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BUSINESS & POLITICS IN THE WORLD GLOBAL OPINION REPORT NO. 744 Week:
May 23 – May 29, 2022 Presentation:
June 03, 2022 4
In 5 (80%) Islamabadis Believe That The Federal Capital Is In Need Of A Good
Transport System Nine
In Ten S’pore Adults Still Wear A Mask Outdoors, Despite No Longer Being
Mandated To Almost
7 In 10 Nigerians Describe The Current State Of Security In The Country As
Dreadful 44%
Saying They Had Been Forced To Cut Back On Their Clothing Purchases Four
In 10 Britons Are Worried About Catching Coronavirus On An Airplane 59%
Of Britons Want Johnson To Resign In Wake Of Gray Report Public
Concern About Inflation Reaches Its Highest Level For 40 Years One
In Five Britons Now Say They Are Struggling Or Unable To Make Ends Meet Less
Than Half (45%) Of Teachers Would Enter The Profession If Given The Choice
Again Cryptocurrencies
And NFTs: What Do The Spanish Think Iceland’s
Cost Of Living Discount For The Over-60s Boosts Brand Health Americans
Knowledge About International Affairs Americans'
Recent Attitudes Toward Guns 52%
Globally Say Cycling In Their Area Is Too Dangerous, A 28 Country Survey Globally,
About Half Of Adults Across 29 Countries Say They Are Familiar With The
Metaverse (52%) INTRODUCTORY NOTE This weekly report consists of twenty
two surveys. The report includes five
multi-country studies from different states across the globe. 744-43-23/Commentary: Nine In Ten
S’pore Adults Still Wear A Mask Outdoors, Despite No Longer Being Mandated To
Singapore
saw its most significant easing of safe management measures in end-April
as caps
on group sizes, capacity limits, and mandates on wearing a mask outdoors were
removed, among others. While people in Singapore
no longer have to wear a mask outdoors, nine in ten
continue to (93%), with Gen Zs (98%) and Baby Boomers (97%) most likely to do
so. Conversely, Millennials were most likely to say they never wear a mask
when outdoors (11%). A closer
look at the frequency of outdoor mask-wearing indicates that the largest
proportion of Singapore adults say they wear a mask outdoors all the time
(49%), with Baby Boomers significantly more likely to say so (58%). A fewer
one in five Singapore residents say they sometimes (20%) or often wear a mask
outdoors (24%).
Protecting
oneself from illness and germs was the top reason for continuing to wear a
mask outdoors among the general population (68%) and all age groups. Around
half also felt that doing so was the most convenient way to travel between
outdoor and indoor settings (52%), since masks are still required when
indoors. Protecting others from germs was the third most popular reason cited
for wearing a mask outdoors despite it not being compulsory (43%). Just under
four in five say they continue to wear their masks because they have become
used to doing so (37%). Gen Zs were most likely to express this opinion, with
almost half feeling this way (48%). Gen Zs were
also most likely to say they do not remove their masks to not get judged by
those who are wearing them, with a quarter saying so (25%) compared to a
fewer one in ten of the general population (12%).
As for when residents
will feel comfortable removing their masks outdoors all the time, majority
said they would only do so once they feel it is safe (59%). Almost three in
ten said they would make the change if the rules making mask-wearing indoors
compulsory are removed (28%). A further
one in seven would always remove their mask outdoors when those around them
do the same (15%), or when the daily case count falls below 1,000 for four
weeks (13%), while another seventh say they will never change their
mask-wearing behaviour (15%). One in
twenty already feel safe removing their masks outdoors, but do not do it all
the time (6%).
(YouGov
Singapore) May 27, 2022 Source: https://sg.yougov.com/en-sg/news/2022/05/27/nine-ten-spore-adults-still-wear-mask-outdoors-des/ SUMMARY
OF POLLS
ASIA (Pakistan) 4 In 5 (80%) Islamabadis Believe That The
Federal Capital Is In Need Of A Good Transport System According to a survey conducted by Gallup
& Gilani Pakistan, 4 in 5 (80%) Islamabadis believe that the federal
capital is in need of a good transport system. A
full report on the survey can be found here. A nationally representative
sample of adult men and women from across the capital was asked the following
question, “Does Islamabad require a good public transport system?” In
response to this question, 80% said yes and 20% said no. (Gallup Pakistan) May 26, 2022 (Singapore) Nine In Ten S’pore Adults Still Wear A
Mask Outdoors, Despite No Longer Being Mandated To Singapore saw its most significant easing
of safe management measures in end-April as caps on group sizes, capacity limits, and
mandates on wearing a mask outdoors were removed, among others. While people in Singapore
no longer have to wear a mask outdoors, nine in ten
continue to (93%), with Gen Zs (98%) and Baby Boomers (97%) most likely to do
so. Conversely, Millennials were most likely to say they never wear a mask
when outdoors (11%). (YouGov Singapore) May 27, 2022 AFRICA (Nigeria) Almost
7 In 10 Nigerians Describe The Current State Of
Security In The Country As Dreadful A new public opinion poll conducted by
NOIPolls has revealed that 68 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide have
described the current state of security in the country as insecure. This is
not far-fetched as the country has been besieged with all kinds of security
challenges ranging from kidnapping, banditry, herdsmen attack, terrorism, and
the activities of separatists’ movements. Additionally, analysis across
geo-political zones showed that the South-East (78 percent) and the North-West
(75 percent) zones had the larger proportion of adult Nigerians who made this
assertion. (NOI Polls) May 27, 2022 WEST
EUROPE (UK) 44%
Saying They Had Been Forced To Cut Back On Their
Clothing Purchases As the cost-of-living crisis continues to
bite, a new YouGov survey reveals how many Britons have been forced to make
spending reductions on 24 areas of household spending. Clothing tops the
list, with 44% saying they had been forced to cut back on their clothing
purchases since November. This most common form such cuts take is people
reducing their spending by buying clothes less frequently (29%), although 10%
are switching to cheaper alternatives and 8% say they have been forced to
stop spending money on clothes altogether. (YouGov UK) May 23, 2022 Four
In 10 Britons Are Worried About Catching Coronavirus On
An Airplane YouGov research reveals that most Britons
would not take a flight abroad if they caught Covid before they left the
country, despite not being legally required to – although a third would bring
the virus back to the UK if they contracted it before flying home. Just one
in seven Britons (14%) say they would still fly if they had a trip abroad
planned and contracted Covid-19 shortly before they left the UK, with seven
in 10 (69%) saying they would not travel, and 17% unsure. (YouGov UK) May 23, 2022 59% Of Britons Want Johnson To
Resign In Wake Of Gray Report The much-awaited Sue Gray report has been published, revealing the
details of many gatherings taking place in Downing Street in contravention to
the lockdown rules in place at the time. Few Britons want him to, however, as
most Britons continue to think Johnson should resign (59%). This has changed
little from the 57% it was on 4 April, when it was announced Johnson had
received a fixed penalty notice. Three in ten (30%) currently think Johnson
should remain in office, the same as the proportion who thought so in early
April. (YouGov UK) May 25, 2022 Public Concern About Inflation Reaches Its Highest Level
For 40 Years The May 2022 Ipsos Issues Index confirms
that public concern about inflation and prices continues to rise. Forty-one
per cent of the British public mention cost-of-living issues as a big concern
for the country, up from 32% last month. This is the highest level of public
concern recorded since the Issues Index became a regular monthly poll in the
early eighties, although still behind the peaks it reached in the 1970s and
very beginning of the 1980s. In April 1980, 69% saw inflation as a big
concern, but by the next recorded measure in September 1982 this had fallen
to 32%. (Ipsos MORI) 25 May 2022 One In Five Britons Now Say They Are Struggling Or Unable To Make Ends Meet A new YouGov survey reveals the extent of
the damage to people’s finances, with the number of people saying they are
struggling or unable to make ends meet doubling in the last year. One in six
Britons (17%) say of their household financial situation: “I can only just
afford my costs and often struggle to make ends meet”. This figure has risen
from 11% in mid-May 2021. A further 5% say “I cannot afford my costs, and
often have to go without essentials like food and heating”, a figure that was
1% last year. (YouGov UK) May 26, 2022 Less Than Half (45%) Of Teachers Would
Enter The Profession If Given The Choice Again It may be
unsurprising then, that a new YouGov survey of teachers suggests many may be
feeling disillusioned with their career choice. Fewer than half (45%) say
that if they could choose again, they would still choose to become teachers.
