seven on the Flat. Seven out of ten adults (71%) admitted not knowing very much about or
nothing at all about the current regulations surrounding the use of whips by
jockeys in the UK, but, after they had been explained , 20% supported use of
the whip under those conditions whilst 43% opposed it. Among those who
initially supported a ban on the whip, one in four (23%) believed jockeys
should be allowed to use it once the regulations had been explained to them. Despite some people’s reservations about the sport, 39% say they
regularly or occasionally bet on some of the biggest events in the horse
racing calendar, The Grand National, the Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot,
and 41% might follow them on TV or radio. People in the North of England
(47%) are most likely to put money down and, overall, young people more
likely to bet, with half of under 35s enjoying at least an occasional wager,
compared to a third of 35–75-year-olds. Kelly Beaver, CEO of Ipsos UK, said: Horse racing is a historic part of British
society and culture and the Grand National is one of the most popular days in
the sporting calendar, but we are seeing concern for equine welfare, even
though only a minority have objections to the sport. (Ipsos MORI) 12 April 2022 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/more-one-two-support-ban-whipping-racehorses 738-739-43-11/Polls Should Selective Breeding Of Dogs With Health Issues Be Banned
Norway made headlines earlier this year by effectively banning
the breeding of British bulldogs and Cavalier King Charles spaniels, –
stating the practice violates animal welfare laws. British bulldogs and King
Charles spaniels are brachycephalic dogs (meaning they have flat faces) and
can commonly suffer from severe breathing problems and health issues. The
Norwegian court chose to focus on the two specific brachycephalic breeds,
intending to set a strong legal precedent for discontinuing the breeding of
other flat-faced dogs. Britons would support banning the breeding
of dogs with health issues – but support is lower if you name the specific
dogs YouGov asked the British public whether they would support or oppose
a ban in the UK on the selective breeding of certain types of dogs. Half of
the respondents were asked whether they would support a ban on selective
breeding where it results in serious health issues, like breathing problems
or increased cancer risk, and the other half were asked whether they would
support a ban on selective breeding of brachycephalic (flat-faced) dogs, like
pugs and French bulldogs. Seven in 10 (71%) would support banning selective breeding where it
results in dogs with serious health issues, with just 20% opposed and 9%
unsure. However, support for banning selective breeding falls to 57% when the
public are asked if they would support banning the breeding of brachycephalic
dogs, like pugs and French bulldogs – with a quarter (25%) opposed and 18%
unsure. French bulldogs – which are prone to the
breathing problems common to flat-faced dogs – are the second most
common dog in the UK, with nearly 40,000
new dogs registered in 2020. Pugs are bred for their bulging eyes,
wrinkly skin and squished face, which has made them an internet favourite –
but also leaves the dogs with significant
health problems. While all age groups are generally in favour of a ban on breeding
flat-faced dogs, older Britons are more likely to support a ban on breeding
dogs like pugs and French bulldogs – 65% of those aged 65 and over would
support such a ban, with 24% opposed. On the other hand, 52% of 18 to 24-year-olds
would support such a ban, with 31% opposed. (YouGov UK) April 13, 2022 738-739-43-12/Polls Majority Of Britons Say Boris Johnson Should Resign, In Aftermath Of
‘Partygate’ Fines
New polling of the British public on Tuesday (12th) and Wednesday
(13th) this week in the aftermath of the Prime Minister being issued with a
Fixed Penalty Notice shows that Britons think Boris Johnson should resign by
a 2:1 margin. 54% would support the Prime Minister resigning and 27% would
oppose. Support for his resignation is unchanged from a similar poll taken
April 1st to 3rd, which asked what people thought he should do if he received
a fine. Meanwhile, there are some signs Conservative voters from 2019 are
rallying behind the Prime Minister. 48% now oppose his resignation compared
to 37% at the beginning of the month. Half, 51%, also think Chancellor Rishi Sunak should now resign
compared to 25% who oppose this. Conservative voters from 2019 are more split
on the Chancellor than the PM with 37% supporting his resignation and 40%
opposing it. How closely are the public following the
story?
Johnson / Sunak job approval
What impacts public perceptions of Johnson?
Keiran Pedley, Director of Politics at
Ipsos said: These numbers reflect a complex picture for
the Prime Minister. Whilst the public think he should resign over ‘partygate’
fines by a two to one margin, there are some signs that 2019 Conservative
voters are rallying around him, at least to an extent. Meanwhile, whilst
public interest in the ‘partygate’ affair has understandably grown given
recent events, the public still say they are following stories about the
rising cost of living and the Russian invasion of Ukraine more closely, with
both considered important factors in how he is judged politically. (Ipsos MORI) 14 April 2022 738-739-43-13/Polls By 37% To 19% Britons Would Prefer Emmanuel Macron Win The French
Presidential Election
The French public went to the polls over the weekend for the first
round of their presidential election. The results are a repeat of 2017, with
centrist Emmanuel Macron facing off against far-right Marine Le Pen in a
run-off vote next weekend. Here in Britain, Macron is the preferred candidate, by 37% to Le
Pen’s 19%. The largest portion of the public (44%), however, do not seem to
be au fait with French politics, answering “don’t know”. The results show that Conservative voters and Leave voters would
prefer to see Marine Le Pen emerge victorious. Those who backed the Tories in
2019 support Le Pen over Macron by 37% to 24%, while those who voted to leave
the EU in 2016 prefer her by 35% to 19%. Remain and Labour voters overwhelmingly back Macron, by 62% to 7% and
53% to 8%, respectively.
The latest
YouGov France voting intention figures currently suggest that the
French president holds an eight point lead over his rival. Fewer people think a Le Pen presidency
would be better for Britain than did in 2017 A quarter of Britons (24%) don’t think it really makes a difference
for the UK whichever candidate wins. The same number think a Macron
re-election would be better for Britain, while 13% think we would benefit
most from a Le Pen presidency. Four in ten (39%) aren’t sure either way. This represents an 8pt decrease for Le Pen compared to when
we asked the same question prior to the 2017 presidential election. Back
then, 21% said Marine Le Pen being elected would be better for Britain. About
the same number said a Macron presidency would be better for the UK back then
(23%) as do now, while fewer people thought it made little difference who won
in 2017 (13%).
The drop in the number of people thinking a Le Pen presidency would
benefit Britain more seems to be coming primarily from Leave voters, of whom
23% feel this way now compared to 37% in 2017. By contrast, the increase in the number of people who don’t think it
will make much difference either way comes from across the Brexit spectrum.
There has been an 11pt increase in the number of Remain voters who think it
makes little difference to Britain who wins (from 10% to 21%), and likewise a
13pt increase among Leave voters (from 17% to 30%). (YouGov UK) April 15, 2022 738-739-43-14/Polls 4 In 10 (39%) Britons Say Affordable Decent Housing Needs To Be
Improved Ahead Of The Local Elections On 5th May
Ahead of the local elections across parts of the country next month,
new research by Ipsos shows half of Britons say the conditions of roads and
pavements are most in need of improvement (50%) in their local area, while 4
in 10 (39%) say affordable decent housing needs to be enhanced.
The public’s priorities also include improvements in health services
(37%), wages and local cost of living (36%), shops and the local high
street/town centre (36%), and cleanliness of streets (34%) in their local
area. Public opinion is split when it comes to satisfaction with their
local council’s actions to improve their local area. Around a third (34%) are
satisfied while 31% are not. Those in the South West and London are slightly
more likely to be satisfied with this (both 40%) while those in Scotland are
least satisfied (26%).
Despite split opinion on their local council, most are satisfied with
their neighbourhood as a place to live (75%), and satisfaction is even lower
when it comes to the UK Government, only 24% are happy with what it is doing
to improve things in their area. Most regions are more likely to say their local council provides poor
than good value for money, overall, 39% say it is poor compared to only 26%
who say good value. The pattern is similar in most regions, with 4 in 10 or
more dissatisfied with the value provided by their local councils in
the East Midlands (45%), Yorkshire and Humberside (44%) and Scotland and the
North East (both 43%). Local councillors are seen as more trustworthy than MPs in general,
however there is a gap between people’s own MP and MPs as a whole. Almost 6
in 10 (57%) trust their own local councillors to tell the truth
all/most/about half of the time while the same proportion say the same for
local councillors in general. Just over a third (35%) say they trust their
local MP not often/never while this increases to almost half when asked about
MPs in general (48%).
Gideon Skinner, Head of Political Research
at Ipsos, said: Nationally, much of the attention is being
paid to the cost of living crisis, Ukraine and ‘party-gate’, but when it
comes to the upcoming council elections more local factors will also have a
role to play. Although most people are pretty happy with where they
live they still want to see improvements, particularly on roads, housing,
high streets and the local cost of living – all of which are regular bugbears
for local residents. And these can all vary by where you live – for
example, crime is a particular issue in London, while in the rest of the South
East traffic congestion is a bigger priority. While the public look
more favourably towards local councils than central government when it comes
to making their local area a better place to live, candidates will want to
show how they are going to give local residents value for money by delivering
on these bread and butter issues. (Ipsos MORI) 20 April 2022 738-739-43-15/Polls YouGov Food Study Shows That Three In Four Britons (75%) Eat Meat
The YouGov Food Study shows that three in four Britons (75%) eat
meat, with this being more the case for men (82%) than women (69%). Six percent describe themselves as vegetarian (8% of women and 3% of
men), while a further 11% say they are flexitarian. Two percent of Britons
are vegans and 3% are pescatarians. Our study shows that the younger Britons are, the less likely are
they to eat meat: 75% of those aged 16-24 eat meat, compared to 95% of those
60 and older. The vegetarian diet is most popular among the youngest Britons: 13%
of 16-24s are vegetarian, which is more than double compared to older age
groups. This mostly applies to 16-24-year-old women, one in five (19%) of
whom practice a vegetarian diet, three times more than among men the same age
(6%). How often, if at all, do Britons generally
pay attention to the food they eat? Eight in ten Britons (82%) say they often pay attention to what they
eat. However, 16% don’t – with slightly more men (18%) than women (13%)
saying they don’t pay attention to their food. Younger Britons are more likely to not pay attention to what’s on
their plate, at 23% of 16-24-year-olds compared to 11% of the over-60s. How much attention, if at all, do Britons
pay to what they eat? When it comes to specific food types, around three in ten Britons
report paying a lot of attention to their sugar intake (30%), processed foods
consumption (29%) and the amount of water they drink (29%). One in four (26%)
say they pay a lot of attention to their vegetable consumption, and 23% on
how much salt they use. Women are significantly more likely than men to say they pay ‘a lot
of attention' to the amount of processed food they eat (35% vs 23%), how much
water they drink (33% vs 23%) and the intake of vegetables (32% vs 21%). Do Britons tend to prioritise taste,
health, cost, or something else, when it comes to what food they eat? Half of Britons (51%) say that taste is most important when it comes
to food, twice as many (24%) who say that the most relevant factor is how
healthy the food is. One in five Britons (18%) say cost is their most important priority,
with those aged 16-24 (22%) most likely to cite expense and those aged 60+
(12%) the least likely. Our survey also shows that pescatarians and flexitarians (38-39%) as
well as vegetarians (30%) are more likely to say they prioritise health
factors in food than meat-eaters (21%). Do Britons grow their own food? A third of Britons (33%) report that they’ve grown food themselves,
with 10% saying they grow ‘some’ of the food, and another 22% say they grow
‘very little’ of their own food. Most Britons (65%) don’t grow any food. Growing food is notably more common among vegetarians (44%) and
flexitarians (42%), than among meat-eaters (30%).
(YouGov UK) April 20, 2022 738-739-43-16/Polls Eight In 10 Britons Say Boris Johnson Lied About Lockdown Parties
MPs are due
to vote today on whether to open an inquiry into whether Boris
Johnson deliberately misled parliament about his involvement in several Covid
law-breaking parties, after the prime minister received
a fixed-penalty notice for ‘partygate’. Politicians in parliament may be bound to a strict set of rules that
leave them unable
to call other members dishonest, but the British public are not so
constrained. So, what do they think – did Boris Johnson lie? New polling from YouGov / The Times reveals more than three quarters
of Britons (78%) think Boris Johnson has lied in his response to the issue of
parties being held at Downing Street during lockdown. Just 8% think he has
not lied, and 14% are unsure.
Half of current Conservative supporters
think the prime minister lied about ‘partygate’ Half of those who currently intend to vote Conservative (51%) say
Boris Johnson has lied about ‘partygate’, with a quarter (25%) saying he has
not lied and a further 25% unsure. Those who backed the party in the 2019 general election are more
likely still to think that the prime minister has lied, at 61%.
Labour voters are almost unanimous in their opinion of the prime
minister’s dishonesty, with 95% of those who backed the party in 2019 and 96%
who do so now accusing Johnson of lying. (YouGov UK) April 21, 2022 738-739-43-17/Polls Most Britons Now See Rishi Sunak As Untrustworthy And Are Split Over
His Competence
As the British public struggles with a cost-of-living crisis, a
poorly received spring budget and questions surrounding his wife’s
tax status could not have come at a worse time for the man behind
the government’s purse. While once
fiercely popular, new YouGov polling shows a dramatic shift in the tone
of the public’s perceptions of Rishi Sunak. Half of the population now consider him to be “untrustworthy” (58%) –
a figure up 30pts compared to January 2021 (28%). While only 19% of the
public currently consider Sunak trustworthy, Conservative voters are split
38% to 40% on whether the Chancellor is trustworthy or not. Indeed, while this change is far from positive, Sunak does again
retain a lead over Boris
Johnson, who is seen as untrustworthy by far more people (74%) than
Sunak, with 12% saying he is trustworthy. Britons are divided on Sunak's competence - two fifths (40%) now see
him as incompetent, versus 38% who think he is competent. This latest survey
represents a 23pt rise in those viewing Sunak as incompetent compared to late
January 2021 (17%).
Among 2019 Conservative voters, 25% now see the chancellor as
incompetent (up from 6% in January 2021), while six in ten (60%, down from
74%) think otherwise. As with trustworthiness, Johnson,
with the prime minister seen as incompetent by more of the public (66%), and
nearly two in five Conservative voters (39%). However, these latest figures
mean Sunak is viewed as incompetent by more people than Keir
Starmer (32%). By 46% to 30%, Sunak is now also seen as being dislikeable, with
those taking the negative view rising 26pts compared to the previous survey
(20%). A similar proportion also think Sunak is weak (42%, up from 22% in the
previous survey), compared to 29% who view him as strong. Finally, Sunak is still generally perceived as being decisive by 43%
to 32%. However, those seeing him as able to make quick decisions has fallen
8pts from 51% since January 2021, while the number of those thinking he is
indecisive has risen 12pts from 20%. These changes come amidst plummeting
favourability figures for the Chancellor. Previously ranking among
the most popular politicians, Sunak now sees figures more akin to the likes
of Boris Johnson and Priti Patel. (YouGov UK) April 21, 2022 738-739-43-18/Polls 59% Of Britons Say They Feel Worse Off Since The Last General
Election
New polling from Ipsos, taken on April 7th and 8th, shows that 59% of
Britons think they are worse off than when the Conservatives won the last
General Election. 15% say they are better off and the rest say neither or
don’t know.
When asked whether or not they think they would be better off in
future if the Conservatives or Labour won the next General Election.
Commenting on the findings, Ipsos
Director of Politics in the UK, Keiran Pedley, said, These numbers show the political risk
facing the Conservatives over the rising cost of living. The public feel
worse off since they won re-election in 2019. Whilst our polling shows that
the Conservatives are not held entirely responsible for this, the fact the
public think they would be better off under Labour represents a challenge for
the party as we approach the long General Election campaign. (Ipsos MORI) 22 April 2022 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/59-percent-of-britons-say-they-feel-worse-last-general-election 738-739-43-19/Polls 6 In 10 Would Rather Be A Citizen Of Britain Than Any Other Country
In The World
New research from Ipsos, ahead of St. George’s Day on 23rd April,
shows a majority of British citizens agree with the statement, “I would
rather be a citizen of Britain than of any country in the world,” 6 in 10
(60%) agree while only 13% do not. This is broadly in line with the results
six years ago in 2016. Older Britons (70% of 55-75 year olds) and 2019
Conservative voters (76%) are most likely to agree. When asked what makes people most proud to be British, the NHS is
named by 6 in 10 (62%), making it by far the most popular option. Around a
third say our history (34%) and the Royal Family (31%) make them most proud
to be British. On the other hand, British business (5%), our position in the
world (10%) and our free press/media (13%) appear to have less impact.
Compared with 2016, more people are likely to pick the NHS and British
sports teams, but fewer people mention Britain’s history or system of
democracy.
As we get ready to celebrate the patron saint of England, the
research shows 63% in England are correctly able to identify when St George
is honoured (23rd April). One in 5 (21%) don’t know when St George’s Day is
while 15% selected wrong dates, such as 8% who say 17th March, which is in
fact St Patrick’s Day. Half of people in England say they plan to do something to celebrate
St. George’s Day this year (51%), most likely going for drinks in the pub
(23%), getting together with friends/family (22%) or going for a meal in a
local restaurant (14%). Around 1 in 10 will attend a local community event
(12%) or dress their house in red and white flags (9%). When thinking about the use of red and white England flags, most are
supportive. When seen on houses, cars, pubs, shops, etc. on St George’s Day,
7 in 10 (69%) say it is a healthy expression of national pride, a similar
proportion feel the same if they see flags on display while England is
playing in the World Cup (68% - which has risen from 57% in 2013). While
still a majority, fewer are supportive of people displaying England flags on
a normal day of the year. When considering this, 56% say it is a healthy
display of national pride while 1 in 6 (17%) believe it is a worrying
expression of English nationalism. In 2013, 53% believed this to be a
healthy display of pride, but 11% saw it as a worrying expression of English
nationalism. Younger people, and Labour and Remain are more likely to view the
display of England flags as a worrying display of English nationalism.
For example, 28% of 16-34-year olds, 30% of Labour voters, and 25% of
Remain voters believe it is a worrying sign if they are displayed on a normal
day of the year. Gideon Skinner, Head of Political Research
at Ipsos, said: Despite the issues facing the country, most
of us are still proud to be British, with the NHS in particular acting as a
unifying force across all groups of society as something to believe in –
especially so given the experiences of the pandemic. We may even be seeing
some impact from the feel-good factor around Gareth Southgate’s England team
with an increase in the proportion who think flying the St George’s flag
during a World Cup is just a healthy expression of English pride.
Overall, this is a reminder that it is only a minority who do not feel
proud to be British – but there are still some potential faultlines.
For example, different generations and different ends of the political
spectrum have different views when it comes to Britain’s history and system
of democracy. (Ipsos MORI) 24 April 2022 738-739-43-20/Polls 82% Of French People Say They Are Worried About The Risks Of A
Cyberattack In The World
The study reveals that two out of three French people consider
that in France, the risk of nuclear disaster or industrial accident due to a
cyberattack is significant. In a particularly uncertain geopolitical
context, the French are worried about the global risks of cyberattacks, a
weapon that has become increasingly common in modern conflicts. 82% of
French people say they are worried about the risks of a cyberattack in the
world and 79% in France. The French are worried about the possible
consequences of potential cyberattacks, such
as a possible paralysis of services, whether administrative services (72%)
or emergency services (71%),
as well as a potential power cut on
the entire territory (69%). To a lesser extent they also
fear the possibility of a disaster (66%),
whether it is a nuclear or industrial
disaster, or a breakdown
in food supply chains (59%). One in three French people has already been
the victim of a successful internet hack Far from being an abstract threat, cybersecurity risks concern a
large number of French people. Many of them have experienced risky
situations. Indeed, nearly one in
two French people (48%) has already been the subject of a hacking
attempt. Nearly one in three (31%) has been the victim of a
successful assault. Among the possible risks, the prospect of a hacking of their banking data on the Internet which
would lead to a theft seems particularly anxiety-provoking (75% say they are
worried about this possibility, including 47% who are very
worried). If attempts at identity
theft remain in the minority (14% of French people indicate
having been a victim),73% of French people
questioned say they are worried about the rise of this phenomenon. Disparate trust according to the actors to
whom the French entrust their data While a majority of French
people (56%) feel that they are poorly informed about the use made of their
data on the Internet, the study reveals disparate trust in the
actors to whom the French entrust them. Institutional actors appear to be more trusted sources ,
in particular health professionals (87%), banks (86%), taxes (85%) and health insurance (85%). Conversely, online sales sites
and telephone operators only arouse low trust (52% and 51%
respectively), while search engines (42%)
and especially social networks (21%)
are granted only a very limited trust. The French also admit to paying
relatively little attention when they go on the internet :
78% of them declare that they do not read the general conditions of use of
the websites they visit. Similarly, 73% declare that they agree to
transmit their personal data because they are obliged to do so in order to be
able to complete a purchase or a registration. Public authorities as a bulwark against
cyberattacks If they are worried, the
French see certain devices as a means of reassuring themselves against
cybersecurity risks. This is the case first of reinforced identity (eg double
authentication), the systematic implementation of which would reassure a
majority of French people (64%). Another device that can reassure the
French, the creation of an objective
confidence index, on the Nutriscore model, which is cited by
39% of respondents. The French are also in favor of the
implementation of measures that would empower the actors who manage their
data on a daily basis. 58% of them would
like government measures to force
services and industry to strengthen their protection , while
44% see with a reassuring eye the obligation for all companies to host the personal data of French people on servers
located in France. “ The study reveals a real concern of the French
vis-à-vis cyber risks, which is strongly reinforced by the current
geopolitical situation. This concern is shared by companies around the
world, who have been searching for many years for the best ways to protect
themselves against the risks of cyberattacks. It is now essential to
support and prepare companies and institutions to deal with cyber risks and
to manage the post-crisis period. says Cyril
Malargé , Managing Director, Sopra
Steria. “ The survey clearly
shows that cyber risk is a reality fully integrated by the French and no
longer an abstraction. In a world perceived as increasingly threatening
and when the demand for protection is at its strongest, this threat can no
longer be ignored either by political decision-makers or by business leaders, ” concludes Brice Teinturier, Deputy Chief Executive
Officer. , Ipsos in France. (Ipsos France) April 13, 2022 738-739-43-21/Polls Boost For Macron As He Opens Up 8-Point Lead Over Le Pen
With the race to win the French presidency reaching its final stage,
the two second round candidates – Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen – are
competing for every vote in what is expected to be a tight and tough contest. Second round vote intention figures ahead of last Sunday’s ballot
showed Macron with a two-point lead, but today’s new YouGov/DataPraxis poll
puts the incumbent eight points ahead, with 54% of current vote intention
compared to 46% for Le Pen.
Voters for candidates defeated in round one now have to decide
between either voting for one of Macron or Le Pen, or not voting at all. Our
data on current transfers suggests that Macron is picking up around one in
nine (11%) of those Zemmour voters currently giving us a vote intention, 55%
of Mélenchon voters, and the vast majority of supporters from other left wing
and centrist candidates in that round. On the other hand, Marine Le Pen is attracting support from 90% of
Zemmour voters, 45% of those who backed Mélenchon on Sunday, and a clear
majority of voters from other right wing candidates who bowed out last
Sunday.
If Le Pen is to be successful, she must improve on her first round
performance (where she lost to Macron by five percentage points) and
significantly grow her 2017 base (where she mustered only 34% of the second
round vote). To do so, she needs to manage a fine balance between leaning left to
win over Mélenchon voters, while not losing grip of her own round one voters
and those of fellow far-right candidate Zemmour in doing so. Differential abstention rates could play a major role in shaping the
outcome on Sunday. Currently, over one third of Mélenchon round one voters
suggest that they will either vote blank (26%) in the next round, or not even
turn out to vote (10%). A further 13% currently do not yet know how they will
vote. How voters move between candidates and between voting and abstaining will be crucial to
the outcome next Sunday. Our final call of the French 2022 presidential
election will be made on 22 April. (YouGov UK) April 15, 2022 738-739-43-22/Polls Final Study Of The French Elections: Macron Leads 56% To 44%
This Sunday, French voters will once again go to the polls for the
second round of the French presidential election of 2022. Since the announcement of the results of the first round, Emmanuel
Macron and Marine Le Pen have crisscrossed France in search of new
voters. As in 2017, the two presidential finalists will compete for the
highest office in France. Our YouGov / Data Praxis study reveals 12 points ahead for Emmanuel
Macron (56% against 44% for Marine Le Pen). Such a result would
represent a drop of 10 points from Emmanuel Macron's 2017 vote share –
nevertheless, he achieves a clear victory over his opponent.
One of the decisive factors in the second round is the voting choice
of voters who supported Jean-Luc Mélenchon (22%). According to our data,
one in five voters (18%) who voted for Mélenchon intend to vote for Le Pen vs
38% for Macron. There are also two non-negligible figures among Jean-Luc Mélenchon's
voters in the first round: 24% intend to vote white and 9% do not intend to
vote. The voters of the other parties in the first round largely followed
the instructions to support their defeated candidates. 90% of Green
voters now intend to vote for Macron, as well as 69% of those who voted for
Republican candidate Valérie Pécresse. At the same time, 95% of those
who voted for far-right candidate Zemmour in the first round now intend to vote
for Le Pen. (YouGov France) April 22, 2022 Source: https://fr.yougov.com/news/2022/04/22/etude-finale-des-elections-francaises/ 738-739-43-23/Polls 26 Percent Of German Citizens Who Are Eligible To Vote Say They Will
Vote For The CDU/CSU If The General Election Is Next Sunday
As in the previous month, 26 percent of German citizens who are
eligible to vote say they will vote for the CDU/CSU if the general election
is next Sunday. The SPD would currently vote for 21 percent, 2
percentage points less than in the previous month. This increases the
Union's lead again slightly to 5 percentage points.
The Greens are improving slightly and currently have 18 percent of
the votes (16 percent in the previous month). The FDP remains unchanged
at 9 percent, the left still at 6 percent. 12 percent of German voters
would vote for the AfD if there were a federal election next Sunday (11
percent in the previous month).
This is the result of the current Sunday question, for which 1,643
people out of 2,054 eligible voters submitted their intention to vote between
04/08/2022 and 04/12/2022. More than every second German is
dissatisfied with the work of the federal government 56 percent of those surveyed currently state that they are
dissatisfied with the work of the federal government to date. In the
previous month, this value was still 47 percent. The dissatisfaction of
those entitled to vote is growing, especially when it comes to the topic of
finance and national debt: 59 percent of those surveyed rate the work of the
government on this point as poor, previously this figure was 50
percent. This opinion is mainly shared by voters from the Union (59
percent, previously 47 percent) and FDP (65 percent, previously 48 percent),
but also from the Greens (44 percent, previously 35 percent) and SPD (42
percent, previously 34 percent). In the eyes of those surveyed, the
government is also getting worse when it comes to inflation: 70 percent of
Germans rate the government's work on this issue as poor. In the
previous month, this was stated by 66 percent. Only a good third of those surveyed (36 percent) also think that Olaf
Scholz is doing a good job as Federal Chancellor. In March, this value
was still 48 percent, which means that the chancellor's approval has fallen
by 12 percentage points. On the other hand, approval for Economics
Minister and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck has risen significantly since
March: every second respondent thinks that Habeck is doing a good job
(previous month: 40 percent). 50 percent of those surveyed said the same
about Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (previous month: 48
percent). The approval for Health Minister Karl Lauterbach is
significantly lower, only 35 percent (previous month: 49 percent) think he is
doing a good job. At 37 percent, the approval for Finance Minister
Christian Lindner is also significantly lower than before (previous month: 48
percent).
(YouGov Germany) April 14, 2022 Source: https://yougov.de/news/2022/04/14/sonntagsfrage-im-april-2022-union-halt-vorsprung-v/ 738-739-43-24/Polls Germans More In Favor Of Extending The Lifetime Of The Last Nuclear
Power Plants
Being self-sufficient from Russian energy imports is currently one of
the most important goals that Germany and the EU are working towards in the
medium to long term. This urgency in turning away from Russian energy
means that a majority of those surveyed would support an extension of the
service life of the last nuclear power plants in Germany beyond 2022: 59
percent of German voters made this statement. On the other hand, 30
percent would reject an extension of the term, most frequently Green Party
voters (56 percent). The most common endorsement would come from Union
voters (77 percent). Half of Germans would support an immediate
import stop 49 percent of the German population would support an immediate ban on
imports of natural gas and oil from Russia, even if this had consequences for
the German economy. Two out of five respondents (39 percent) would
reject this.
Germans for faster implementation of the EU
climate package In order to cut their cords off from Russian energy, eleven EU states
including Germany now want to bring forward the EU climate package and have
called for faster implementation. The package provides for a gas
consumption reduction in the EU of around 30 percent by 2030. By 2050,
the EU should be completely climate-neutral. German voters are more likely to support the call for the climate
package to be brought forward than to reject it: almost two out of three
respondents (64 percent) are in favor of it, while 24 percent reject the call
for faster implementation. Alliance 90/The Greens voters most frequently
support the demand (87 percent), followed by the SPD (80 percent). The age comparison shows that the older respondents from the age of
70 are most likely to support faster implementation of the EU climate package
(81 percent). In contrast, younger people are more reserved (18 to 29
year olds: 49 percent).
(YouGov Germany) April 22, 2022 Source: https://yougov.de/news/2022/04/22/deutsche-fur-laufzeitverlangerung-der-letzten-atom/ 738-739-43-25/Polls Italians And April 25: The Liberation Between The Past And The
Present
April 25 is
the Liberation Day ,
in memory of April 1945 which saw the end of the Nazi-Fascist occupation in
Italy. 52 % of Italians celebrate it,
while 43% do not, and a further 6% say they are uncertain. The most common ways to celebrate are family celebrations (61%), watch themed TV programs (28%), share themed posts on social
media (19%), or participate in events and parades (17%); a
percentage, the latter, which reaches 23% in the North-West, where the main
events are held, including the parade in Milan, which will return in 2022
after 2 years of absence. Focusing on the 43% of
Italians who do not celebrate April 25, the main reason is
that it is not tradition within the family (for 50% of those who do not
celebrate), but there are also those who believe that Liberation is exploited (22 %), those who think
it is obsolete in
today's context (13%), and those who, while sharing its values, find it
too politicized (13%).