Two in five (40%) would not choose to become a teacher again. The youngest
and the oldest teachers are the happiest with their choice of career, being
the most likely to say they would repeat it. Half of teachers aged 18 to 34
(51%) and 62% of those aged 55 and above say they would make the same choice
to teach again. (YouGov UK) May 27, 2022 Half Of Britons Believe Prince Charles Will Be A
Good King, Even As Two-Thirds Want The Queen To Remain Monarch For As Long As
Possible As the Prince of Wales takes on more roles,
such as reading the Queen’s Speech at the opening of State Parliament, new
research by Ipsos shows half of Britons expect Prince Charles to do a good
job as King (49%), while 1 in 5 do not (20%). This is similar to the public’s views earlier this year in March. While
Britons are more likely to expect good things from the heir than not,
expectations for Prince William are even higher. Three-quarters believe the
second in-line to the throne will be a successful monarch (74%), only 7%
think he will do a bad job. (Ipsos MORI) 27 May 2022 (Spain) Cryptocurrencies And NFTs: What Do The
Spanish Think Cryptocurrencies and NFT's attract more and
more Spaniards, who decide to learn about and invest in them. A study
carried out in May 2022 by YouGov Spain highlights that: Despite
the fact that 90% of Spaniards have ever heard of cryptocurrencies,
only 41% claim to know exactly what it is, and only 12% have already invested
in cryptocurrencies. The same goes for NFTs, with only 16% claiming to
know exactly what they are and 6% of the population have already invested in
NFTs. (YouGov Spain) (Iceland) Iceland’s Cost Of Living Discount
For The Over-60s Boosts Brand Health Iceland recently announced that, starting
from May 24, customers over the age of 60 would receive a 10% discount on
their grocery shopping in the store every Tuesday. The move is motivated by
the concerns older shoppers have experienced around the cost-of-living crisis
– which has seen energy bills and food prices
rise, among other things, in recent months. Iceland’s intervention is a timely
intervention for older consumers who may struggle to keep up with rising
costs – and a potential PR coup for a brand that’s already closely identified
with lower grocery prices. (YouGov UK) May 27, 2022 NORTH AMERICA (USA) Americans Knowledge About International Affairs A new Pew Research Center survey shows,
Americans are less familiar with other topics. Despite the U.S. government labeling the events in Xinjiang, China, as genocide, only
around one-in-five Americans are aware that it is the region in China with
the most Muslims per capita. And only 41% can identify the flag of the second
most populous country in the world, India. Americans give more correct than
incorrect answers to the 12 questions in the study. The mean number of
correct answers is 6.3, while the median is 7. (PEW) MAY 25, 2022 One-Third Of Americans Say The
Best Possible Outcome Between Israel And The Palestinians Is A Two-State Solution In recent years, U.S. public opinion has
become modestly more positive toward both sides in the Israel-Palestinian
conflict, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. Overall, Americans
continue to express more positive feelings toward the Israeli people than
toward the Palestinian people – and to rate the Israeli government more
favorably than the Palestinian government. But these gaps are much
larger among older Americans than among younger ones. Indeed, U.S. adults
under 30 view the Palestinian people at least as warmly (61% very or somewhat
favorable) as the Israeli people (56%) and rate the Palestinian government as
favorably (35%) as the Israeli government (34%). (PEW) MAY 26, 2022 Americans' Recent Attitudes Toward Guns As Americans are reeling from two mass
shootings that have occurred within 10 days of each other in the U.S., an
intense gun control debate has reignited across the country. Gallup's most
recent polling about guns was conducted in October 2021 and January 2022.
Both polls found a slight decrease in support for stricter gun laws compared
with the prior year's measures. Typically, Americans' support for stricter
gun laws has risen in the aftermath of high-profile mass shootings and fallen
during periods without such events. Additionally, changes in the party of the
president may also influence preferences for gun laws. (Gallup) MAY 26, 2022 (Canada) Ballot-Box Bonus Likely For
Progressive Conservatives As Their Voters Are Most Certain To Turn Out, Most
Committed To Their Choice The ten-point advantage that the
Progressive Conservatives have over the Liberals in the popular vote has the
potential to grow on election day with the Tories likely to receive a
ballot-box bonus at the polls, according to a new Ipsos poll conducted on behalf
of Global News. Overall, six in ten (61%) Ontarians say they’re completely
certain to vote on election day. This is close to the 58% turnout of the 2018
provincial election. Those who have declared their support for the
Progressive Conservatives are most likely (74%) to say they’re certain to
vote this time, ahead of NDP (71%), Liberal (65%) and Green Party (42%)
voters. (Ipsos Canada) 26 May 2022 AUSTRALIA Eight Magazine Categories Enjoy Strong Growth In 2021-22
Led By General Interest, Health & Family,
Motoring And Sports – All With Readership Up Year On Year Now 10.9 million Australians aged 14+
(51.5%) read print magazines, virtually unchanged on a year ago, according to
the results released today from the Roy Morgan Australian Readership report
for the 12 months to March 2022. This market broadens to 14.8 million
Australians aged 14+ (70%) who read magazines in print or online either via
the web or an app, a small drop of 3.7 per cent from a year ago. These are
the latest findings from the Roy Morgan Single Source survey of 65,365
Australians aged 14+ in the 12 months to March 2022. (Roy Morgan) May 24 2022 MULTICOUNTRY STUDIES 52% Globally Say Cycling In Their
Area Is Too Dangerous, A 28 Country Survey A new Ipsos survey finds that most
adults across 28 countries consider cycling plays an important role in the
reduction of carbon emissions (on average, 86% do so) and in the
reduction of traffic (80%). However, half (52%) say cycling in their
area is too dangerous. The prevalence of cycling to run errands or to
commute is highest in countries where it is most widely perceived as a safe
mode of transportation such as China, Japan, and the Netherlands. In most
countries surveyed, a solid majority of citizens are in favor of giving
bicycles priority over automobiles in new infrastructure projects. (Ipsos MORI) 24 May 2022 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/global-advisor-cycling-across-the-world-2022 Globally, About Half Of Adults
Across 29 Countries Say They Are Familiar With The Metaverse (52%) Less than half the Australian population
(44%) are familiar with the metaverse, while only 36% express positive
feelings about engaging with extended reality in daily life, a new global
survey conducted by Ipsos for the World Economic Forum finds. Globally, about
half of adults across 29 countries say they are familiar with the metaverse
(52%) and 50% have positive feelings about engaging with it. (Ipsos Australia) 25 May 2022 In A Study Carried Out In 28 Countries, Consumers Are Asked
What Products They Intend To Buy In The Next 12
Months YouGov's latest tool, Global Profiles,
reveals the products consumers say they most intend to buy in the next 12
months. Global Profiles analyzes the thoughts, feelings, behaviors and habits of consumers, as well as global
trends and media consumption in 43 different markets. In this study, carried
out in 28 countries from among all the markets surveyed in Global Profiles,
consumers are asked what products they intend to buy in the next 12 months. The
data indicates that the sector should stock up on mobile phones, as the
highest percentage of consumers selected this category as the product they are most interested in buying (37%). (YouGov Spain) Source: https://es.yougov.com/news/2022/05/25/global-que-probabilidad-tienen-los-consumidores-de/ Re-Thinking The Drivers Of Regular
And Irregular Migration: Evidence From The MENA Region Across 12 Countries Based on data from the Arab Barometer,
which has conducted international standard social scientific surveys across
the Middle East and North Africa every two years since 2006 with sample sizes
of around 2400 per country based on area probability sampling and
face-to-face interviews. Uniquely, the penultimate, 2018/19 round of surveys
asked not only about desire to migrate but also about willingness to do so
irregularly, as well as a range of socio-demographic, attitudinal and
behavioral indicators. (Arabbarometer) May 26, 2022 Regarding Choice Of Holiday During
Most Recent Trip, Just Over A Third Of Global Respondents Choose Low Cost As
A Contributing Factor (31%) Among 24 Countries Data from YouGov's new tool, Global
Profiles, reveals the factors consumers take into account
when choosing a holiday destination. Individually, most Asian markets
outperform the global public. Indonesia (57%), Malaysia (54%), the
Philippines (50%) and Singapore (47%) are significantly more likely than
global consumers to say that low cost is an important factor. Consumers
from Vietnam (38%) and Japan (35%) have a lower percentage, but still more
than the global public. (YouGov Spain) Source: https://es.yougov.com/news/2022/05/26/global-en-que-medida-influye-el-coste-en-el-destin/ ASIA
744-43-01/Polls 4 In 5 (80%) Islamabadis Believe That The Federal Capital Is In Need Of A Good
Transport System
According to a survey conducted by Gallup
& Gilani Pakistan, 4 in 5 (80%) Islamabadis believe that the federal
capital is in need of a good transport system. A
full report on the survey can be found here. A nationally representative
sample of adult men and women from across the capital was asked the following
question, “Does Islamabad require a good public transport system?” In
response to this question, 80% said yes and 20% said no.