However, the importance of celebrating
April 25 is recognized beyond the fact that it
is personally celebrated: 69% consider
it important , which rises to 9 out of 10 among those who
personally celebrate, but also among those who do not, it stands at 43%
. In fact, 82% think that April 25 is important to safeguard historical memory , 70% say that it
is important to recognize the new
Resistances in the dynamics of today's world, and 69% say
that the Resistance is always current since
"we they are always new threats ”. A minority between a third and a
quarter of the respondents, on the other hand, believes that it makes no
sense to be anti-fascists today, as “ fascism
no longer exists ”.
Also contributing to the relevance of April 25 this year is an unprecedentedly recent geopolitical
context, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine bringing back a major
international war in Europe for the first time since 1945, with its
rhetorical aspects. and ideological. According to a relative majority of
Italians, in fact, the current
situation in Ukraine has made April 25 more relevant : this
is what 45% of
respondents believe, against only 9% who think it has made it less relevant.
Many respondents also see similarities between the current condition
of the Ukrainians and
that of the Italian Resistance :
for 49% of the respondents the two are comparable, against 24% who affirm the
opposite. Other peoples in which dynamics similar to the Resistance are
recognized by a relative majority of respondents are the Palestinians (37% vs 28%), the Kurds (34% vs 24%) and the Armenians (32% vs 24%).
The geopolitical situation also marked April 25 with some
controversy: the ANPI (National
Association of Partisans of Italy) was in fact the object of criticism for positions deemed too soft towards
Russia , including a condemnation of the Russian invasion
seen as too “contextualized” with respect to the expansion of NATO, and the opposition
to the sending of weapons to Ukraine. About half of the respondents have
heard of this controversy, although only 18% are aware of the
content. Among the latter, the
majority tends to agree with the ANPI: for 28% the Association is
"completely right", and for 25% it is "more right than
wrong", against 23% who believe the ANPI is more wrong than right and
only 18% who give it completely injustice. One thing is certain: April 25 brings
to the table a relationship between
past and present that is still a source of reflection in
republican Italy today.
(YouGov Italy) April 21, 2022 Source: https://it.yougov.com/news/2022/04/21/italiani-e-25-aprile-la-liberazione-tra-il-passato/ NORTH
AMERICA
738-739-43-26/Polls Race Is Central To Identity For Black Americans And Affects How They
Connect With Each Other
Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to understand the rich
diversity of Black people in the United States and their views of Black
identity. This in-depth, robust survey explores differences among Black
Americans in views of identity such as between U.S.-born Black people and
Black immigrants; Black people living in different regions of the country;
and between Black people of different ethnicities, political party affiliations,
ages and income levels. The analysis is the latest in the Center’s series of
in-depth surveys of public opinion among Black Americans (read the first, “Faith
Among Black Americans”). The online survey of 3,912 Black U.S. adults was conducted Oct. 4-17,
2021. The survey includes 1,025 Black adults on Pew Research Center’s American
Trends Panel (ATP) and 2,887 Black adults on Ipsos’ KnowledgePanel.
Respondents on both panels are recruited through national, random sampling of
residential addresses. Recruiting panelists by phone or mail ensures that nearly all U.S.
Black adults have a chance of selection. This gives us confidence that any
sample can represent the whole population (see our Methods
101 explainer on random sampling). Here are the questions used
for the
survey of Black adults, along with its responses and methodology. The terms “Black Americans”, “Black people” and “Black adults” are used
interchangeably throughout this report to refer to U.S. adults who
self-identify as Black, either alone or in combination with other races or
Hispanic identity. Throughout this report, “Black,
non-Hispanic” respondents are those who identify as
single-race Black and say they have no Hispanic background. “Black Hispanic” respondents are
those who identify as Black and say they have Hispanic background. We use the
terms “Black Hispanic” and “Hispanic Black” interchangeably. “Multiracial” respondents are those
who indicate two or more racial backgrounds (one of which is Black) and say
they are not Hispanic. Respondents were asked a question about how important being Black was
to how they think about themselves. In this report, we use the terms “being Black” and “Blackness” interchangeably
when referencing responses to this question. In this report, “immigrant” refers
to people who were not U.S. citizens at birth – in other words, those born
outside the U.S., Puerto Rico or other U.S. territories to parents who were
not U.S. citizens. We use the terms “immigrant” and “foreign-born” interchangeably. Throughout this report, “Democrat
and Democratic leaners” refers to respondents who say in they
identify politically with the Democratic Party or are independent but lean
toward the Democratic Party. “Republican
and Republican leaners” refers to respondents who identify
politically with the Republican Party or are independent but lean toward the
Republican Party. To create the upper-, middle- and lower-income tiers, respondents’
2020 family incomes were adjusted for differences in purchasing power by
geographic region and household size. Respondents were then placed into
income tiers: “Middle income” is
defined as two-thirds to double the median annual income for the entire
survey sample. “Lower income” falls
below that range, and “upper income” lies
above it. For more information about how the income tiers were created, read
the methodology. No matter where they are from, who they are, their economic
circumstances or educational backgrounds, significant majorities of Black
Americans say being Black is extremely or very important to how they think
about themselves, with about three-quarters (76%) overall saying so.
A significant share of Black Americans also say that when something
happens to Black people in their local communities, across the nation or
around the globe, it affects what happens in their own lives, highlighting a
sense of connectedness. Black Americans say this even as they have diverse
experiences and come from an array of backgrounds. Even so, Black adults who say being Black is important to their sense
of self are more likely than other Black adults to feel connected to other
groups of Black people. They are also more likely to feel that what happens
to Black people inside and outside the United States affects what happens in
their own lives. These findings emerge from an extensive new survey of Black
U.S. adults conducted by Pew Research Center. A majority of non-Hispanic Black Americans (78%) say being Black is
very or extremely important to how they think about themselves. This racial
group is the largest
among Black adults, accounting for 87% of the adult population, according
to 2019 Census Bureau estimates. But among other Black Americans, roughly
six-in-ten multiracial (57%) and Hispanic (58%) Black adults say this. Black Americans also differ in key ways in their views about the
importance of being Black to personal identity. While majorities of all age
groups of Black people say being Black shapes how they think about
themselves, younger Black Americans are less likely to say this – Black
adults ages 50 and older are more likely than Black adults ages 18 to 29 to
say that being Black is very or extremely important to how they think of
themselves. Specifically, 76% of Black adults ages 30 to 49, 80% of those 50
to 64 and 83% of those 65 and older hold this view, while only 63% of those
under 30 do.
Black adults who identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party
are more likely than those who identify with or lean toward the Republican
Party to say being Black is important to how they see themselves – 86% vs.
58%. And Black women (80%) are more likely than Black men (72%) to say being
Black is important to how they see themselves. Still, some subgroups of Black Americans are about as likely as
others to say that being Black is very or extremely important to how they
think about themselves. For example, U.S.-born and immigrant Black adults are
about as likely to say being Black is important to how they see their
identity. However, not all Black Americans feel the same about the importance
of being Black to their identity – 14% say it is only somewhat important to
how they see themselves while 9% say it has little or no impact on their
personal identity, reflecting the diversity of views about identity among
Black Americans.
Beyond the personal importance of Blackness – that is, the importance
of being Black to personal identity – many Black Americans feel connected to
each other. About five-in-ten (52%) say everything or most things that happen
to Black people in the United States affect what happens in their own lives,
with another 30% saying some things that happen nationally to Black people
have a personal impact. And 43% say all or most things that happen to Black
people in their local community affect what happens in their own lives, while
another 35% say only some things in their lives are affected by these events.
About four-in-ten Black adults in the U.S. (41%) say they feel their fates
are strongly linked to Black people around the world, with 36%
indicating that some things that happen to Black people around the world
affect what happens in their own lives. The survey also asked respondents how much they have in common with
different groups of Black Americans. Some 17% of Black adults say they have
everything or most things in common with Black people who are immigrants. But
this sense of commonality differs sharply by nativity: 14% of U.S.-born Black
adults say they have everything or most things in common with Black immigrants,
while 43% of Black immigrants say the same. Conversely, only about
one-in-four Black immigrants (26%) say they have everything or most things in
common with U.S.-born Black people, a share that rises to 56% among U.S.-born
Black people themselves. About one-third of Black Americans (34%) say they have everything or
most things in common with Black people who are poor, though smaller shares
say the same about Black people who are wealthy (12%). Relatively few Black
Americans (14%) say they have everything or most things in common with Black
people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ).
However, a larger share of Black Americans (25%) say they have at least some
things in common with Black people who identify as LGBTQ. All these findings
highlight the diversity of the U.S. Black population and how much Black
people feel connected to each other. These are among the key findings from a recent Pew Research Center
survey of 3,912 Black Americans conducted online Oct. 4-17, 2021. This report
is the latest
in a series of Pew Research Center studies focused on describing the
rich diversity of Black people in the United States. The nation’s Black population stood at 47
million in 2020, making up 14% of the U.S. population – up from 13% in
2000. While the vast majority of Black Americans say their racial background
is Black alone (88% in 2020), growing numbers are also multiracial or
Hispanic. Most were born in the U.S. and trace their roots back several
generations in the country, but a growing
share are immigrants (12%) or the U.S.-born children of immigrant
parents (9%). Geographically, while 56% of Black Americans live
in the nation’s South, the national Black population has also dispersed
widely across the country. It is this diversity – among U.S.-born Black people and Black
immigrants; between Black people who live in different regions; and across
different ethnicities, party affiliations, ages and income levels – that this
report explores. The survey also provides a robust opportunity to examine the
importance of race to Black Americans’ sense of self and their connections to
other Black people. The importance of being Black for
connections with other Black people
The importance of being Black to personal identity is a significant
factor in how connected Black Americans feel toward each other. Those who say
that being Black is a very or extremely important part of their personal
identity are more likely than those for whom Blackness is relatively less
important to express a sense of common fate with Black people in their local
communities (50% vs. 17%), in the United States overall (62% vs. 21%), and
even around the world (48% vs. 18%). They are also more likely to say that they have everything or most
things in common with Black people who are poor (37% vs. 23%) and Black
immigrants (19% vs. 9%). Even so, fewer than half of Black Americans, no
matter how important Blackness is to their personal identity, say they have
everything or most things in common with Black people who are poor,
immigrants or LGBTQ. The importance of Blackness for knowing
family history and U.S. Black history The new survey also explores Black Americans’ knowledge about their
family histories and the history of Black people in the United States, with
the importance of Blackness linked to greater knowledge.
Nearly six-in-ten Black adults (57%) say their ancestors were
enslaved either in the U.S. or another country, with nearly all who say so
(52% of the Black adults surveyed) saying it was in the U.S., either in whole
or in part. Black adults who say that being Black is a very or extremely
important part of how they see themselves (61%) are more likely than those
for whom being Black is less important (45%) to say that their ancestors were
enslaved. In fact, Black adults for whom Blackness is very or extremely
important (31%) are less likely than their counterparts (42%) to say that
they are not sure if their ancestors were enslaved at all. When it comes to learning more about their family histories, Black
adults for whom Blackness is very or extremely important (81%) are more
likely than those for whom Blackness is less important (59%) to have spoken
to their relatives. They are about as likely to have researched their
family’s history online (36% and 30%, respectively) and to have used a
mail-in DNA service such as AncestryDNA or 23andMe (15% and 16%) to learn
more about their ancestry. The importance of Blackness also figures prominently into how
informed Black Americans feel about U.S. Black history. Black adults who say
Blackness is a significant part of their personal identity are more likely
than those for whom Blackness is less important to say that they feel very or
extremely informed about U.S. Black history (57% vs. 29%). Overall, about
half of Black Americans say they feel very or extremely informed about the
history of Black people in the United States. Among Black adults who feel at least a little informed about U.S.
Black history, the sources of their knowledge also differ by the importance
of Blackness to personal identity. Nearly half of Black adults for whom
Blackness is very or extremely important (48%) say they learned about Black history
from their families and friends, making them more likely to say so than Black
adults for whom Blackness is less important (30%). Similarly, those who say
being Black is important to their identity are more likely than those who did
not say this to have learned about Black history from nearly every source
they were asked about, be it media (33% vs. 22%), the internet (30% vs. 18%)
or college, if they attended (26% vs. 14%). The only source for which both
groups were about equally likely to say they learned about Black history was
their K-12 schools (24% and 21%, respectively). Overall, among Black Americans who feel at least a little informed
about U.S. Black history, 43% say they learned about it from their relatives
and friends, 30% say they learned about it from the media, 27% from the
internet, and 24% from college (if they attended) and 23% from K-12 school. Younger Black people are less likely to
speak to relatives about ancestors Black adults under 30 years old differ significantly from older Black
adults in their views on the importance of Blackness to their personal
identity. However, Black adults also differ by age in how they pursue
knowledge of family history, how informed they feel about U.S. Black history,
and their sense of connectedness to other Black people.
Black adults under 30 (50%) are less likely than those 65 and older
(64%) to say their ancestors were enslaved. In fact, 40% of Black adults
under 30 say that they are not sure whether their ancestors were enslaved.
Black adults in the youngest age group (59%) are less likely than the oldest
(87%) to have spoken to their relatives about family history or to have used
a mail-in DNA service to learn about their ancestors (11% vs. 21%). They are
only slightly less likely to have conducted research on their families online
(26% vs. 39%). Black adults under 30 have the lowest share who say they feel very or
extremely informed about the history of Black people in the United States
(40%), compared with 60% of Black adults 65 and older and about half each of
Black adults 50 to 64 (53%) and 30 to 49 (51%). In fact, Black adults under
30 are more likely than those 50 and older to say they feel a little or not
at all informed about Black history. While Black adults are generally most
likely to cite family and friends as their source for learning about Black
history, the share under 30 (38%) who also cite the internet as a source of
information is higher than the shares ages 50 to 64 (22%) and 65 and older
(14%) who say this. These age differences persist in the sense of connectedness that
Black Americans have with other Black people. Black adults under 30 are less
likely than those 65 and older to say that everything or most things that
happen to Black people in the United States will affect their own lives. This
youngest group is also less likely than the oldest to have this sense of
common fate with Black people in their local community. One exception to this
pattern occurs when Black adults were asked how much they had in common with
Black people who identify as LGBTQ. Black adults under 30 (21%) were
considerably more likely than those 65 and older (10%) to say they have
everything or most things in common with Black people who identify as LGBTQ. Black Americans differ by party on measures
of identity and connection Black Democrats and Republicans differ on how important Blackness is
to their personal identities. However, there are also partisan gaps when it
comes to their connectedness to other Black people.1
Black Democrats and those who lean to the Democratic Party are more
likely than Black Republicans and Republican leaners to say that everything
or most things that happen to Black people in the United States (57% vs. 39%)
and their local communities (46% vs. 30%) affect what happens in their own
lives. However, Black Republicans (24%) are more likely than Black Democrats
(14%) to say that they have everything or most things in common with Black
people who are LGBTQ. They are also more likely than Black Democrats to say
they have everything or most things in common with Black people who are
wealthy (25% vs. 11%). When it comes to knowledge of family and racial histories, Black
Democrats and Republicans do not differ. Democrats (59%) are just as likely
as Republicans (54%) to know that their ancestors were enslaved. Nearly 80%
of Black adults from both partisan coalitions say they have spoken to their
relatives about their family history. Similar shares have also researched
their family histories online and used mail-in DNA services. Black Democrats are also not significantly more likely than Black
Republicans to say they feel very or extremely informed about U.S. Black
history (53% vs. 45%). And among those who feel at least a little informed
about U.S. Black history, Democrats and Republicans are about equally likely
to say they learned it from family and friends (45% vs. 38%). Place is a key part of Black Americans’
personal identities The majority of Black adults who live in the United States were born
there, but an increasing
portion of the population is comprised of immigrants. Of those
immigrants, nearly 90% were born in the Caribbean
or Africa. Regardless of their region of birth, 58% of Black adults say
the country they were born in is very or extremely important to how they
think about themselves. A smaller share say the same about the places where
they grew up (46%).
Black adults also feel strongly about their current communities.
About half of Black adults (52%) say that where they currently live is very
or extremely important to how they think about themselves. And when it comes
to the quality of their neighborhoods, 76% of Black adults rate them as at
least good places to live, including 41% who say the quality of their
community is very good or excellent. Still, Black adults say there are concerning issues in the
communities they live in. When asked in an open-ended question to list the
issue that was most important in their neighborhoods, nearly one-in-five
Black adults listed issues related to violence or crime (17%). Smaller shares
listed other points of concern such as economic issues like poverty and
homelessness (11%), housing (7%), COVID-19 and public health (6%), or
infrastructure issues such as the availability of public transportation and
the conditions of roads (5%). While nearly one-in-five Black Americans (17%) say that individual
people like themselves should be responsible for solving these problems, they
are most likely to say that local community leaders should address these
issues (48%). Smaller shares say the U.S. Congress (12%), the U.S. president
(8%) or civil rights organizations (2%) bear responsibility. (PEW) APRIL 14, 2022 738-739-43-27/Polls Covid-19 Pandemic Pinches Finances Of America’s Lower- And
Middle-Income Families
The financial hardships caused by the COVID-19
recession in the U.S. were endured mostly by lower- and
middle-income families. From 2019 to 2020, the median income of lower-income
households decreased by 3.0% and the median income of middle-income
households fell by 2.1%. In contrast, the median income of upper-income
households in 2020 was about the same as it was in 2019, according to a new
Pew Research Center analysis of government data. The setbacks to the finances of lower- and middle-income households
during the pandemic mark a significant reversal from their recent
experiences. From 2010 to 2019, following the end of the Great
Recession, the median incomes of households in all income tiers had
increased at about the same pace – an annual average rate of 1.8% for
lower-income families, 1.6% for middle-income families and 1.9% for
upper-income families, after adjusting for inflation. The long-running
shift in the distribution of U.S. household income towards
upper-income families stayed on track during the coronavirus
pandemic. The share of aggregate U.S. household income held by
upper-income families reached 50% in 2020, up from 46% in 2010. The share
held by middle-income families decreased from 45% to 42% over the same
period. The share held by lower-income families also decreased, from 9% to
8%. The trends in income reflect the varying degrees to which adults in
lower-, middle- and upper-income households were vulnerable to labor market
turmoil in the COVID-19 recession. In 2020, about three-in-ten lower-income
adults (28.2%) experienced unemployment at least some of the time during the
year. Likewise, 13.8% of middle-income adults and 7.8% of upper-income adults
had at least a spell of unemployment in 2020. Among adults overall, the rate
stood at 15.0%. This rate, known as the “work-experience
unemployment rate,” is the number of adults who experienced unemployment
at least some of the time during a year as a proportion of all adults who
worked or looked for work in that year.1
In a Pew
Research Center survey conducted in January 2021, about a third of
lower-income adults (31%) said their family’s situation had worsened in the
last year, compared with 18% of middle-income adults and 11% of upper-income
adults. At the same time, about half of lower-income adults (49%) said they
or someone in their household had experienced job or wage loss since the
coronavirus outbreak began in February 2020, as did 45% of middle-income
adults. The share among upper-income adults (33%) was also notable, but
considerably less. The COVID-19 recession, which lasted from
February 2020 to April 2020, is the shortest in recorded history. But its
effects were sharp. Unemployment
soared to near-record highs and national output, as measured by the
gross domestic product (GDP), shrank
in 2020. Although employment and national
output have recovered to a great extent since 2020, new concerns
have emerged
about inflation. This report focuses on the impact of the pandemic on the financial
wellbeing of households in the lower-, middle- and upper-income tiers, with
comparisons to the Great Recession era. The analysis relies on the
Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey
(CPS), conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau in March of each year. The latest
available survey data, from March 2021, records the household income and
work experience of adults in 2020, the first year of the
pandemic. A related
analysis examines changes in the economic status of the American
middle class from a historical perspective, including how the distribution of
different demographic groups across the three income tiers has changed
from 1971 to 2021. Who is middle income or middle class? In this analysis, “middle-income” adults in 2021 are those with an
annual household income that was two-thirds to double the national median
income in 2020, about $52,000 to $156,000 annually in 2020 dollars for a
household of three. “Lower-income” adults have household incomes less than
$52,000 and “upper-income” adults have household incomes greater than
$156,000. The income it takes to be middle income varies by household size,
with smaller households requiring less to support the same lifestyle as
larger households. The boundaries of the income tiers also vary across years
with changes in the national median income.
The terms “middle income” and “middle class” are used interchangeably
in this report for the sake of exposition. But being middle class can refer
to more than just income, be it level of education, the type of
profession, economic security, home ownership, or one’s social and political
values. Class also could simply be a matter
of self-identification. U.S. households entered the pandemic era on
the heels of robust growth in their incomes
In 2019, just before the start of the pandemic, the incomes of U.S.
households were substantially higher than what they were in 2010. Among
households overall, the median income had increased from $68,004 in 2010 to
$79,475 in 2019, a gain of 17%. It stood in sharp contrast to the reversal
experienced from 2001 to 2010, a period encompassing the Great Recession,
when incomes had decreased by 5%. The growth from 2010 to 2019 was also
greater than the growth seen in any single decade since 1970. But the
pandemic ate into some of the gains, causing the median income overall to
fall to $77,951 in 2020, a one-year loss of 2%. For middle-class households, the median income had increased by 15%,
from $79,838 in 2010 to $92,042 in 2019. The onset of the pandemic sent the
median down to $90,131 in 2020. Lower-income households had a similar
experience, with their median income rising from $26,371 in 2010 to $30,877
in 2019, up 17%, and then falling to $29,963 in 2020. The finances of upper-income households were left relatively
unscathed in the first year of the pandemic. Their median income in 2020
($219,572) was statistically no different than what it was in 2019
($220,783), and it stood about 18% higher than in 2010. As a result of these trends, the income gap between upper-income and
other households stretched a bit wider from 2010 to 2020. The median income
of upper-income households had been 7.0 times greater than the median income
of lower-income households in 2010. This ratio increased to 7.3 in 2020. The
ratio of the median income of upper-income households to the median income of
middle-income households edged up from 2.3 in 2010 to 2.4 in 2020. Unemployment insurance was a notable source
of income for households with loss of work during the pandemic and the Great
Recession
Despite the historic
spike in unemployment during the COVID-19 recession, the
unemployment experiences of workers during 2020 bore many similarities to
their experiences in the Great Recession, which lasted from December 2007 to
June 2009 but sent unemployment soaring through 2010. Among adults overall, the work-experience unemployment rate in 2020
(15.0%) was about the same as in 2010 (15.2%), just following the end of the
Great Recession. But encounters with unemployment varied across income tiers.
The work-experience unemployment rate for lower-income adults in 2020 (28.2%)
was somewhat less than in 2010 (32.5%). Meanwhile, middle-income adults
(13.8%) and upper-income adults (7.8%) saw slightly higher work-experience
unemployment rates in 2020 than in 2010, when they stood at 12.8% and 6.6%,
respectively. Despite the sense of déjà vu evoked by the work-experience
unemployment rate, the share of households reporting receipt of unemployment
insurance payments was much higher in 2020 (15.4%) than in 2010 (9.6%). A key
reason for this was the extension of the
eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits in the pandemic.
Workers usually not eligible for these benefits, such as self-employed
workers and independent contractors, were allowed to receive benefits in
2020.
The extension of unemployment insurance benefits helped households in
all income tiers. Nearly one-in-five middle-class
households (18.0%) reported the receipt of these benefits in 2020,
compared with 13.0% of lower-income households and 13.1% of upper-income
households. These rates were higher than in 2010 for households in all income
tiers. For instance, only about one-in-ten middle-income households (10.7%)
received unemployment benefits in 2010. The relatively low share of lower-income households receiving
unemployment benefits in 2020, despite a higher work-experience unemployment
rate, partly reflects the fact that lower-income adults are less likely to be
in the labor force. In March 2020, the labor force participation rate among
lower-income adults was 42.4%, compared with 69.1% among middle-income adults
and 78.8% among upper-income adults. Lower-income adults are also more likely
to be foreign-born, which may
affect eligibility, and evidence suggests that unemployment
benefits may
not be reaching all who are eligible. For adults who experienced at least some joblessness, unemployment
insurance payments were a valuable source of financial assistance during both
the pandemic and the Great Recession. In 2020, these payments accounted for
29.5% of the aggregate income of lower-income households who received the benefits,
albeit less than in 2010. Unemployment insurance payments also accounted for
12.4% of the aggregate income of middle-income households, about the same as
in 2010, and 4.6% of the aggregate income of upper-income households
receiving the benefits, less than in 2010.
It should be noted that the reliance on unemployment insurance
benefits may
be underreported in the Current Population Survey, the source data
for this analysis. Research based on personal earnings and benefits data from
the IRS finds that unemployment insurance benefits replaced
more of the lost personal earnings of low-income workers in 2020
than they did during the Great Recession. Regardless of the precise value of
these benefits, it is evident that the estimated decline in the median
incomes of lower- and middle-income households overall in 2020 may have been
even greater in their absence.
Coronavirus economic impact payments to
U.S. households in 2020 Unemployment insurance benefits were not the only source of financial
relief available to U.S. households during the economic downturn in the
COVID-19 pandemic. Among its many provisions, the CARES Act established two
rounds of economic
impact payments to U.S. households in 2020, both in the form
of refundable
tax credits. These tax credits, amounting to about $400 billion in direct
financial assistance, are credited with a reduction
in the U.S. poverty rate in 2020. By design, the economic impact payments were directed towards lower-
and middle-income families. In the 2021 CPS ASEC, some 97% of lower-income
households, 100% of middle-income households and 53% of upper-income
households reported that they received economic impact payments in 2020.
Among households receiving the tax credits, the payments represented 13.9% of
the aggregate income of lower-income households, 4.6% of the aggregate income
of middle-income households, and 1.3% of the aggregate income of upper-income
households. The amount of payment received by each household in 2020, as recorded
in the 2021 CPS ASEC, was estimated
by the Census Bureau based on their tax model. The payments,
disbursed as tax credits, boosted the disposable (after-tax) income of
households, but they did not affect the gross (pre-tax) income of households,
the income measure used in this report. Americans moved across income tiers during
the pandemic, but to about the same extent as in the past Despite the economic headwinds from the COVID-19 recession, the
shares of U.S. adults who were living in lower-, middle- and upper-income
households were unchanged in the pandemic. In 2021, some 50% of adults lived
in middle-income households, 29% in lower-income households and 21% in
upper-income households. In 2020, 51% were middle class, 29% were
lower-income and 21% were upper-income. (The population shares for 2020 and
2021 are based on household incomes in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Shares
may not add to 100% due to rounding.)
But the stability in the shares of American adults in the three
income tiers conceals a fair degree of churn in who is lower-, middle- or upper
income from one year to the next. Movements across income tiers are driven by
changes in the earnings of households from one year to the next. These
changes can be substantial, perhaps the result of a job lost or gained, or
due to life cycle events, such as retirement, marriage, divorce, or a death
in the family. On this score, the first year of the pandemic proved to be no
different than in other years in the past two decades. Among the adults who were in the middle class in 2020, some 68%
remained in the middle class in 2021. Another 16% had moved into the
upper-income tier in 2021 and 16% had slipped down to the lower-income tier.
These shifts were similar in magnitude to those that have prevailed since
2000 (see more on this below). Similarly, among adults who were in the upper-income tier in 2020,
some 64% held that status in 2021. About one-third (32%) had retreated to the
middle-income tier and 4% had fallen to the lower-income tier by 2021. Among
adults who were in the lower-income tier in 2020, nearly a third (32%) had
progressed into the middle class and 4% had leapfrogged into the upper-income
tier. Adults who moved from the middle class in 2020 to the upper-income
tier in 2021 saw a gain of 68% in their household income at the median. On
the other hand, middle-class adults who moved to the lower-income tier from
2020 to 2021 experienced a loss of 52% in their household income. Similarly
large changes in income characterized the experiences of lower-income adults
who moved up to the middle class and upper-income adults who moved down to
the middle. The magnitude of the changes in income experienced by adults
transitioning across income tiers is not unlike what has been seen in the
past. Other
researchers have recently examined the issue of income volatility
using data from the IRS. They find that, from 2004 to 2020, about 30% of
workers experienced a decline in their incomes of more than 10% from one year
to the next and another 30% of workers saw an increase of more than 10%.
These shares varied little over the 16-year period. Indeed, this pattern in income
volatility has prevailed
for several decades.
Consistent with the pattern of income volatility, the rate at which
adults move across income tiers from one year to the next, or stay put, has
changed only modestly since 2000, the earliest year examined in this
analysis. About seven-in-ten adults (74%) who were in the middle class in
2000 were still in the middle class in 2001. Slightly lower shares of adults
retained their place in the middle class following the Great Recession, some
72% from 2010 to 2011, and in the first year of the pandemic, some 68% from
2020 to 2021. The shares of middle-income adults moving up to the upper-income tier
inched up across these three pairs of years, from 12% during 2000 to 2001, to
13% from 2010 to 2011, and then to 16% from 2020 to 2021. The share of
middle-income adults moving down to the lower-income tier also edged up, from
14% during 2000 to 2001 to 16% from 2020 to 2021. Retention rates in the lower-income and upper-income tiers have also
changed little since 2000. From 64% to 68% of lower-income adults remained in
that tier from 2000 to 2001, 2010 to 2011 or 2020 to 2021, and from 63% to
65% of upper-income adults stayed put in these years. For both groups of
adults, most of the movement was either one tier up, from lower- to
middle-income, or one tier down, from upper- to middle-income. The degree to which adults moved up or down the income ladder
annually since 2000 varied across some demographic groups in some instances.
Among those in the middle-income tier, White and Asian adults were more
likely than Black and Hispanic adults to move to the upper-income tier the
next year. Adults with higher levels of education were less likely to move
down from the upper-income tier and more likely to move up from the
middle-income tier from one year to the next. The share of adults in the middle class is
unchanged since the Great Recession
The share of American adults in the middle class – unchanged in the
pandemic – has also not changed since the Great Recession, at about 50% in
both 2011 and 2021. The shares in the lower- and upper-income tiers saw
little change, at 29% and about 21%, respectively.2 However, the share in the middle class had fallen from 2001 to 2011,
from 54% to 51%. Over the same period, the share in the upper-income tier had
edged up from 18% to 20%. A companion
report looks at this issue from a historical perspective, including
how different demographic groups have shifted across the three income tiers
from 1971 to 2021. (PEW) APRIL 20, 2022 738-739-43-28/Polls How The American Middle Class Has Changed In The Past Five Decades
The middle class, once the economic stratum of a clear majority of
American adults, has steadily contracted in the past five decades. The share
of adults who live in middle-class households fell from 61% in 1971 to 50% in
2021, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of government data. From
2020: Are you in the American middle class? Find out with our income calculator
The shrinking of the middle class has been accompanied by an increase
in the share of adults in the upper-income tier – from 14% in 1971 to 21% in
2021 – as well as an increase in the share who are in the lower-income tier,
from 25% to 29%. These changes have occurred gradually, as the share of
adults in the middle class decreased
in each decade from 1971 to 2011, but then held steady through 2021. The analysis below presents seven facts about how the economic status
of the U.S. middle class and that of America’s major demographic groups have
changed since 1971. A related
analysis examines the impact of the coronavirus
pandemic on the financial well-being of households in the lower-,
middle- and upper-income tiers, with comparisons to the Great Recession era.