Gender Breakdown More males (44%) compared
to females (27%) believe that the federal capital is in
need of a good public transport system.
(Gallup Pakistan) May 26, 2022 Source: https://gallup.com.pk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/26-May-2022-English-2.pdf 744-43-02/Polls Nine In Ten S’pore Adults Still Wear A Mask Outdoors, Despite No Longer Being
Mandated To
Singapore saw its most significant easing
of safe management measures in end-April as caps on group sizes, capacity limits, and
mandates on wearing a mask outdoors were removed, among others. While people in Singapore
no longer have to wear a mask outdoors, nine in ten
continue to (93%), with Gen Zs (98%) and Baby Boomers (97%) most likely to do
so. Conversely, Millennials were most likely to say they never wear a mask
when outdoors (11%). A closer look at the frequency of outdoor
mask-wearing indicates that the largest proportion of Singapore adults say
they wear a mask outdoors all the time (49%), with Baby Boomers significantly
more likely to say so (58%). A fewer one in five Singapore residents say they
sometimes (20%) or often wear a mask outdoors (24%).
Protecting oneself from illness and germs
was the top reason for continuing to wear a mask outdoors among the general
population (68%) and all age groups. Around half also felt that doing so was
the most convenient way to travel between outdoor and indoor settings (52%),
since masks are still required when indoors. Protecting others from germs was
the third most popular reason cited for wearing a mask outdoors despite it
not being compulsory (43%). Just under four in five say they continue
to wear their masks because they have become used to doing so (37%). Gen Zs
were most likely to express this opinion, with almost half feeling this way
(48%). Gen Zs were also most likely to say they do
not remove their masks to not get judged by those who are wearing them, with
a quarter saying so (25%) compared to a fewer one in ten of the general population
(12%).
As for when residents will feel comfortable
removing their masks outdoors all the time, majority said they would only do
so once they feel it is safe (59%). Almost three in ten said they would make
the change if the rules making mask-wearing indoors compulsory are removed
(28%). A further one in seven would always remove
their mask outdoors when those around them do the same (15%), or when the
daily case count falls below 1,000 for four weeks (13%), while another
seventh say they will never change their mask-wearing behaviour (15%). One in twenty already feel safe removing
their masks outdoors, but do not do it all the time (6%).
(YouGov Singapore) May 27, 2022 Source: https://sg.yougov.com/en-sg/news/2022/05/27/nine-ten-spore-adults-still-wear-mask-outdoors-des/ AFRICA
744-43-03/Polls Almost 7 In 10 Nigerians Describe The Current State Of Security In The Country
As Dreadful
A new public opinion poll conducted by
NOIPolls has revealed that 68 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide have
described the current state of security in the country as insecure. This is
not far-fetched as the country has been besieged with all kinds of security
challenges ranging from kidnapping, banditry, herdsmen attack, terrorism, and
the activities of separatists’ movements. Additionally, analysis across
geo-political zones showed that the South-East (78 percent) and the
North-West (75 percent) zones had the larger proportion of adult Nigerians
who made this assertion. Further findings revealed the most common
security challenges faced in each region. For instance, Nigerians residing in
the North-West mostly complained of kidnapping (32 percent) and armed
banditry (17 percent), terrorism (21 percent) in the North-East, and herdsmen
and farmer’s (20 percent) clash in the North-Central. Also, ritual killings
(8 percent) in the South-West, armed robbery in the South-East and
South-South amongst numerous security challenges. More so, the Poll revealed that 77 percent
of adult Nigerians do not know any security helpline they can call during an
emergency. This implies that most Nigerians may not be able to report any
emergency security issue when the need arises. Therefore, this urges the
security agencies to make sure citizens can report ongoing emergency
situations, emphasizing the need for this all-important mechanism to be put
in place to ensure effective feedback mechanisms between Nigerians and security
agencies. During this survey, most of the respondents
complained of not remembering the eleven digits security mobile numbers
provided by the Nigerian Police and advocated on the spot that the Nigerian
Police should have a three (3) digits number for Nigerians to call.
Information technology (IT) plays a critical role in strengthening security
against potential future attacks hence, it is vital for Nigerian security
operatives to strategize with relevant stakeholders and adopt the use of 3
digits security helpline. This will enable Nigerians share information more
readily as soon as they identify potential threats. Interestingly, a significant proportion of
Nigerians (84 percent) disclosed that they are willing to report any security
challenge in their localities mainly to save lives and properties (54
percent). It is, therefore, advised that security agencies synergize with
citizens for effective communication between them and the citizenry to
systematically improve on the security challenges currently ravelling the
country as information from the locals can go a long way in preventing
security threats. These are key findings from the State of Security Poll
conducted by NOIPolls in the week commencing 9th May 2022. Survey Background The menace of insecurity has continued to
rear its ugly head in our country Nigeria, causing loss of lives, destruction
of properties, instilling the undesirable element of fear and trepidation
amongst the populace. The insecurity situation in Nigeria today is arguably
the worst since after the civil war and has continued to rise unabated
despite government intervention in terms of spending trillions of Naira in
fighting insecurity. The insecurity in Nigeria is multi-faceted and has
manifested itself in many forms. From banditry and kidnapping in the
North-West, terrorism in the North-East, herdsmen crisis in the
North-Central, pipeline vandalism in the South-South to separatist agitations
occurring in SouthWestern and South-East regions. It is estimated that a staggering 8,372 people
have died due to insecurity challenges in 2021 alone which include banditry,
kidnapping, herdsmen attack, separatist movement activities and terrorism
related activities.[1] Many Nigerians are nurturing
different degrees of injuries as a resultant effect of the menace of
insecurity with some people incapacitated for life. It is estimated that the
North has the highest fatality percentage put at 79.2 percent while the South
has 20.8 percent[2]. The major cause of insecurity can be
attributed to the high rate of unemployment in the country which has left the
idle youths as susceptible and willing tools in the hands of the perpetrators
who use them to cause mayhem on ordinary but unsuspecting Nigerians.[3] Other causes include indoctrination,
brainwashing, substance abuse amongst other vices. The provision of
employment to graduates and their counterparts through creating empowerment
opportunities is very significant in curbing this menace while constant
electricity supply will no doubt boost employment and increase productivity
as well. Government must also adopt a multi-stakeholder approach to solving
security challenges in the country where traditional and community leaders,
pressure groups, civil society organizations, academics, media personnel, and
security experts will have synergy in areas of intelligence gathering,
information sharing, and early warning signals in matters related to security
around their communities. To that effect, there is a need for the
establishment of community policing within each divisional Police
headquarters for effective management of insecurity[4]. Against this background, NOIPolls
conducted this survey to feel the pulse of Nigerians regarding the current
security challenges in the country. Survey Findings The first question sought to gauge the
perception of adult Nigerians with regards to the current security realities.