(In the source data for both analyses, demographic figures refer to the
1971-2021 period, while income figures refer to the 1970-2020 period. Thus,
the shares of adults in an income tier are based on their household incomes
in the previous year.) Who is middle income or middle class? Household incomes have risen considerably
since 1970, but those of middle-class households have not climbed nearly as
much as those of upper-income households. The
median income of middle-class households in 2020 was 50% greater than in 1970
($90,131 vs. $59,934), as measured in 2020 dollars. These gains were realized
slowly, but for the most part steadily, with the exception of the period from
2000 to 2010, the so-called “lost
decade,” when incomes fell across the board.
The median income for lower-income households grew more slowly than
that of middle-class households, increasing from $20,604 in 1970 to $29,963
in 2020, or 45%. The rise in income from 1970 to 2020 was steepest for upper-income
households. Their median income increased 69% during that timespan, from
$130,008 to $219,572. As a result of these changes, the gap in the incomes of upper-income
and other households also increased. In 2020, the median income of
upper-income households was 7.3 times that of lower-income households, up
from 6.3 in 1970. The median income of upper-income households was 2.4 times
that of middle-income households in 2020, up from 2.2 in 1970.
The share of aggregate U.S. household
income held by the middle class has fallen steadily since 1970. The
widening of the income gap and the shrinking of the middle class has led to a
steady decrease in the share of U.S. aggregate income held by middle-class
households. In 1970, adults in middle-income households accounted for 62% of
aggregate income, a share that fell to 42% in 2020. Meanwhile, the share of
aggregate income accounted for by upper-income households has increased
steadily, from 29% in 1970 to 50% in 2020. Part of this increase reflects the
rising share of adults who are in the upper-income
tier. The share of U.S. aggregate income held by lower-income households
edged down from 10% to 8% over these five decades, even though the proportion
of adults living in lower-income households increased over this period. Older Americans and Black adults made the
greatest progress up the income ladder from 1971 to 2021. Among
adults overall, the share who were in the upper-income tier increased from
14% in 1971 to 21% in 2021, or by 7 percentage points. Meanwhile, the share
in the lower-income tier increased from 25% to 29%, or by 4 points. On
balance, this represented a net gain of 3 percentage points in income status
for all adults.
Those ages 65 and older made the most notable progress up the income
ladder from 1971 to 2021. They increased their share in the upper-income tier
while reducing their share in the lower-income tier, resulting in a net gain
of 25 points. Progress among adults 65 and older was likely driven by
an increase
in labor force participation, rising
educational levels and by the role
of Social Security payments in reducing poverty. Black adults, as well as married men and women, were also among the
biggest gainers from 1971 to 2021, with net increases ranging from 12 to 14
percentage points. On the other hand, not having at least a bachelor’s degree resulted
in a notable degree of economic regression over this period. Adults with a
high school diploma or less education, as well as those with some college
experience but no degree, saw sizable increases in their shares in the
lower-income tier in the past five decades. Although no single group of
adults by education category moved up the income ladder from 1971 to 2021,
adults overall realized gains by boosting
their education levels. The share of adults 25 and older who had
completed at least four years of college stood at 38% in 2021, compared with
only 11% in 1971. Progress up the income ladder for a demographic group does not
necessarily signal its economic status in comparison with other groups at a
given point in time. For example, in 2021, adults ages 65 and older and Black
adults were still more likely than many other groups to be lower income, and
less likely to be middle or upper income. Married adults and those in multi-earner
households made more progress up the income ladder from 1971 to 2021 than
their immediate counterparts. Generally, partnered
adults have better outcomes on a range of economic outcomes than the
unpartnered. One reason is that marriage is increasingly linked
to educational attainment, which bears fruit in terms of higher incomes.
Married men and women were distributed across the income tiers
identically to each other in both 1971 and 2021. Both groups nearly doubled
their shares in the upper-income tier in the past five decades, from 14% in
1971 to 27% in 2021. And neither group experienced an increase in the share
in the lower-income tier. Unmarried men and women were much more likely than their married
counterparts to be in the lower-income tier in 2021. And unmarried men, in
particular, experienced a sizable increase in their share in the lower-income
tier from 1971 t0 2021 and a similarly large decrease in their share in the
middle-income tier. Nonetheless, unmarried men are less likely than unmarried
women to be lower income and more likely to be middle income. Adults in households with more than one earner fare much better
economically than adults in households with only one earner. In 2021, some
20% of adults in multi-earner households were in the lower-income tier,
compared with 53% of adults in single-earner households. Also, adults in
multi-earner households were more than twice as likely as adults in
single-earner households to be in the upper-income tier in 2021. In the long
haul, adults in single-earner households are among the groups who slid down the income ladder the most
from 1971 to 2021.
Despite progress, Black and Hispanic adults
trail behind other groups in their economic status. Although
Black adults made some of the biggest strides up the income tiers from 1971
to 2021, they, along with Hispanic adults, are more likely to be in the
lower-income tier than are White or Asian adults. About 40% of both Black and
Hispanic adults were lower income in 2021, compared with 24% of White adults
and 22% of Asian adults. Black adults are the
only major racial and ethnic group that did not experience a decrease in its middle-class share, which stood
at 47% in 2021, about the same as in 1971. White adults are the only group in
which more than half (52%) lived in middle-class households in 2021, albeit
after declining from 63% in 1971. At the top end, only about one-in-ten Black
and Hispanic adults were upper income in 2021, compared with one-in-four or
more White and Asian adults. The relative economic status of men and women has changed little from
1971 to 2021. Both experienced similar percentage point increases in the
shares in the lower- and upper-income tiers, and both saw double-digit
decreases in the shares who are middle class. Women remained more likely than
men to live in lower-income households in 2021 (31% vs. 26%).
Adults 65 and older continue to lag
economically, despite decades of progress. The
share of adults ages 65 and older in the lower-income tier fell from 54% in
1971 to 37% in 2021. Their share in the middle class rose from 39% to 47% and
their share in the upper-income tier increased from 7% to 16%. However,
adults 65 and older are the only age group in which more than one-in-three
adults are in lower-income households, and they are much less likely than
adults ages 30 to 44 – as well as those ages 45 to 64 – to be in the
upper-income tier. All other age groups
experienced an increase in the shares who are lower income from 1971 to 2021,
as well as a decrease in the shares who are middle income. But they also saw
increases in the shares who are upper income. Among adults ages 30 to 44, for
instance, the share in upper-income
households almost doubled, from 12% in 1971 to 21% in 2021.
There is a sizable and growing income gap
between adults with a bachelor’s degree and those with lower levels of
education. In 2021, about four-in-ten adults with
at least a bachelor’s degree (39%) were in the upper-income tier, compared
with 16% or less among those without a bachelor’s degree. The share of adults
in the upper-income tier with at least a bachelor’s degree edged up from 1971
to 2021, while the share without a bachelor’s degree either edged down or
held constant. About half or a little
more of adults with either some college education or a high school diploma
only were in the middle class in 2021. But these two groups, along with those
with less than a high school
education, experienced notable drops in their middle class shares from 1971
to 2021 – and notable increases in the shares in the lower-income tier. In
2021, about four-in-ten adults with only a high school diploma or its
equivalent (39%) were in the lower-income tier, about double the share in
1971. (PEW) APRIL 20, 2022 738-739-43-29/Polls Most Americans Who Are Familiar With Title IX, Say It’s Had A
Positive Impact On Gender Equality
Fifty years after the passage of Title IX,
which prohibits high schools and colleges that receive federal funding from
discriminating based on sex, most Americans who have heard about the law say
it’s had a positive impact on gender equality in the United States (63%).
Still, 37% of those who are familiar with Title IX say it has not gone far
enough in increasing opportunities for women and girls to participate in
sports, according to a February Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults.
Men and women who have heard about Title IX are about equally likely
to say that the law has had a positive impact on gender equality. However,
women (46%) are more likely than men (29%) to say the legislation has not
gone far enough to increase opportunities for women in sports. A majority of
men (54%) say the progress has been about right, compared with 41% of women. Views on the impact of Title IX vary along party lines: 75% of
Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents who have heard of Title IX say
it has had a positive impact on gender equality, while 49% of similar
Republicans and GOP leaners say the same. Republicans, in turn, are more
likely than Democrats to say the law has had a negative impact on gender
equality (25% vs. 10%). Democrats who are familiar with Title IX are also far more likely
than Republicans to say the law has not gone far enough to increase
opportunities for girls and women in sports (51% vs. 19%), while Republicans
are more likely to say things are about right (57% vs. 41%) or that the law
has gone too far (22% vs. 6%). Democratic women are especially likely to say Title IX has not gone
far enough: 60% of Democratic women say this, compared with 42% of Democratic
men, 27% of Republican women and 13% of Republican men. Roughly half of Americans say they have heard a little (37%) or a lot
(13%) about Title IX; 50% say they have heard nothing at all about the law.
Men (55%) are more likely than women (44%) to say they have heard at least a
little about it, and older Americans are more likely to have heard about it
than younger Americans. The age gap is especially pronounced among women:
Women under age 50 are less likely than women ages 50 and older to have heard
of Title IX (41% vs. 48%). Most Americans say women’s and men’s
college sports should get about equal funding The survey also found about six-in-ten Americans (61%) say funding
for women’s and men’s college sports should be roughly equal, but a sizable
share (21%) says it should be based on the amount of money brought in by the
team. Relatively small shares say either men’s sports should receive more
funding than women’s (5%) or women’s sports should receive more than men’s
(3%). Women (71%) are more likely than men (50%) to say that college sports
should be equally funded regardless of gender, while men are more likely than
women to say funding should be based on the amount of money brought in by the
team (30% vs. 14%, respectively). Still, half of men say funding should be
equal across genders.
Partisan gaps are also pronounced when it comes to views of funding
for college sports. Democrats (69%) are more likely than Republicans (51%) to
say men’s and women’s college sports should get about equal funding, while
Republicans are much more likely than Democrats to say funding should be
based on the amount of money brought in by the team (31% vs. 15%). The gender gap persists in both parties, though it is particularly
wide among Republicans. About two-thirds of Republican women (65%) say
funding should be about equal regardless of gender, compared with 37% of
Republican men. Republican men, in turn, are about twice as likely as
Republican women to say funding should be based on the amount of money
brought in by the teams (42% vs. 20%). Among Democrats, majorities of men
(61%) and women (75%) say funding should be about equal. Views on this issue also differ by age, with older Americans more
likely than younger Americans to say that men’s and women’s college teams
should get about equal funding. Women ages 50 and older are particularly
likely to hold this view: 75% say funding should be about equal, compared
with 68% of women under 50, 57% of men ages 50 and older and just 44% of men
under 50. More than one-third of Americans say there
is too much emphasis on boys participating in youth sports and too little
emphasis on girls
Some 36% of Americans say there is too much emphasis on boys
participating in youth sports, while 45% say there is about the right amount
of emphasis and just 5% say there is too little emphasis. By contrast, when
asked about the emphasis placed on girls’ participation, roughly one-third
(35%) say there is too little emphasis, while 42% say there is about the
right amount and 6% say there is too much emphasis. In both cases, similar shares
say they are not sure (13% and 16%, respectively). Women are more likely than men to say there is too much emphasis on
boys participating in youth sports (42% vs. 29%) and that there is too little
emphasis on girls participating in youth sports (39% vs. 31%). Men, on the
other hand, are more likely than women to say there is the right amount of
emphasis on participation for boys (50% vs. 41%) and girls (45% vs. 39%). The partisan gap in views about gender and youth sports participation
is even wider. Democrats are much more likely than Republicans to say there
is too much emphasis on boys participating in sports (45% vs. 25%). And
Democrats are also much more likely to say there is too little emphasis on
girls’ participation: 44% say this, compared with 26% of Republicans. About
half or more Republicans say there is the right amount of emphasis for boys
(55%) and girls (51%). Democratic and Republican women are more likely than their male
counterparts to say there is too much emphasis on boys participating in
sports and too little emphasis on girls participating in sports. Some 32% of
Republican women say there is too much emphasis on boys participating in
sports, compared with 17% of Republican men. Among Democrats, 50% of women
see too much emphasis on boys and sports, while 40% of Democratic men say the
same. Most former high school and college
athletes say participating in sports had a positive impact on them,
especially when it comes to confidence and physical health When it comes to people’s own participation in sports, 48% of
Americans say they took part in organized, competitive sports either in high
school or college – 39% say they participated in high school sports and 9%
say they competed in sports in college (including 7% who say they did both). Men are more likely than women to say they participated in high
school or college sports (56% vs. 41%). Among women, those under 50 are more
likely than those ages 50 and older to have participated in high school or
college sports (48% vs. 33%). Some 11% of men say they did college sports,
compared with 7% of women.
Among people who participated in organized, competitive sports in
high school or college, most say that their involvement in sports had a
positive impact on their health and confidence or self-esteem. More than
four-in-ten (46%) say playing sports had a very positive impact on their
physical health, and 38% say the same about the impact on their confidence or
self-esteem. A smaller share (18%) say participating in competitive sports
had a very positive impact on their career or job opportunities. Just over
half of competitive athletes (54%) say participating in sports had no impact
on their job opportunities. Very few athletes say their participation in
sports had a negative impact on their confidence (6%), physical health (5%)
or job opportunities (3%). Across all three measures asked, athletes who played sports in
college were more likely than those who only participated in high school
sports to say their participation had a very positive impact. For example,
53% of college athletes say that their participation had a very positive
impact on their physical health, compared with 44% of athletes who only
played in high school. Assessments of the personal impact of sports differ by race. Larger
shares of Black and Hispanic athletes (44% each) than White athletes (36%)
say their participation in sports had a very positive impact on their
confidence or self-esteem. Black athletes are also more likely than White
athletes to say playing sports had a very positive impact on their job
opportunities (27% vs. 16%). There are no differences across racial and
ethnic groups in reported impact on physical health. There were not enough
Asian American athletes in the sample to analyze their experiences
separately. Men and women are roughly equally likely to say that playing
competitive sports very positively impacted their health and career
opportunities. Men are somewhat more likely to say it had a very positive
impact on their confidence (40% vs. 36%). (PEW) APRIL 21, 2022 738-739-43-30/Polls Most (64%) Canadian Farmers “Cautiously Optimistic” About the Next 12
Months
Despite the degree of uncertainty that the future hold, most Canadian
farmers remain “cautiously optimistic” (64%) about the next twelve months,
while 17% are very optimistic, according to the new RBC Agriculture Poll
conducted by Ipsos. Only one in five farmers is pessimistic (7% mostly/12%
somewhat) about the next year. Driving this optimism may be a clear focus for the year ahead to
maximize their growth potential: thinking about how they might grow their
business, nearly nine in ten (85%) prioritize having a network of
agriculture-related professionals that they can lean on for advice, while
eight in ten say their priority is the recruitment of skilled workers (81%),
building their leadership team (77%), investing in technology and data-driven
solutions (77%) and focusing on risk-management planning (73%). Canadian farmers are looking to the future and adapting with the
times. Nine in ten (91%) agree (48% strongly) that they are regularly using
technology and leveraging data and insights to guide decision making, and
many are looking to further implement technological and digital solutions in
the next twelve months, including when it comes to data management (55%),
digital field/crop/inventory management (51%), financial planning and cash
flow management (47%), automating labour-intensive farm operations (45%) and
workforce management (36%). Not only are most farmers being more efficient through technology,
but they’re also moving to become more sustainable as well. Nearly all (96%)
agree (59% strongly) that they are actively exploring ways to make their farm
operations more sustainable. Moreover, seven in ten (71%) agree (32%
strongly) that they’re making progress on recruiting and promoting a diverse
workforce, including women in all levels. In fact, six in ten (61%) farmers
say that their leadership team includes women. (Ipsos Canada) 12 April 2022 738-739-43-31/Polls Canadians Believe Poilievre Has Edge Over Rest Of Conservative Field,
But Are Less Certain That They Want Him To Win
Canadians don’t have a particularly favourable impression of any of
the declared or likely candidates for the leadership of the Conservative Party
of Canada. Moreover, according to a new Ipsos poll conducted for Global News,
out of the 11 candidates tested, a majority of Canadians say they don’t know
enough about 9 of them to have an opinion one way or the other, leaving only
Pierre Poilievre and Jean Charest as the candidates that most Canadians are
familiar with – for better or for worse. Canadians believe that Pierre Poilievre is most likely to win the leadership
contest (20%), ahead of Jean Charest (12%). Very few believe that any other
candidate will win, including Patrick Brown (4%), Leona Alleslev (2%), Scott
Aitchison (1%), Roman Baber (1%), Leslyn Lewis (1%), Marc Dalton (1%), Joseph
Bourgault (1%), Bobby Singh (1%), or Joel Etienne (<1%). A full majority
(55%) of Canadians have no idea who will win the race.
Thinking about who they want
to win the race, Pierre Poilievre (15%) and Jean Charest
(13%) are favoured by nearly equal proportions of Canadians, while fewer want
Lewis (3%), Baber (2%), Alleslev (2%), Dalton (2%), Singh (2%) Aitchison
(1%), Bourgault (<1%) or Etienne (<1%) to win. Nearly six in ten (57%)
don’t know who they want to win.
Clearly, Pierre Poilievre is the favoured among those who are already
intending to vote for the Conservative Party, but these figures mean that he
could have a hard time attracting additional voters into the Conservative
tent, which might be a strength for Charest. The data also reveal that, on balance, Canadians have unfavourable
opinions of each of the Conservative Party leadership candidates – that is,
towards those about whom they know enough to venture an opinion. Even for
candidates like Poilievre and Charest who have been prominent political
figures for a while, four in ten Canadians don’t have an opinion either way. The three candidates for whom the highest proportion of Canadians
hold a favourable opinion are Jean Charest (27%), Pierre Poilievre (27%) and
Patrick Brown (18%). All other candidates are seen in a favourable light by
just 13% of Canadians or less. However, these three candidates also elicit
the highest proportion of negative feedback: Charest (34%), Poilievre (31%)
and Brown (22%), followed very closely by Leslyn Lewis (21%). All other
candidates garner negative opinions in the 17%-18% range. Canadians’ Perception
of Likely or Declared CPC Leadership Candidates
Jean Charest enters the race with decades of political experience,
including having served as Premier of Quebec for nearly a decade. Charest no
doubt hopes that his experience in Quebec can help to bolster CPC fortunes
within la belle province,
but Quebecers are net negative on their former premier: four in ten (37%)
Quebecers have a favourable perception of Charest (12% very/24% somewhat),
while half (51%) are unfavourable, including 33% who are very unfavourable,
while just 12% don’t know enough about him either way. Among Conservative Party voters nationally the calculus changes.
Pierre Poilievre and Leslyn Lewis become the only two candidates that garner
net favourable sentiment (Poilievre net +30; Lewis net +2), while Jean
Charest’s stock dips into decidedly negative territory (net -13). Conservative Voters’ Perception
of Likely or Declared CPC Leadership Candidates
In fact, Jean Charest is seen more positively by Liberal voters (40%
positive; 30% negative) than he is by Conservative voters (27% positive; 40%
negative), suggesting that a Jean Charest leadership might attract red Tories
or swing voters onto the blue team. However, it could also result in a
fracturing of the party on the right, given that four in ten (40%) Conservative
voters have an unfavourable view of Charest. (Ipsos Canada) 20 April 2022 AUSTRALIA
738-739-43-32/Polls Real Unemployment In Australia Is Far Higher Than Claimed By The ABS,
And High Under-Employment Keeps A Lid On The Wage Growth Of Workers
There were 1.13
million Australians (7.8% of the workforce) unemployed in March and even
more, 1.23 million, under-employed (8.4% of the workforce). This compares
to the ABS
estimate of 563,000 unemployed Australians (4.0% of the workforce) and
926,000 under-employed (6.6% of the workforce). Everyone needs to understand the widespread community transmission of
COVID-19 is responsible for the largest impact on the Australian labour
market and workplaces employment across the country. The Health Department website shows there are today well over 450,000
Australians currently infected with COVID-19 – a number far higher than at
any time during 2020-21. This high case-load is caused by the highly
transmissible Omicron ‘variant’ of COVID-19 which has spread around Australia
in two distinct waves. The first Omicron wave began in early December and led to infections
peaking in mid-January at over 700,000 before declining rapidly over the next
few weeks and bottoming in February. A second Omicron wave began in early
March and is still ongoing with tens of thousands of new cases every day. The high caseload means over 450,000 Australians are currently forced
into week-long isolation because of being infected with the virus, and many
hundreds of thousands more, such as family members living in the same house,
are forced into periods of isolation due to being close contacts of those who
are infected. The forced isolation of many employees is in turn forcing businesses
to hire more workers on part-time hours. In March part-time employment
increased by 289,000 to a near-record high of over 4.7 million. This is where
all the employment growth in the labour market has come from over the last
few months. Since October 2020 when the final COVID-19 lockdowns in NSW, Victoria
and the ACT ended, part-time employment has increased from 4,281,000 to
4,712,000 – an increase of 431,000. In contrast, during the same time period
full-time employment is down by 60,000 to 8,678,000. This equates to a net increase of 371,000 employees – all caused by
the increase in part-time work. The correlation between part-time employment and under-employment is
well understood - as part-time employment increases, under-employment tends
to increase at the same time. This is certainly what happened in March as
part-time employment increased by 289,000 and under-employment increased by
93,000 to 1.22 million. As companies and businesses are forced to hire employees on reduced
hours to cover for those workers who are in forced isolation, but would like
to work more hours, the level of employment increases but there are also more
workers who would ideally like to work more hours – the under-employed. As long as outbreaks and transmission of COVID-19 is forcing hundreds
of thousands of Australians into isolation this trend of higher part-time
employment, and a high under-employment rate, is set to continue – which
means wage growth will remain below expectations. Unfortunately media commentators fail to understand that by itself,
lower unemployment, will not facilitate wages growth unless this a substantial
reduction in the number of Australians who are under-employed – which is more
closely correlated to wage growth due to being on the ‘margin’ between
full-time and part-time work. The latest Australian wage growth figures show annual wage growth
of 2.3%
over the year to December 2021 compared to estimated CPI
during that period of 3.5%. These figures show that wage growth is
failing to keep pace with inflation – and this situation has clearly worsened
in 2022. In addition, the Russian invasion of Ukraine prompted a large spike
in the prices of key energy products such as coal, oil and gas which flowed
directly through to the Australian economy. In mid-March petrol prices spiked
to a new record high at an average of over $2.14 a litre. Although the petrol
price has since dropped, and the petrol excise has been slashed for six
months, these increased costs are still flowing through into other parts of
the economy such as food and goods. The rising inflation is putting more pressure on workers to earn more
money and this means that more workers in part-time employment need to work
more hours to compensate for the higher level of inflation in the economy -
the under-employed are ‘feeling the pinch’ of inflation. We have already seen much higher inflation in the United States, so
far this year at an annual rate of 8.5% in March –
the highest in over 40 years. Thus far Australia has yet to experience
this level of inflation but as these inflationary pressures continue to build
world-wide they will impact on Australia in the second half of this year. As we head towards next month’s Federal Election it is absolutely
vital that both major parties detail how they will deal with the growing
threat of inflation as well as adopt policies that properly tackle the
ongoing high level of unemployment and under-employment in the Australian
economy. Over 2.35
million Australians (16.2% of the workforce) are currently either unemployed
or under-employed and this represents a ‘huge slice’ of the
electorate who need to know which major party is really serious about
tackling Australia’s long-term problem of high labour under-utilisation. The Roy
Morgan unemployment and under-employment estimates show Australia has had
over 2 million Australians either out of work, or looking for more work,
nearly continuously since December 2011 – more than a decade ago. (Roy Morgan) April 14 2022 738-739-43-33/Polls 8 In 10 Australians Are Concerned About Climate Change With A Clear
Public Expectation Of Government Action
The annual Ipsos Climate
Change Report 2022 shows the majority of Australians
are concerned about climate
change (83%) and 70% consider that Australia is already being affected by climate
change, primarily with more frequent and extreme natural disaster
events which is a steady increase in concern and up from 56% in 2011. Interestingly, the proportion of people expressing doubt about
whether climate change is actually occurring has remained relatively steady
over the same period, with 24% currently expressing this view. The level of
doubt is significantly higher in NSW with this figure rising to one in three
(32%).
Australians want action and this is likely
to be reflected in voting decision making Two thirds (66%) of people agree that Australia should be doing more
to address climate change and 64% want Australia to be a global leader in
emissions reduction. Currently opinions are divided
on whether current Federal Government measures to address
climate change are too much, too little, or about right.
There are some clear voting
intentions when it comes to climate change policy:
Ipsos Public Affairs Director, Stuart
Clark, said: “Awareness and expectations among
Australians regarding our climate are growing. There is a concern among
Australians and a desire for the government to act. Policy will be a key part
of the people’s decision making coming into the election. The question is how
the key players will manage it given there is a divide in the community as to
what is too much or too little action. “Australians see a role
particularly for governments and large businesses to drive positive change
utilising policy, improved technologies, and increased transparency.” Do businesses need to become more public
when it comes to disclosing environmental policies, practices and
performance? When it comes to business actions, Australians focus predominantly on
the role of multinationals and large Australian businesses for their capacity
to effect positive impacts on climate change.
Only 40% of Australians consider that
businesses in Australia are committed to climate change. Consumers
see the solution as twofold – there is strong potential for businesses to
innovate and drive technology solutions; and an increase in transparency is
required.
Sixty percent (60%) of Australians consider that publicly listed companies should be mandated to
report on environmental performance. Individuals are increasingly transitioning
to solar and other renewable energy sources and making active ‘green’ choices
in product and service selection Australians also see individuals as having a role in addressing
climate change; however, perceive their actions may have less of an impact
than government and business. Regardless, Australians are increasingly conscious of their own personal
empowerment and action they can take.
The Department of Industry, Energy, Science and Resources’ statistics
on household solar installations identify that Australia has the highest
uptake of solar globally at approximately 30%1. The Ipsos Climate Change Report 2022 figures
align showing 34% of Australians have installed solar. Australians are also active in improving energy efficiency around the
home (36%) and considering products being purchased with respect to how they
are made, materials and end-of-life disposal (35%). The next wave of action by
Australians will be:
o Victorians are the most positive about the
influence of protests and rallies on outcomes with 52% agreeing that ‘climate
activism such as protests and rallies on climate change can bring about
positive change’. Queenslanders and Western Australians are the least in
agreement about the potential outcomes of climate activism (31% and 30%
agreement respectively). (Ipsos Australia) 20 April 2022 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-au/8-10-australians-are-concerned-about-climate-change MULTICOUNTRY
STUDIES
738-739-43-34/Polls Biden Ended His First Year In Office With A 45% Median Approval
Rating Across A Total Of 116 Countries And Territories
After a strong rebound during President Joe Biden's first six months
in office, approval ratings of U.S. leadership around the world slipped in
the second half of the year, coinciding with the U.S. withdrawal from
Afghanistan. A new
Gallup report details that by early August 2021, median approval of
U.S. leadership worldwide stood at 49% across 46 countries and territories
surveyed by that point. This approval rating matched the record-high rating
when former President Barack Obama first took office in 2009. However, the United States' overall rating slipped in the second half
of the year. Across 70 additional countries and territories surveyed during
and after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, median approval stood at 43%. Biden ended his first year in office with a 45% median approval
rating across a total of 116 countries and territories. While far from a
ringing global endorsement of U.S. leadership, this rating is much higher
than the 30% approval rating in the last year of Donald Trump's presidency or
any of the previous ratings during the Trump administration.
Line graph. Trend lines showing median approval ratings of U.S.
leadership between 2007 and 2021. Without pre- and post-Afghanistan withdrawal measures in these same
116 countries, it is difficult to tease out links between the withdrawal and
the general decline in approval ratings. It's possible that the withdrawal,
which drew criticism of Biden at home and abroad, damaged people's
perceptions of U.S. leadership. However, the lower ratings may also reflect the makeup of the
countries and territories surveyed in the latter half of 2021. The list
includes Iran, which gave the U.S. a 7% approval rating in 2021, and a host
of other countries in the Middle East, North Africa and former Soviet states
that have historically rated U.S. leadership lower. Despite the overall decline, U.S. leadership still earned majority
approval from residents in 24 of the 70 countries and territories surveyed in
the later months of 2021. Ratings also improved by 10 points or more compared
with the previous year in 23 countries. U.S., Germany in Strong Position Before
Ukraine Crisis In addition to asking
about U.S. leadership each year, Gallup also asks the world about the
leadership of other global powers, including Germany, China and Russia. Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Gallup surveys
showed the U.S. and Germany held more "soft power" around the world
than they had in years. In that regard, both countries were in much stronger
positions heading into the conflict than either Russia or China. Despite the surge in approval ratings for the U.S., Germany remained
the top-rated global power for the fifth year in a row as it prepared for
longtime Chancellor Angela Merkel to leave office. In 2021, median approval
of Germany's leadership across 116 countries and territories stood at 50% --
essentially unchanged from the record-high 52% approval rating in 2020.