The result revealed that 68 percent of Nigerians disclosed that the country
is not secure. Nigerians residing in the South-East zone (70 percent) had
more respondents who made this assertion. Trend analysis shows a 21 percent increase
in the proportion of Nigerians who stated that the country is not secure at
all when current findings are compared with result obtained in 2020.
Similarly, respondents were asked to
describe security situation in their locality and the poll result revealed
that 45 percent of respondents described the current security situation in
their locality as insecure. Nigerians from the NorthCentral zone (56 percent)
account for the highest number of respondents who stated this.
Trend analysis indicates an 8 percent
increase in the number of Nigerians who mentioned that the current security
situation in their respective locality is not at all secure when current
findings are compared with the result obtained in 2020.
The poll sought to know the common security
challenges in the respondents’ localities and the poll result revealed that
armed robbery and kidnapping both tied at 24 percent as the main security
challenge in localities in Nigeria with the South-South region (38 percent)
leading with the challenge of armed robbery, while the North Central region
(36 percent) is leading in terms of kidnapping. Other security challenges
include herdsmen and farmers clashes and armed banditry tied at (8 percent)
with the North-West region (17 percent) leading in this regard.
Additionally, the poll sought to know if
Nigerians are aware of any security helpline to call in terms of emergency,
and the poll result revealed that only 23 percent of Nigerians are aware of
the security helpline during emergencies whereas 77 percent of Nigerians
stated otherwise. This needs to be corrected as having knowledge of the
security helpline would go a long way in reporting some security
challenges.
Interestingly, the poll revealed that an
overwhelming proportion of the respondents disclosed that they are willing to
report any security challenges within their locality. This is heart-warming
and it is advised that security agencies synergies with the locals especially
for security threat reports and information from the locals.
Respondents were further probed and out of
the 84 percent who mentioned that they were willing to report security
threats in their localities, slightly more than half of them (54 percent)
stated that they would do so to save and secure lives of other people. Other
reasons given includes to make quick arrest of the culprits (8 percent), to
ensure that there is peace (7 percent) and improve the security situation (7
percent) amongst other reasons.
Correspondingly, respondents who stated
that they are not willing to report security challenges in their locality
were asked to give reasons for their opinion. The poll result revealed that
30 percent stated that they will not report because of fear of being
implicated while 18 percent stated that they will not report because security
officers do not respond in time when they are called upon. Other reasons
include calling them will worsen the situation (9 percent), personal reasons,
no security challenges in my area and security operatives cannot be trusted,
and they all tied at 8 percent.
With regards to solution, 37 percent of the
respondents suggested that the government should train and increase security
operatives in all states of the country. While 13 percent recommended that
unemployment issues be tackled, 10 percent want the government to intervene
appropriately amongst other useful solutions.
Conclusion In conclusion, the poll results have
established that most Nigerians disclosed that the country is currently not
secure. It is gratifying to note that most adult Nigerians nationwide (84 percent)
stated that they are willing to report any security threat in their
respective localities. However, it is sad to know that 77 percent do not know
the security helplines to call during emergencies. This is a wake-up call for
security agencies to adopt a three-digit number as helpline for Nigerians to
call during security emergency. This will further improve and ensure
effective feedback mechanisms between the citizens and security agencies.
Finally, it is advised that security agencies and stakeholders take advantage
of this survey result which has clearly shown the willingness of Nigerians to
report crime in their respective localities. (NOI Polls) May 27, 2022 WEST
EUROPE
744-43-04/Polls 44% Saying They Had Been Forced To Cut Back On Their Clothing Purchases
As the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, a new YouGov survey
reveals how many Britons have been forced to make spending reductions on 24
areas of household spending. Clothing tops the list, with 44% saying they had been forced to cut
back on their clothing purchases since November. This most common form such
cuts take is people reducing their spending by buying clothes less frequently
(29%), although 10% are switching to cheaper alternatives and 8% say they
have been forced to stop spending money on clothes altogether. (These answers in this question are not
mutually exclusive, so do not sum to the overall 44% as some people are
making more than one type of cutback.)
How many people have had to cut back on
food and drink spending because of the cost of living? More indulgent forms of food spending also come close to the top of
the list, with 39% saying they’ve had to cut back on eating out, the same
number saying they have done so for non-essential food items, and 38% no
longer able to spend as much on takeaways. As for alcohol, a quarter of Britons (27%) say they have had to spend
less on booze since November, including 7% who have had to cut it out
entirely for cost reasons. When it comes to staple essential food items, 31% say they’ve been
forced to cut back their spending. This is primarily people switching to
cheaper alternatives (20%), although 11% say they are spending money on food
less frequently now.
How many people have had to cut back on
household essentials spending because of the cost of living? The number of Britons have had to cut back on household essentials
like cleaning products and toilet roll is virtually the same as the number
who have had to cut back on staple foods, both in terms of how many are
affected overall (29%) and how that breaks down in terms of the types of cuts
being made. A quarter of Britons (25%) have had to reduce spending on toiletries
like toothpaste and shampoo, with cutbacks most likely to take the form of
switching to cheaper alternatives (17%). How many people have had to cut back on
beauty spending because of the cost of living? One in four Britons (25%) have also been forced to make cutbacks on
their cosmetics spend, including one in three women (35%) and 15% of men. A similar number of Britons (29%) have also had to reduce spending on
beauty services like hair cuts and manicures, with women again much more
likely to have had to do so as men (38% vs 20%). How many people have had to cut back on
leisure spending because of the cost of living? Aside from the aforementioned 39% of Britons
who have had to cut back on eating out, three in ten Britons have also been
forced to spend less on day trips (31%) and holidays (30%). This includes 11%
who say they’ve had to scrap their holiday plans entirely since November. A further one in five (22%) have been forced to curtail spending on
trips to the cinema, and 24% now have to spend less
on pursuing their hobbies. How many people have had to cut back on
subscriptions because of the cost of living? Many types of subscription spending come low down on the list of
cutbacks, even when you account for the smaller numbers of Britons who are
spending money on them in the first place. One in five Britons (19%) say they have been forced to cut back on
their digital TV subscription – this represents 28% of everyone who has such
a subscription in the first place. A similar 18% have cut back on their mobile phone contract
(representing 20% of those with a mobile phone contract), and 15% have cut
back on their home broadband subscription (16% of all those with a
subscription).* When it comes to streaming, 17% have had to cut back on video
streaming subscriptions and 13% on music streaming subscriptions (equivalent
to 27% and 30% of those with such subscriptions in the first place). Gym memberships have been hit much harder. While only 11% of Britons
overall have said they had to cut back on their gym spending, this represents
42% of those who spent money on gym membership in the first place. How many people have had to cut back on
insurance because of the cost of living? Fewer Britons have felt they have to leave themselves less well
protected as a result of cost of living increase, so
far at least. One in eight Britons (12%) say they’ve had to reduced their spending on home or contents insurance, and
15% say the same of their car insurance. These figures represent 16% and 21%
respectively of those who were spending on these forms of insurance in the
first place. How many people have had to cut back on
petrol and diesel because of the cost of living? One in five Britons appear to be driving less as a
result of the rising cost of living, with 22% saying they have been
forced to do so less frequently. They form the bulk of the 27% of Britons who
have had to reduce spending on petrol and diesel in some way (which itself is
the equivalent to 36% of those who were spending money on fuel in the first
place). (YouGov UK) May 23, 2022 744-43-05/Polls Four In 10 Britons Are Worried About Catching Coronavirus On An Airplane
Can you still fly if you catch Covid? Travel restrictions for all
passengers entering the UK, including passenger locator forms and compulsory
tests, were
lifted on 18 March, but for travellers leaving the UK the rules depend
mostly on the destination country. As with domestic
Covid-19 restrictions, the UK government has moved towards guidance,
rather than legal requirements, hoping that those who come down with Covid
will voluntarily stay home and mask up around other people. YouGov research reveals that most Britons would not take a flight
abroad if they caught Covid before they left the country, despite not being
legally required to – although a third would bring the virus back to the UK
if they contracted it before flying home. Just one in seven Britons (14%) say they would still fly if they had
a trip abroad planned and contracted Covid-19 shortly before they left the
UK, with seven in 10 (69%) saying they would not travel, and 17% unsure.