Line graph. Trend lines showing median approval ratings of the
leadership of the U.S., Germany, Russia and China between 2007 and 2021. Both Germany and the U.S. netted higher approval ratings than either
Russia or China, whose approval ratings continued to cluster together in the
lower 30s in 2021. Russia's approval rating before its invasion of Ukraine
stood at 33% -- relatively unchanged from where it was in 2020 -- and China's
approval rating was also unchanged at 30%. With much of the world condemning the invasion of Ukraine, Russia's
approval ratings could retreat even lower than the record-low 22% Gallup
observed in 2014 after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine. China's future
ratings, too, could be linked to how it responds to the crisis. Implications Although the image of
U.S. leadership slipped in the second half of 2021, the surge in approval
ratings between 2020 and 2021 suggests that Biden's efforts to restore alliances appeared to be paying
off -- at least initially. Some of this goodwill -- particularly among
NATO members -- may have helped Biden unify NATO's response to
Russia's invasion of Ukraine this year. He will need to continue to tap into
that as the war in Ukraine continues. But whatever happens next in this
crisis has the potential to undermine -- or bolster -- the rest of Biden's
presidency and shape the next world order. (Gallup) APRIL 12, 2022 Source: https://news.gallup.com/poll/391661/approval-ratings-retreat-afghanistan-withdrawal.aspx 738-739-43-35/Polls Worldwide Celebration Of Easter French And British Are Most Critical
Of Easter Celebrations In Terms Of Commercialization, A YouGov Poll In 12
Countries Around The World
Easter is still considered a special or traditional occasion in many countries,
after all Easter is one of the most important festivals in Christianity. Easter commemorates Christ's resurrection, who sacrificed himself for
the sins of mankind. But are people celebrating this Easter out of their
own traditional interest, or is Easter really just a commercial interest as
consumers feel encouraged to buy and give consumer goods to mark the holiday? A recent YouGov poll of 13,000 respondents in 12 countries reveals
that the majority of people around the world still think Easter is celebrated
for all the right reasons: as a special holiday. Respondents from Catholic Poland (82 percent) most often see the
Easter holidays as a real reason to celebrate. Only 11 percent think the
celebration of Christ's resurrection is too commercialized. Danes are
second most likely to think that Easter is still celebrated because of a
special occasion (73 percent) and not because of commercial
pressures. The Spaniards (71 percent) and the Swedes (69 percent) follow
in third and fourth place. In Germany, 63 percent are of the opinion that the festival is a real
celebration. However, one in four Germans (24 percent) considers the
festival to be too commercialized. The French and British are most
critical of Easter celebrations in terms of commercialization. Only half
of the French (51 percent) think the festival is being celebrated as a
"right" special occasion, while 37 percent think it's more of a
commercialization by companies. In a global comparison, the British are
most likely to think that the festival is too commercialized (40 percent).
(YouGov Germany) April 12, 2022 Source: https://yougov.de/news/2022/04/12/ist-ostern-zu-kommerzialisiert/ 738-739-43-36/Polls Africans Divided On Russia's Leadership Before Ukraine War A Survey
In 19 Nations
While most Western countries have strongly condemned Russia's
invasion of Ukraine, the rest of the world hasn't reacted in the same way. Responses in Africa, for example, have ranged from solidly supporting
Ukraine to condemning NATO's response. Gallup surveys in Africa show these
actions largely follow a general divide in support for Russia's leadership
across the continent before the Ukraine crisis. African Approval of Russia Remains Low, but
Higher Than Global Average Overall, median
approval of Russia's leadership stood at 42% across Africa in 2021, which is
lower than the approval ratings of
the leadership of the U.S. (60%), China (52%) and Germany (49%). However, approval of Russia's leadership remains consistently higher
in Africa than the global median of 33%. Africans have held a more positive
view of Russia for some time, reaching a peak of 57% approval in 2011, before
opinions started declining over the past decade.
Line graph. Trend line showing median approval ratings of Russia's
leadership across Africa and worldwide, from 2007 to 2021. In 2021, a median
of 42% of Africans approved of Russia's leadership, versus 33% approval
worldwide. Russian Leadership Most Popular in West
Africa Support for Russian
leadership is most strongly concentrated in West Africa, particularly in
Mali, where 84% of residents approve. Although Mali has recently received renewed Russian interest,
including the arrival of Russian mercenaries to replace outgoing French
forces at the behest of the Malian government, Malian support of Russia has
been among the highest in sub-Saharan Africa over the past decade. Substantial majorities in fellow West African nations, including
Ivory Coast, Guinea and Gabon, also express support for Russia. Approval of Russian Leadership Is Highest in West and Central Africa,
2021
However, residents of Eastern and Southern African nations are more
restrained. While a higher percentage of their populations express support
for Russian leadership compared with the global average, this opinion is held
by a minority of residents living in the East and South. Large proportions of
the population in these nations are also unsure about their views on Russia,
particularly in Zambia, where 66% of residents didn't know if they approved
or disapproved of Russian leadership in 2021. Approval of Russian Leadership Is Lower in East and Southern Africa
While reasons for this support vary, much of it may be tied to recent
Russian economic and diplomatic outreaches to the continent. Russian trade
has become increasingly enmeshed in Africa over the past two decades, not
only in terms of natural resources like wheat, oil and gas, but in military
equipment and support as well. Russia is the largest provider of military arms to sub-Saharan
Africa, with exports increasing 23% over the past four years. Some of this
has come in the form of direct action as well, with Russian private military
contractors deploying to 19 African nations since 2014. Long-standing Russian history in the region may also play a role in
the complex relationships that exist today. The former Soviet Union was a
large supporter of anticolonial movements during the Cold War, including
anti-apartheid activists in South Africa. This has led to a dichotomy whereby
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa blames NATO for the war in Ukraine,
yet just 30% of South Africans approve of Russia's leadership. Most Severe Impacts Are Likely to Come While the initial
fallout from economic
sanctions and disruptions in supply chains have already been felt
around the world, more substantial effects are likely to emerge in the coming
months. Even though the conflict in Ukraine is a world away, sub-Saharan
Africa, in particular, is vulnerable to disruptions in food supplies, with a
large proportion of the population experiencing food insecurity. Russia and Ukraine account for 30% of global wheat supplies, with
many nations in Africa importing a significant amount from the two countries.
Substantial majorities in many African countries report not having enough
money to buy food in the past 12 months. The Southern African nations of
Zimbabwe and Zambia face an acute risk, with close to four in five residents
having difficulty affording food in 2021. Most Africans Remain Susceptible to Food Shocks Have there been times in the past 12 months when you did not have
enough money to buy food that you or your family needed?
Implications The ongoing conflict in Europe has already produced economic and
diplomatic shocks that are being felt worldwide. After these initial
disruptions, the full effect of sanctions and diminished exports from both
Ukraine and Russia will begin to impact many nations globally, especially
those in Africa. Under these additional strains, it remains to be seen what
effect the ongoing crisis will have on Africans' views of Russia's
leadership. (Gallup) APRIL 13, 2022 Source: https://news.gallup.com/poll/391718/africans-divided-russia-leadership-ukraine-war.aspx 738-739-43-37/Polls What Makes People Happiest 30-Country Ipsos Survey
An Ipsos global survey run at the end of 2021, prior to the current
war in Ukraine and at the beginning of the cost of living crisis, found that
happiness amongst Britons had returned to pre-COVID levels, with 83% of
people reporting to be very or rather happy (82% in 2019, prior to the
pandemic). This is considerably higher than the global average of 67%, across
30 countries. Happiness is most prevalent in the Netherlands and
Australia, with 86% and 85% respectively describing themselves as “very” or
“rather” happy. China and Great Britain (both 83%), India (82%), France and
Saudi Arabia (both 81%), and Canada (80%) follow. At a global average level, the prevalence of happiness globally is
now not only higher than it was in mid-2020, a few months into the COVID-19
pandemic, but also compared to mid-2019, months before the pandemic. However,
it is 10 points lower than it was 10 years earlier, back in late 2011. The survey finds that, across the world, people most look to their
health and well-being (both physical and mental), their family
(partner/spouse and children), and having a sense of purpose as what gives
them “the greatest happiness.” Next come their living conditions, feeling
safe and in control, being in nature, having a meaningful job, and having
more money. Some elements are more widely viewed as sources of happiness today
than they were back in 2019, pre-pandemic. Drivers of happiness that have
most gained in importance are “being forgiven”, “forgiving someone”, finding
someone to be with” and, although only a minority of adults mention it as a
source of any happiness, “spending time on social media”. These are some of the findings of a survey of 20,504 adults under the
age of 75 conducted between November 19 and December 3, 2021, on Ipsos’s
Global Advisor online survey platform. Where are people happier? The happiest countries surveyed, i.e., those where more than three
out of four adults report being very happy or rather happy are the
Netherlands, Australia, China, Great Britain, India, Saudi Arabia, France,
Canada, Sweden, and the United States. Only two countries show fewer than one
in two adults saying they are happy: Argentina and Turkey. On average across 30 countries, 15% report being very much so and 52%
rather happy. Countries with the highest proportion of adults considering
themselves as very happy are India (39%), Australia (30%), and Saudi Arabia
(29%). Those with the highest prevalence of adults saying they are not happy
at all are Turkey (18%), Argentina (14%), and Hungary (13%). Changes in happiness levels Averaging at 67% across the 30 countries, the prevalence of happiness
is four percentage points higher than in July-August 2020 and three points
higher than in May-June 2019. However, it has a long way to go to regain its
level of 77% recorded both in November-December 2011 and in April-May 2013.
Sources of happiness in the COVID era Among 31 potential sources of happiness, people across the world are
most likely to say they derive “the greatest happiness” from:
Each of these 11 sources ranks in the top 11 of most countries.
However, some other sources of happiness stand out as being particularly
important in just one or a handful of countries (where they make the top 5):
Compared to the last survey conducted before the pandemic (May-June
2019), the sources of happiness that have most gained in importance globally
pertain to personal connections and spirituality:
The following sources of happiness have also gained in importance
over the last 10 years:
Happiness and consumer confidence One of the main findings of the survey is the strong relationship
between self-reported happiness and consumer confidence. Ipsos found a
remarkably high level of correlation between the percentage of adults
surveyed saying they are very or rather happy and the Ipsos Consumer
Confidence Index in the same 23 countries – a coefficient of 0.73. The
Consumer Confidence Index reflects consumers’ sentiment about their financial
situation and purchasing comfort, the economy, jobs, and investment.
(Ipsos MORI) 14 April 2022 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/what-makes-people-happiest-health-family-and-purpose 738-739-43-38/Polls A Global Median Of 33% Approved Of Russia's Leadership In 2021 Among
116 Countries
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine this year,
Russia's leadership remained relatively unpopular in most parts of the world,
with a global median approval rating of 33% in 2021. As unimpressive as this current rating seems, it's still a marked
improvement from the 22% median approval rating in 2014, notably the last
time Russia invaded Ukraine and ended up annexing Crimea. After Crimea,
Russia's global reputation slowly started to improve, reaching as high as 34%
in 2020. These data come from Gallup surveys conducted in 116 countries and
territories between April 2021 and January 2022. While these data were
collected before Russia's invasion of Ukraine this year, they illustrate how
Russia's leadership was positioned in the world as the conflict began. Russia's Leadership Most Popular in Africa;
Fewer Fans in Europe Russia's leadership
finds the most favor regionally in Africa, where a median 42% of the
population approved in 2021. African adults generally tend to rate the leadership of all major
powers (the U.S., China, Russia and Germany) higher than adults in other
regions do. However, among those countries, African
adults were less likely to approve of Russia's leadership (42%) than
those of the U.S. (60%), China (52%) or Germany (49%). Russian leaders have attempted to reach out diplomatically and
economically to Africa in recent years. However, their current 42% approval
in Africa remains in the middle of the trend for the region and well below
the 57% high in 2011. Median approval of Russia's leadership -- not surprisingly, given the
current and past contentious relationship -- was the lowest in Europe, at
22%, among all geographic regions. This is on the higher end of the trend and
well above the 14% low in 2014. Many of these countries belong to NATO, among which median approval
of Russia's leadership was similar to the European average, at 21%. Among
most NATO member countries, approval in 2021 had recovered somewhat from
record lows after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. Median disapproval
among NATO countries jumped from 44% in 2013 to 67% in 2014 but had declined
to 57% by 2021.
Highest and Lowest Approval of Russia's
Leadership Given that Africa had
the highest regional median approval
of Russia's leadership, it is not surprising that many countries that give
Russia's leadership the highest approval are located in this region. Malians
were the most likely of any population to approve in 2021, with 84% of adults
in that country saying so. Countries in Russia's sphere also made the most-approving list -- as
they typically do -- with 76% of Kyrgyzstanis, 73% of Mongolians, 69% of
Uzbekistanis and 55% of Kazakhstanis approving of Russia's leadership.
Traditional Russian ally Serbia was also among the countries with the highest
approval levels, at 68%.
In contrast, Russia's nearby European neighbors in Sweden, Denmark
and Lithuania were the least likely to approve of Russia's leadership, with
fewer than one in 10 doing so. Ukraine is also not far from the bottom of the list. Before the
invasion, 12% of Ukrainians approved of Russia's leadership.
Bottom Line Before the war in
Ukraine, approval of Russia's leadership had largely recovered from the slump
that occurred after the country's
annexation of Crimea. However, it is likely that much, if not all, of that
has been erased in the aftermath of Russia's invasion this year. The low
level of approval for Russia's leadership likely eased the way for world
leaders to take action to isolate the country from the global economy in the
wake of the invasion. The high levels of disapproval in Europe in particular may have
helped make post-invasion sanctions on Russia more palatable for the publics
in these countries, despite many European countries' dependence on Russian
energy resources. For other regions around the globe, especially Asia and Africa,
higher approval levels for Russia's leadership and the impact on commodities
markets because of the war in Ukraine and Russian sanctions may make
isolating Russia a tougher sell with the public. (Gallup) APRIL 15, 2022 Source: https://news.gallup.com/poll/391775/russia-leadership-not-highly-popular-ukraine-war.aspx 738-739-43-39/Polls Incidence Of Smoking In Pakistan Is Lower Than The Global Average
According to a Gallup Pakistan Survey in Pakistan (and similar
surveys done by Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research (WIN) across
the world), the incidence of smoking in Pakistan is lower than the global
average; a quarter of the male adult population and 7% of the female
population claim to smoke in Pakistan. These findings emerge from an
international survey conducted across the globe by The Worldwide Independent
Network of Market Research (WIN) - a global network conducting market
research and opinion polls in every continent. WIN International has
published the Annual WIN World Survey (WWS – 2021), exploring the views and
beliefs of 33,236 individuals, among citizens from 39 countries across the
globe. On International Health’s Day, WIN releases the latest results of the
survey, to understand health self-perception and related habits. The
fieldwork for Pakistan was conducted between 15th October and 18th December
2021 and the sample size was 1000 individuals. The international press
release with the report can be accessed here. A nationally representative
sample of adult men and women from across the four provinces was asked the
following question, “How often would you say that you...? - Smoke” In
response to this question in Pakistan, 10% said very often, 4% said fairly
often, 3% said sometimes, 7% said occasionally and 76% said never.
Gender Breakdown More females (83%) in comparison to males (74%) in
Pakistan say that they never smoke.
(Gallup Pakistan) April 15, 2022 Source: https://gallup.com.pk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/15-April-2022-English-1.pdf 738-739-43-40/Polls An Average Of 39% Agree That Their Government Has A Clear Plan In
Place To Tackle Climate Change In A 30 Country Survey
Key findings
While climate change may not regularly be on people’s minds, it is
not unrecognized. Seven in 10 (68%) are concerned about the impacts already
being seen in their country, especially in South Africa and Chile, while a
similar proportion (70%) worry about effects already seen in other
countries. The public believe there is a shared responsibility among government
(77%), businesses (76%) and individuals (74%) to tackle climate change. Some
business sectors are seen as having a greater responsibility for reducing
their contribution to climate change – particularly energy companies (82%),
car manufacturers (80%), airlines (77%) and public transport providers
(77%). The public recognise that the onus to reduce carbon emissions sits
firmly on the shoulders of the individual. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of
those surveyed agree that individuals are responsible for reducing their
contribution to climate change by reducing carbon emission. The highest
proportions were in South Africa (87%), Colombia (86%), Peru (84%) and Chile
(84%). However, this does not excuse governments and businesses from doing
their part. 77% say a great deal/fair amount of responsibility lies with
governments while 76% say the same for businesses.