However, if Britons contracted the virus while on holiday abroad,
they are more split on whether they would fly home. A third of the public
(33%) say they would still fly home if they caught Covid shortly before they
were due to return to the UK, while 41% say they would not travel, and 27%
unsure. Britons aged between 25 and 49 are most likely to say they would
still fly if they caught Covid-19. One in five (20%) would still travel
abroad with the virus, while two in five (40%) would fly home with it. In
contrast, just 5% of Britons aged 65 and older would still take a trip abroad
if they contracted the virus, while 20% would return home on a plane if they
came down with Covid. Britons are more worried about catching
Covid-19 on an airplane than at the shops or at restaurants and cafes Several major UK carriers have removed
mask requirements on flights, following the government’s lead on
the ‘living
with covid’ plan. It’s well known that Covid-19 thrives
in enclosed, crowded spaces with little airflow – and what could fit
that description better than a packed plane? Britons are about as worried about contracting Covid-19 on a plane
(41%) as they are about catching it on public transport (38%), and less
worried about catching the virus at restaurants or cafes (26%), or at the
shops (24%). Sporting events and concerts are more of a concern than flights
at 46%.
However, more Britons are unconcerned about the possibility of
catching Covid on a plane (51%) than are worried about it. A third of Britons who plan to fly abroad
this year expect their travel to be disrupted by Covid-19 A perfect storm of rising cases and reduced restrictions caused
chaos in major UK airports over the Easter break as staff absences
due to Covid-19 led to hundreds of cancelled flights. Many Britons feel they are taking a chance in booking a holiday this
year. For those Britons who have made plans to fly abroad for a break this
year, around a third (36%) think Covid-19 disruption is very or somewhat
likely. Half (50%) think their odds are better, considering it not very
likely or not at all likely that the pandemic could upset their plans.
(YouGov UK) May 23, 2022 744-43-06/Polls 59% Of Britons Want Johnson To Resign In Wake Of Gray Report
The much-awaited Sue
Gray report has been published, revealing the details of many
gatherings taking place in Downing Street in contravention to the lockdown
rules in place at the time. Boris Johnson took to the despatch box to accept
responsibility for the report’s findings, including excessive drinking and
disrespect of custodial staff. However, Johnson continues to be stalwart in
the face of ‘partygate' accusations, stating he will "get on with the
job". Few Britons want him to, however, as most Britons continue to think
Johnson should resign (59%). This has changed little from the 57% it was on 4
April, when it was announced Johnson had received a fixed penalty notice.
Three in ten (30%) currently think Johnson should remain in office, the same
as the proportion who thought so in early April.
Despite the report, Johnson continues to hold the support of
Conservative voters, with 63% wanting him to remain in office. However, some
still 27% think their party leader should resign, compared to 25% in early
April. Unsurprisingly, Labour voters continue to be highly in favour of
Johnson’s resignation (88%, versus 87% previously). In a
statement to the House of Commons, Johnson defended his previous
comments about the gatherings, stating he believed them to be work events,
and insisted he did not mislead the House. Few believe his claims and justifications, however. Three quarters of
the public (74%) say they think Johnson knowingly lied about whether or not he broke lockdown rules. Only 13% think the
prime minister was not knowingly lying.
Even Conservative voters do not believe their party leader was being
truthful. Half (51%) currently think Johnson knowingly lied, representing
little change from early April (50%). Despite their support for his
continuation in office, only 29% of Conservative voters think Johnson did not
knowingly lie about his breaches of the COVID-19 lockdown rules. Finally, only a tiny minority think the Gray
report is enough to end Johnson’s premiership, with just 7% thinking it is
likely Johnson will resign in the wake of the report. The
vast majority of the public (83%) instead think he will not – including
35% who think he “definitely will not resign” as a result.
(YouGov UK) May 25, 2022 744-43-07/Polls Public Concern About Inflation Reaches Its Highest Level For 40 Years
The May 2022 Ipsos Issues Index confirms that public concern about
inflation and prices continues to rise. Forty-one per cent of the British public mention cost-of-living
issues as a big concern for the country, up from 32% last month. This is the
highest level of public concern recorded since the Issues Index became a
regular monthly poll in the early eighties, although still behind the peaks
it reached in the 1970s and very beginning of the 1980s. In April 1980, 69%
saw inflation as a big concern, but by the next recorded measure in September
1982 this had fallen to 32%. The wider economy and defence and foreign affairs issues remain the
second- and third-most cited issues this month on similar scores to April:
just over a quarter are worried about the economy (27%) and one in five about
defence (19%). There has been a five-percentage-point increase in concern about a
lack of faith in politicians and politics this month, making it the
fourth-biggest issue for the country with 17% mentioning it. As with last month, both Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic remain
lower on the list of public concerns. Only around one in ten of the public
mention either issue as one of the biggest concerns
for Britain. On eight per cent, COVID-19 ranks as the tenth-biggest issue
alongside immigration, education and petrol prices.
Inflation has become the biggest issue for a wide range of groups; it
is the biggest concern for people of all ages and social grades. Some groups
stand out as especially likely to mention this as a concern: those aged 35-44
(51%) and people who own their home on a mortgage (49%) in
particular are significantly more likely than average to mention
inflation as a worry. Those with higher household incomes are also particularly likely to
mention prices and inflation. Among households with an income over £50,000
per year 48% mention this as an issue, significantly higher than the national
average of 41% (concern among those on lower incomes is around the national
average, at 44% among those earning £25-£50,000 per year and 42% for those
under £25,000).
Mike Clemence, a researcher at Ipsos, said: Concern about inflation is now clearly the
biggest issue facing the country, for people of all ages, social grades and incomes. The proportion worried about the cost
of living this month is the highest level we’ve recorded in more than 40
years of the Index. Against this backdrop other issues appear
to have less traction – and we know that the public expects prices to
continue to rise and are already changing their behaviours in response, so
the focus on the cost of living crisis is unlikely
to go away any time soon. (Ipsos MORI) 25 May 2022 744-43-08/Polls One In Five Britons Now Say They Are Struggling Or Unable To Make Ends Meet
With the rising cost of living continuing to dominate the list
of people’s concerns, the government is set to announce a raft of
measures aimed at easing Britons’ financial burden. A new YouGov survey reveals the extent of the damage to people’s
finances, with the number of people saying they are struggling or unable to
make ends meet doubling in the last year. One in six Britons (17%) say of their household financial situation:
“I can only just afford my costs and often struggle to make ends meet”. This
figure has risen from 11% in mid-May 2021. A further 5% say “I cannot afford my costs, and often have to go
without essentials like food and heating”, a figure that was 1% last year. One in three Britons (37%) describe their financial situation as “I
do not often have money for luxuries, but can normally comfortably cover the
essentials”, while an identical figure say they are either “relatively” or
“very” comfortable financially.
While most Britons don’t consider themselves to have moved between
these semantic financial categories, they nevertheless report that their
situation is getting worse. Half of Britons (50%) say their household financial situation has
deteriorated in the last month, while 41% say there has been no change. Only
4% say things have improved for them. More still expect their finances to get worse in the next year (60%),
with just 21% expecting to tread water, and 7% thinking they will get better.
Some have
suggested that the government’s decision to introduce the cost of
living measures is a cynical attempt to distract people from the latest
developments in the ‘partygate’ saga. Regardless of whether this is true, if
the government wants to win the next election it would do well to recognise
that its own voters are being hammered by the cost of
living crisis. Half of 2019 Conservative voters (48%) say their finances have become
worse in the last month, and 60% expect them to deteriorate in the next 12
months. Labour voters are faring worse still, with 57% saying they got worse
last month and 64% expecting them to fall further over the next year. The number of Tories saying they are struggling or failing to make
ends meet has also increased from 11% a year ago to 16% now. Among Labour
voters, this figure has doubled from 13% to 26%. (YouGov UK) May 26, 2022 744-43-09/Polls Less Than Half (45%) Of Teachers Would Enter The Profession If Given The Choice Again
Figures from the University of Essex
Institute for Social and Economic Research show the number of male teachers
has fallen
to its lowest point on record. Low recruitment and poor retention of
existing teachers has been partly blamed on pay, with staff suffering a
15% real-term pay cut since 2010. This all follows the stresses and
increased workload brought on during
the pandemic. It may be unsurprising then, that a new
YouGov survey of teachers suggests many may be feeling disillusioned with
their career choice. Fewer than half (45%) say that if they
could choose again, they would still choose to become teachers. Two in five
(40%) would not choose to become a teacher again.
The youngest and the oldest teachers are
the happiest with their choice of career, being the most likely to say they
would repeat it. Half of teachers aged 18 to 34 (51%) and 62% of those aged
55 and above say they would make the same choice to teach again. Teachers aged 35 to 44 are split 40% to 43%
over whether they would become teachers again or not. Those aged 45 to 54 are
the least likely to say they would still choose to become a teacher, at 35%,
compared to nearly half (48%) who say they would not. Teachers would generally discourage others
from entering the profession Not only would many teachers opt-out if
given the choice again, but they would also discourage others from going into
teaching, by 45% to 20% who would encourage it. One in three (32%) neither
encourage nor dissuade someone from considering joining the profession.
Among those who would not choose to become
a teacher again, the vast majority (82%) say they would attempt to dissuade
others from a career in teaching. Only 2% say they would encourage others to
teach. However, even among those who would choose
to teach again, only 40% would encourage others to do so, while 15% would
actively discourage them from following in their footsteps. Another four in
ten (42%) would neither encourage nor discourage them from doing so. Nearly a quarter of young teachers doubt
they will be teaching in five years Given pandemic stress and stagnated wages,
are teachers considering throwing in the towel? Just under six in ten (58%) say they will
likely be teaching in five years, although only 23% think that it is
"very likely" they will remain in the profession. A third (33%) say
it is unlikely they will still be teaching in five years, including 14% who
think it "very unlikely".
Approaching a quarter of the youngest
teachers (24% of those aged 18-34) say it is unlikely they will be teaching
in five years, with 35 to 44 similarly likely to consider quitting (26%). Of those aged 45 to 54, only 51% expect to
continue teaching for another five years, with 40% expecting not to. Among those teachers who would not choose a
career in teaching again, only 40% expect they will still be teaching in five
years, while 52% think it is unlikely they will be. (YouGov UK) May 27, 2022 744-43-10/Polls Half Of Britons Believe Prince Charles Will Be A Good King, Even As Two-Thirds Want The
Queen To Remain Monarch For As Long As Possible
As the Prince of Wales takes on more roles, such as reading the
Queen’s Speech at the opening of State Parliament, new research by Ipsos
shows half of Britons expect Prince Charles to do a good job as King (49%),
while 1 in 5 do not (20%). This is similar to
the public’s views earlier this year in March.
While Britons are more likely to expect good things from the heir
than not, expectations for Prince William are even higher. Three-quarters
believe the second in-line to the throne will be a successful monarch (74%),
only 7% think he will do a bad job. Despite favourable ratings for Prince Charles and Prince William,
most are in no rush to see any change of monarch. Two-thirds (66%) say the
Queen should remain in her position for as long as possible while only 23%
believe she should abdicate. Overall, Britons are more likely to say the
Queen has had a positive impact on the country than a bad one. Almost half
(46%) say Britain is better since the Queen came to the throne compared to
20% who say it is the same and 23% who believe it is worse.
Looking ahead to the reign of King Charles III, what do Britons expect
him to achieve if he does take the throne? Seven in 10 (68%) say he is likely
to use his position to raise the awareness of climate change and the need to
fight it, including 36% who say he is very likely to do so. Over half (55%)
say he is likely to become Head of State in the 15 Commonwealth countries
where the Queen currently holds this position (including the UK), around a
quarter believe this is unlikely (27%).
Regarding the monarchy itself, almost half (45%) believe he is likely
to reduce the number of active members of the Royal Family, however opinion
is split on this with 38% who say he is unlikely to do so. Similarly, Britons
are divided as to whether Prince Charles is likely to modernise the monarchy,
43% believe this is probable while 45% do not. Around 4 in 10 (40%) say he is likely to reduce the cost of the
monarchy, 43% disagree. This could be an increasingly important achievement
in the eyes of the British public. With the ongoing cost of living crisis,
opinion is now split as to whether the Royal Family is an expensive luxury
that the country cannot afford. Around 4 in 10 (38%) say this is the case
while 36% disagree. Almost a quarter (23%) neither agree nor disagree.
There is a clear age difference on this question – 18-34
year olds are more likely to agree than disagree that the Royal Family
is an expensive luxury (by 48% to 22%), but this position is reversed among
55-75 year olds who disagree by a similar margin (53% to 22%). Kelly Beaver, Chief Executive at Ipsos in
the UK, said: It is promising to see Britons more
confident than not that Prince Charles will do a good job as King, and that
hopes are even higher for his son Prince William, even while a majority hope
the Queen will remain in place for as long as possible. There is also
clearly an expectation that Charles will use his position to increase
awareness of climate change. However, with opinion split as to whether
the country can afford the Royal Family – particularly amongst young people –
there are other issues that may be more of a test for
the Prince of Wales, particularly whether he will be able to modernise the
Royal Family, and demonstrate to the public that it is carrying out its
duties as cost-effectively as possible. (Ipsos MORI) 27 May 2022 744-43-11/Polls Cryptocurrencies And NFTs: What Do The Spanish Think
Cryptocurrencies and NFT's attract more and more Spaniards, who
decide to learn about and invest in them. A study carried out in May
2022 by YouGov Spain highlights that: Despite the fact that 90% of Spaniards
have ever heard of cryptocurrencies, only 41% claim to know exactly what it
is, and only 12% have already invested in cryptocurrencies. The same
goes for NFTs, with only 16% claiming to know exactly what they are and 6% of
the population have already invested in NFTs. As for the profile of
Spaniards who claim to know precisely what cryptocurrencies and NFTs are, the
majority are men between 18 and 34 years old.
(YouGov Spain) Source: https://es.yougov.com/news/2022/05/27/criptomonedas-y-nfts-que-opinan-los-espanoles/ 744-43-12/Polls Iceland’s Cost Of Living Discount For The Over-60s Boosts Brand Health
Iceland recently announced that, starting from May 24, customers over
the age of 60 would receive a 10% discount on their grocery shopping in the
store every Tuesday. The move is motivated by the concerns older shoppers
have experienced around the cost-of-living crisis – which has
seen energy bills and food prices rise, among other things, in recent months. Mere days after the announcement, the move looks to have been
well-received by the general public. YouGov
BrandIndex shows that, between May 18 (the day
before Iceland made the announcement) and May 21, Buzz scores – which measure
whether people have heard anything positive or negative about a brand in the
past two weeks and nets the scores – doubled from 3.2 to 7.2 (+4). This
improved overall sentiment towards Iceland: Impression scores rose from 16.3
to 25.2 (+8.9), and the metric tracking consumer recommendations jumped from
9.0 to 15.6 (+6.6).