While the responsibility of governments is recognised by many, few
are aware of any actions being taken. Only 39% agree that their country’s
government has a clear strategy to tackle climate change. There is little
difference in countries who already have legally binding commitments to
achieving net zero such as Great Britain (39%), France (34%), Hungary (29%)
and Sweden (38%). Dr. Pippa Bailey, Head of UK Climate Change
& Sustainability Practice, Ipsos said: “Despite
7 in 10 people being concerned about the impact of climate change on our
planet, for the majority of people globally there are other issues they feel
are more pressing, such as their family’s health, war, financial concerns and
the ongoing pandemic. People know that they have to change their behaviours in
order to address climate change, but if the issue isn’t at the top of their
priorities, they are unlikely to do so, unless there is an incentive that
aligns with other priorities i.e. saving money, and/or being better for
the lives and wellbeing of their families. So, there are real
opportunities for businesses and governments to provide additional incentives
and messaging that will encourage change amongst consumers, but they must
also recognise the need for change themselves. With 77% of people
globally holding Government to account for the issue and 76% saying the same
about businesses, it is clear that people expect to see real change, both in
public policy and the private sectors.” (Ipsos South Africa) 18 April 2022 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-za/global-advisor-earth-day-2022 738-739-43-41/Polls 61% Across 27 Countries Think The War In Ukraine Poses A Significant
Risk To Their Country
A new Ipsos survey finds that, on average across 27 countries, 70% of adults report closely following the news
about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and 61% think it poses a significant risk
to their country. Majorities in every one of the countries
surveyed support taking in Ukrainian refugees and oppose getting involved
militarily in the conflict. However, opinions on economic sanctions and
providing weapons to the Ukrainian military differ widely across countries. The survey was conducted among 19,000 adults under the age of 75
between March 25 and April 3 on Ipsos’s Global Advisor online survey
platform.
The world is watching Those who follow the news about the war in
Ukraine represent between 57% and 77% of those surveyed in all but three of
the 27 countries. The only exceptions are Japan
(89%) and Sweden (83%) at one end of the spectrum and Malaysia (49%) at the
other end.
Globally, those over the age of 50 (78%), business decision-makers
(76%), and those with a university-level education (73%) are especially
likely to pay close attention to the events in Ukraine. A great risk for the world A 27-country average of 82%
say that the war in Ukraine poses a great deal or a fair amount of risk to
the world as a whole; 61% say that it does to their country.
The perception that one’s own country is facing a significant risk is most
prevalent in Japan (87%), Poland (77%), South Korea (77%), and Sweden (75%). Globally, about one-third say
it poses at least a fair amount of risk to them personally (36%), their family (34%), and their job or business (37%).
Countries whose citizens most tend to feel personally exposed by the war in
Ukraine are India (56%), Poland (50%), Japan (53%), and Italy (48%). Widespread support for Ukrainians Globally, three-quarters (74%)
agree their country should take in Ukrainian refugees, but
six in ten (61%) say it cannot afford financial support to Ukraine. In each of the 27 nations, most citizens surveyed agree that their
country should take in Ukrainian refugees from the current conflict.
Agreement is especially high in Poland (84%), the country that has taken in
the largest number of Ukrainian refugees so far. It is highest in Sweden
(89%), the Netherlands (86%), and Spain (85%). It is lowest in Turkey (53%), which
already hosts four million refugees, mostly from Syria. Large majorities in all emerging economies agree that, given the
current economic crisis, their country cannot afford to lend financial
support to Ukraine. However, more than half in several high-income nations,
including Sweden (67%), the Netherlands (63%), and France (55%)
disagree. No consensus on supporting Ukraine’s
military response On average globally, majorities
say that their country must support sovereign countries when attacked (70%)
and that doing nothing in Ukraine will encourage Russia to take further
military action elsewhere (68%). At the same time, majorities also say that their country should avoid
getting involved militarily (72%) and that military action in
Ukraine will encourage attacks on other countries (68%). In addition to being
ambivalent and cautious, global public
opinion on how to respond to Russian aggression in Ukraine is also divided:
Differences are starker when it comes to
providing military support or sending troops to Ukraine. On
average globally, about one-third support their country providing weapons –
such as guns and anti-tank weapons – to the Ukrainian military (36%),
providing funding to the Ukrainian military (33%), and sending troops to NATO
countries neighboring Ukraine (32%). However, each of one these propositions
rallies majority support in several countries:
However, those who support sending their own troops to Ukraine are a
minority in each one of the 27 countries, averaging 17%. Diverging opinions about economic sanctions On average globally, two-thirds
agree that “the economic sanctions placed on Russia by many countries are an
effective tactic to help stop the war” – from 50% in Hungary
to 78% in South Korea. However, support for sanctions and other economic
action varies more widely across countries. Just over half on average across all 27 countries (54%) agree that
paying more for fuel and gas because of sanctions against Russia is
worthwhile to defend another sovereign country. However, while more than 75%
in South Korea and Poland agree, fewer than 40% in Mexico, Peru, Hungary,
Brazil, and Argentina do so. Furthermore, only 40% on average globally support banning imports of
oil and gas from Russia to their country even if this leads to further price
increases. While more than 50% in Great Britain, Canada, Sweden, Poland,
Australia, the U.S., and France support such a ban, it is the case of fewer
than 20% in Hungary and Turkey. In Germany, which is highly dependent on
Russian natural gas, 45% support such a ban, 30% oppose it, and 25% are not
sure.
Support for putting in place additional
sanctions against Russia averages at 48% globally. Again,
majority support is found in all EU countries surveyed excluding Hungary, as
well as in Great Britain (by as many as 75%), Canada, the U.S., Australia,
Japan, and South Korea. Elsewhere, it ranges from 23% (in Turkey) to 40% in
South Africa and India. Opinions on whether to seize the assets of Russian
oligarchs affiliated with Russian President Vladimir Putin show a nearly
identical pattern with majority support in the same countries as for
additional sanctions against Russia. To talk or not to talk Opinions on whether one’s country should
continue its diplomatic ties to Russia vary widely. Globally,
38% on average support it, 29% oppose it and 33% are not sure. Support ranges
from 63% in Turkey to just 19% in Poland. Countries where support for
continued diplomatic engagement is highest include not only some of those
where majorities think that the problems of Ukraine are “none of our
business” (Saudi Arabia, India, Israel) and/or where the appetite for
supporting the Ukrainian military is low (Turkey), but also the three largest
EU countries (Germany, France, and Italy). (Ipsos South Africa) 19 April 2022 Source:
https://www.ipsos.com/en-za/war-in-ukraine-april-2022 738-739-43-42/Polls Globally Respondents Strongly Support The Notion Of Businesses/Brands
Taking Steps To Reduce Their Environmental Impact, A Study In 17 Nations
Sustainability, which was once a niche consideration for brands and
consumers, has gained prominence and risen dramatically up the agenda in
recent years, following the increased public discussion and awareness of
environmental issues. On the occasion of World Earth Day, YouGov’s international study
which polled more than 19,000 people across 17 countries, reveals that a
majority (81%) of urban Indians said it’s “important” (46% “very” and 35%
“fairly”) for brands or businesses to actively take steps to minimise their
impact on the environment. A larger proportion of female respondents said
this, indicating that women feel more strongly about this issue than men in
the country (83% vs 79%). Similarly, the older adults aged 55+ are most
likely among the different age groups to advocate this view.
Globally, along with India, respondents from other Asian markets such
as Indonesia (90%) and Hong Kong (85%) also strongly support the notion of
businesses/brands taking steps to reduce their environmental impact. On the
other hand, western markets such as the US (69%), Sweden (77%), and Germany
(76%) have the lowest proportion of respondents who say this.
Many global and Indian brands are taking steps to create a sustainable
future and are actively communicating about it. When asked about brands using
their marketing and advertising to talk about environmental issues and
sustainability, close to half of the surveyed respondents in India (46%) said
all brands should talk about environmental issues and sustainability while
two in five (40%) believe only those brands who have done work to improve the
environment should discuss these issues. Less than one in ten (7%) are
opposed to the idea of brands talking about this topic.
Not only do consumers want brands to speak up but they are likely to
support these endeavours as well with half (50%) saying they respond to
advertisements that speak about global issues like the environment and
sustainability. Engagement with such ads is comparable across age groups in
India, except the young adults between 18-24 years who are less likely to
engage with such ads. Furthermore, data from YouGov’s Profiles, an audience segmentation
tool, shows nearly two-thirds of respondents (64%) agree with the
statement, ‘I don’t mind spending
more on products that are good for the environment'. Adults aged
30 years and above are more likely to say this than their younger
counterparts. This is promising news for brands working in this direction as
it indicates consumers’ inclination to play their part in helping preserve
the environment and their willingness to purchase environment-friendly
products for a premium. Commenting on this, Deepa Bhatia, General
Manager at YouGov, said, “Consumers have been made aware of the negative
impact of their consumption on the environment and our recent global study
shows this is prevalent in India too. In today's marketplace, consumers
expect brands to take a proactive stance on environmental matters and take
steps to reduce their harmful impacts on nature. A brand that wants to thrive
in the future must live up to consumers' expectations by finding its
sustainability goals and communicating them effectively.” (YouGov India) Source: https://in.yougov.com/en-hi/news/2022/04/20/most-urban-indians-want-brands-take-active-measure/ 738-739-43-43/Polls The Image Of U S Leadership Is In A Much Stronger Position,
Result Of A Study Across 34 Nations
Ahead of President Joe Biden's special summit with Southeast Asian
leaders next month, the image of U.S. leadership is in a much stronger
position than it has been in years, not only in Southeast Asia but across
most of the continent. Gallup surveys show median approval of U.S. leadership across Asia
shot from 31% in 2020 to 41% in 2021, and the U.S. now essentially ties
Germany for the most-positively viewed leadership in the region. Unlike approval of the U.S., Germany's 2021 approval rating was
mostly unchanged from previous years, while Russia (33%) and China (27%) were
also on a similar footing to where they have ranked in the past. China's
approval continued to drift slightly lower in 2021.
The median 41% of adults in the region who view U.S. leadership
positively is a substantial increase over any reading during Donald Trump's
presidency but is still slightly below the trend-high 45% recorded in 2013.
Notably, the approval rating for the U.S. is based largely on data collected
during or after the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in August 2021
and before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. Countries Driving the Increase in Approval
for U.S. Ratings of U.S.
leadership showed substantial
improvement in 13 Asian countries and territories in 2021, including South
Korea, where ratings increased 29 percentage points; Australia and New
Zealand, which each saw ratings jump 22 points; and Taiwan, Province of
China, where ratings rose 17 points.
Highest and Lowest Approval of German and
U.S. Leadership At the country level,
Germany's leadership was viewed most positively in Australia at 70%, followed
closely by New Zealand at 69%, both record highs for the respective countries. This increase may be at least
partly related to the German government's efforts to play a greater role in
the region and participate in collective security arrangements favored by the
Australian and New Zealand governments. The publics in Pakistan and Cambodia were least likely to view German
leadership positively, with 23% in each approving of the country's
leadership. Approval of German leadership in Pakistan, while low compared
with other countries in Asia, is on the high end of the trend for the
country.
The highest level of approval for U.S. leadership was the 71%
recorded in the Philippines, a traditional U.S. ally in the region.
Additionally, the U.S. was viewed particularly positively by several other
traditional allies, including South Korea (59%), Australia (51%), Israel
(50%) and Japan (50%). In contrast, the lowest level of approval for U.S. leadership was in
Iran, where the 7% of Iranians who approved was little changed from levels
since 2018. In Afghanistan, where U.S. forces were in the process of drawing
down and withdrawing from military operations during the survey period,
residents had already soured on U.S. leadership. The 14% of adults who
approved was unchanged from 2019. Pakistanis were also particularly negative
about U.S. leadership, with less than a quarter (23%) approving, though this
is on the higher end of the trend for Pakistan. Bottom Line Many view Asia as
likely to be the most significant global region for the 21st century,
and the politics of the area have been increasingly defined by great power
competition. This competition makes soft power or the approval of countries'
leaderships particularly important. The soft-power dynamic also has economic
implications as Asian countries join trade groups and open or close their
markets to the powers vying for position in the region. The world's attention is focused primarily on the war in Ukraine. The
lessons from that conflict about the future of alliances and the global order
are likely being closely watched throughout Asia. As it currently stands, the
region is positively disposed toward German and U.S. leadership, but a
substantial shift or upset in that conflict could contribute to upending
those views. (Gallup) APRIL 22, 2022 Source: https://news.gallup.com/poll/391940/germany-lead-approval-ratings-asia.aspx 738-739-43-44/Polls Europeans Express Wide Support For A Greener Energy Market, According
To A Poll Across 7 Countries
New YouGov EuroTrack polling across seven European countries suggests
that there is significant public appetite for substantial policy changes that
would see a much greener energy market, something that climate change
activists have been pushing for a long time. Although the support for greener energy is likely to have been driven
in part by the personal financial impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and
the increasing cost of energy bills, rather than directly by a need to tackle
climate change, it does nonetheless present a key opportunity for climate
change activists to push their agenda for cleaner energy. Across all countries polled, a majority would support a government
policy that ruled that only renewable energy can be produced. Italians and
Spaniards feel particularly strongly about this, with 80% of Italians, and
75% of Spaniards supporting such a policy. The Germans need more persuading,
with just 53% supporting this proposal. Although there is significant support for a government-led policy in
this area, people are slightly less willing to make this change of their own
accord – while 7 in 10 Spaniards (69%) and Italians (70%) would be willing to
switch their energy provider to one who only uses renewable energy, or have
already done so, only half of Germans (49%) say the same.
With rising energy bills, people are increasingly looking to ways
they can make their homes more energy-efficient, and this is reflected in the
latest YouGov polling. Across all countries apart from Germany, the
proportion of adults who say they would be willing to personally cover the
costs to make their home more energy-efficient outweighs the number who say
they would not be willing to do this. Germans feel very differently about
this, with just 21% saying they would be willing to do this, although a
quarter (27%) say this is not applicable to them (renting is much more common
in Germany than in other countries). Again, Spaniards are the most willing,
saying they would be open to covering this cost themselves by 48% to 22%. The polling does suggest that cost, rather than the principle of
domestic energy-efficiency, is the issue here. When asked about the potential
of government subsidies to cover the cost of making your home more
energy-efficient, there is overwhelming support across all countries for such
a policy. For respondents in Britain, France and Spain the support is
particularly strong, with more than half of adults saying they would strongly
support such a policy.
There is also significant support for stricter legislation around how
energy-efficient homes are. French people are the most likely to support
tighter rules in this area (82%), whilst Danes are the least sure of this
policy, although a majority (59%) still back it. (YouGov UK) April 22, 2022 |
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