For Iceland customers, the discount has improved overall happiness
with the brand: Satisfaction scores saw an increase of 8.4 points, going from
19.3 to 27.7. And whether people are Iceland customers or not, they’re more
likely to think about picking up their groceries from the budget chain:
Consideration scores, which ask consumers which brands they’d shop from out
of a list of supermarkets, leapt from 13.3 to 22.7 (+9.4). Index scores, a
measure of overall brand health, saw a six-point rise from 10.1 to 16.5
(+6.4). Discounts tend to go down well even at the best of times, and in
terms of domestic finances, these are among the worst: YouGov/CEBR’s regular
consumer confidence tracker shows that public optimism around household’s
future financial situation is at an all-time low. Iceland’s intervention is a timely
intervention for older consumers who may struggle to keep up with rising
costs – and a potential PR coup for a brand that’s already closely identified
with lower grocery prices. (YouGov UK) May 27, 2022 NORTH
AMERICA
744-43-13/Polls Americans Knowledge About International Affairs
Americans know a great deal about certain global leaders and
institutions. For example, nearly eight-in-ten U.S. adults can look at a
photo of Kim Jong Un and correctly identify him as the leader of North Korea,
and nearly two-thirds know that Boris Johnson is the current prime minister
of the United Kingdom. A slim majority also know that Ukraine is not a member
of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). However, as a new Pew Research Center survey shows, Americans are
less familiar with other topics. Despite the U.S.
government labeling the events in Xinjiang, China, as genocide, only
around one-in-five Americans are aware that it is the region in China with
the most Muslims per capita. And only 41% can identify the flag of the second
most populous country in the world, India.
On average, Americans give more correct than incorrect answers to the
12 questions in the study. The mean number of correct answers is 6.3, while
the median is 7. But the survey finds that levels of international knowledge
vary based on who is answering. Americans with more education tend to score
higher, for example, than those with less formal education. Men also tend to
get more questions correct than women. Older Americans and those who are more
interested in foreign policy also tend to perform better. Political party groups are roughly similar in their overall levels of
international knowledge, although conservative Republicans and liberal
Democrats tend to score higher on the scale than do their more moderate
counterparts. International knowledge is also related to people’s general interest
in foreign policy: Those who report being very or somewhat interested in the
topic answer a mean of 7.4 questions correctly, compared with only 4.6
correct questions for those who are not too or not at all interested in
foreign policy. Those who follow international news also tend to have higher
international knowledge than those who are less engaged. Those who have
visited at least one country outside of the United States also score higher
on the international knowledge scale than those who have not traveled abroad,
even after accounting for differences in education and income. Part of the goal of the survey was simply to understand these
factors: what Americans know about international affairs and, more
specifically, how knowledge varies across demographic subgroups. But another
goal of the survey was also to understand how knowledge might affect
attitudes. We find that people who know more about an issue often have different
views about that issue. For example, people who are aware that Ukraine is not
a member of NATO are more likely to have a favorable view of NATO and more
likely to say that the U.S. benefits a great deal from its membership in the
organization relative to those who do not know Ukraine is not a member
nation. This same group is also more likely to have negative views of Russia,
to have no confidence at all in Russian President Vladimir Putin and to
describe Russia as an enemy. Similarly, the survey also finds that those who know the capital of
Afghanistan are more critical of the U.S. withdrawal and how it was handled
than those who do not know the capital. Those who are aware of where the U.S.
Embassy in Israel is located (following the 2018
move) are also more likely to say U.S.-Israel relations are good than
those who do not know. But there are few differences between the 17% of
Americans who know that Xinjiang is the region of China with the most Muslims
per capita and those who do not when it comes to views of China or Chinese
President Xi Jinping. Beyond the issue of how specific knowledge questions are related to
attitudes about that topical area – e.g., how knowledge about NATO is related
to views about NATO – we can also explore, more generally, whether people who
have more international knowledge feel differently about myriad global issues
than those with less international knowledge. To do this, we can use the
entire 12-question scale, breaking people into groups of high (those who
answered 9-12 questions correctly), medium (5-8 questions) and low knowledge
(0-4 questions). Around a third of the American public falls into each of
these three groups, respectively.
Generally speaking, we see that
international knowledge is related to attitudes about a host of issues.
People with higher levels of knowledge have more positive views of the
European Union (EU), NATO and Israel. They also have more confidence in
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron,
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and U.S. President Joe Biden.
When it comes to both Russia and China, though, those with higher
levels of knowledge tend to be more critical. They are more likely to see the
two countries unfavorably, to describe both countries as enemies of the U.S.
and to have little or no confidence in Putin and Xi. And, whereas Americans
overall are equally likely to describe China and the U.S. as the
world’s top economy, people with high levels of international knowledge are
significantly more likely than those with less knowledge to say the U.S. is
the world’s leading economic power – mirroring the gross
domestic product assessments compiled by the International Monetary
Fund. These are among the key findings of a new survey conducted by Pew
Research Center on the Center’s nationally representative American Trends
Panel among 3,581 adults from March 21 to 27, 2022. The survey also finds
that when it comes to the four questions that we have previously asked,
Americans’ level of international knowledge is similar – or higher – than it
was in the past.1 In
the case of identifying the leader of North Korea or the euro currency
symbol, American knowledge has not changed significantly since the questions
were last asked in 2015 and 2013, respectively. But when it comes to
identifying the U.S. secretary of state, more can identify Secretary Antony
Blinken (51%) than could identify Secretary Rex Tillerson (44%) in June 2017.2 More
Americans are also able to identify the British prime minister now (65%) than
were able to do so in 2017 (56%) – though this most recent survey was
conducted following a scandal that kept Johnson in
the news. International knowledge varies markedly
across demographic groups Americans with more education tend to score higher on the
international knowledge scale compared with those with less education.
College graduates get an average of 8.0 out of 12 international knowledge
questions right, including around half (49%) who get at least nine of the 12
correct. Within this group, people who have a postgraduate degree do
especially well, averaging 8.2 questions correct, including 55% who get at
least nine questions right. Scores are lower among Americans with less education. Among people
who have some college experience, the average number of correct answers is
6.3. Those who have a high school diploma or less education get 5.0 questions
right, on average. These large education differences are consistent with past
Center surveys on science
knowledge and religious
knowledge.
Men tend to perform better on the
international knowledge scale than women Overall, men tend to score higher on the knowledge scale than women.
On average, men answer 7.3 questions correctly out of 12, compared with an
average of 5.4 correct answers for women. In fact, for each of the 12
questions individually, a higher share of men than women answer correctly.
This mirrors previous findings for both scientific
knowledge and religious
knowledge in which men tended to score higher than women. Multiple studies have
found that men
are more likely than women to guess on knowledge questions, even if
they don’t know the answer. If given the option, women
are often more likely than men to say they don’t know. Indeed, on each of
the 12 items tested in this survey, women are more likely than men to say
they are not sure of the correct answer. On only four questions are women
more likely to give an incorrect answer.
While men are more likely than women to answer each item correctly,
this gap is larger on some questions than others. The largest gap between men
and women is identifying the predecessor of the USMCA trade agreement. Nearly
three-in-four men correctly answer NAFTA, compared with 44% of women. About
half (52%) of women say they are not sure which trade agreement preceded the
USMCA. Older Americans have higher levels of
international knowledge than younger ones Overall, compared with younger Americans, older Americans – those
ages 65 and older – perform best on the international knowledge scale,
averaging 6.7 questions correctly relative to 6.2 for those ages 50 to 64,
6.4 for those 30 to 49, and 5.8 for those under 30. Around a third of this
oldest age group answers at least nine of the 12 questions correctly, placing
them in the “high” knowledge category, while only around a quarter of the
youngest age group falls into the same group. Across nearly all of the 12 questions, older
adults are more likely than younger adults to answer them correctly. The gap
is largest when it comes to three specific questions: current location of the
U.S. embassy in Israel, prime minister of the UK and secretary of state of
the U.S. In all three cases, the oldest age group is more than 20 percentage
points more likely to answer correctly than the youngest group. But there are
also three questions where younger adults noticeably outperform their older
counterparts. Two of them are questions that relate to pictures: one
identifying the euro symbol and the other identifying the Indian flag.
Younger adults are also more likely to correctly identify the region of China
with the highest per capita Muslim population. While younger people are somewhat more likely to say they are not
sure when it comes to six of the questions, they are also more likely to give incorrect
answers for seven of the 12 questions. For example, when it comes to
identifying the current U.S. secretary of state, 51% of those under age 30
said they were not sure, compared with 37% of those 30 to 49 and around
three-in-ten or fewer of those ages 50 and older. But this youngest age group
is also more likely
to be wrong: 19% chose an incorrect multiple-choice answer from the list
provided, while only 10% of those ages 65 and older chose an incorrect
answer.
International knowledge highest at ends of
the political spectrum
Republicans and Democrats have roughly the same levels of
international knowledge. On the 12-point scale, Republicans and
Republican-leaning independents answer an average of 6.5 questions correctly,
while Democrats and Democratic leaners get an average of 6.4 right. There are, however, a few questions where members of one party
perform markedly better than the other. More Republicans and GOP leaners know
that the
USMCA trade agreement replaced NAFTA and that the
U.S. Embassy in Israel moved to Jerusalem in 2018 – both changes
made under former U.S. President Donald Trump and pillars of his
international policy. Republicans are also more likely to know the capital of
Afghanistan. On the other hand, Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents
are more likely to correctly identify the flag of India and the euro symbol.
Generally, though, there are greater differences within parties than between them. Those at the ends of
the political spectrum – conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats –
score more than a point higher, on average, than the more moderate groups.
While these groups both tend to be more likely to follow international news
and interested in foreign affairs, this difference in knowledge persists even
after statistically controlling for these factors. Liberal Democrats answer
all but one of the 12 questions correctly at a higher rate than conservative
and moderate Democrats. The same is true for conservative Republicans
relative to liberal and moderate Republicans on three-quarters of the scale
items. These patterns are largely
consistent with measures of scientific knowledge conducted by the
Center. International engagement tied to higher
international knowledge Perhaps unsurprisingly, Americans who are more internationally
engaged on a variety of fronts are more likely to have higher international
knowledge than Americans who are not as engaged. For example, Americans who
say they follow international news very or somewhat closely answer an average
of 7.3 questions correctly; Americans who follow international news less
closely answer only 5.2 questions correctly, on average. Only when it comes
to identifying the flag of India are those who follow international news
closely and those who do not equally likely to answer correctly. Following
international news is a significant factor in international knowledge even
after controlling for education and other key demographics including age, race and gender.
Interest in foreign policy also plays a part in international
knowledge. Those who say they are very or somewhat interested in foreign
policy answer a mean of 7.4 questions correctly, compared with only 4.6
correct questions for those who are not too or not at all interested in
foreign policy. In some cases, the difference between those who are
interested in foreign policy and those who are not can be quite large. On the
question of which trade agreement the USMCA
replaced, 72% of those interested in foreign policy correctly answer NAFTA,
while only 37% of those not interested in foreign policy are able to identify
the correct answer. Once again, interest in foreign policy remains a
significant factor in international knowledge even after controlling for
education.3 These differences don’t just extend to hypothetical interest.
Americans who have visited at least one other country outside of the U.S.
answer an average of 7.1 questions correctly, compared with an average score
of 4.3 correct for those who have never visited another country. And while
international travel is associated with more education and higher incomes,
this gap is significant even when controlling for those factors. International knowledge and attitudes about
foreign countries and leaders Based on the individual performance of the 12 international knowledge
questions, we are able to divide people into three
roughly equal groups: those who answered at least nine of the 12 questions
correctly (31%) are termed “high” knowledge; those who answered five to eight
questions correctly (37%) or the “medium” knowledge group; and those who
answered fewer than five questions correctly (32%) or the “low” knowledge
group.
Performance on the international knowledge scale relates to views of
other countries and multinational entities. Those who have a high score on
the knowledge scale are more likely than those with a low score to hold favorable
views of the EU, NATO and Israel. For example, 73%
of those who answer at least nine of 12 questions correctly hold a favorable
view of NATO, compared with 58% of those who answer four or fewer questions
correctly. However, knowledge is not related to views of the United Nations:
Those with high levels of international knowledge are as likely to feel
favorable toward the UN as those with low levels of international knowledge. Americans who score better on the international knowledge scale
differ in their assessments of countries’ place in the world. High scorers
are 37 percentage points more likely than those who have a low score to say
China’s influence in the world in recent years has been increasing. They are
also significantly more likely to say India and Germany’s influence has been
growing stronger. Conversely, they are 10 points less likely than Americans
who answered four or fewer questions correctly to say the United States’
influence in the world has increased. Evaluations of world leaders similarly differ by performance on the
international knowledge scale. Confidence in Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is
higher among Americans who answer at least nine questions correctly, compared
with those with four or fewer correct responses. The same relationship holds
for views of German Chancellor Scholz, French President Macron and U.S.
President Biden. High scores on the knowledge scale relate to more critical
evaluations of Russia. While a majority of Americans
see Russia very unfavorably,
those with a high level of knowledge are 10 points more likely than those
with low knowledge to have a very negative view of the country. These
unfavorable views are reflected in how Americans see Russia’s relationship
with the U.S.: Americans who score highly on the international knowledge
scale are more likely than those who have a low score to consider Russia an
enemy. They are also more likely to say Russia’s influence in the world has
been getting weaker in recent years. While 30% of those with low knowledge
say Russia’s international influence is waning, 42% of those with high
knowledge hold this opinion. Attitudes toward Russia’s leader show the same pattern.
Majorities across all groups say they have no confidence at all in Russian
President Putin, but those with higher scores are 15 points more likely than
those with four or fewer correct answers to hold this view.
Views of China are
also related to international knowledge. Those who have high levels of
international knowledge are more likely to describe China as an enemy of the
U.S., to say that current U.S.-China relations are bad and to say economic
relations between the two countries are bad. And when it comes to seven
potential issues in the U.S.-China relationship asked about, the low
knowledge group is the least likely to call any one of them a very serious problem. The gap is
particularly large when it comes to tensions between China and Taiwan, which
those in the high knowledge group are 30 points more likely to describe as a
very serious problem than those in the low knowledge group. Americans, overall, are equally likely to describe China and the U.S.
as the world’s leading economy, but people with high international knowledge
are significantly more likely than those with lower levels of knowledge to
describe the U.S. as the top economic power (55% vs. 37%). Notably, this
accords with the actual
size of the two country’s GDP’s, according to IMF estimates. (PEW) MAY 25, 2022 Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2022/05/25/what-do-americans-know-about-international-affairs/ 744-43-14/Polls One-Third Of Americans Say The Best Possible Outcome Between Israel And
The Palestinians Is A Two-State Solution
In recent years, U.S. public opinion has become modestly more
positive toward both sides in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, according to a
new Pew Research Center survey. Overall, Americans continue to express more positive feelings toward
the Israeli people than toward the Palestinian people – and to rate the
Israeli government more favorably than the Palestinian government. But these gaps are much larger among older Americans than among
younger ones. Indeed, U.S. adults under 30 view the Palestinian people at
least as warmly (61% very or somewhat favorable) as the Israeli people (56%)
and rate the Palestinian government as favorably (35%) as the Israeli government
(34%). The new survey, conducted March 7-13 among 10,441 U.S. adults, also
shows that public opinion varies considerably on these questions by political
party. Republicans and those who lean toward the Republican Party express
much more positive views of the Israeli people (78% very or somewhat
favorable) than of the Palestinian people (37%), and they view the Israeli
government far more favorably (66%) than the Palestinian government
(18%).
By contrast, Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents hold about
equally positive views of the Israeli people and Palestinian people (60% and
64% favorable, respectively) and rate Israel’s government on par with the
Palestinian government (34% vs. 37%). Among both Republicans and Democrats, feelings toward the Israeli and
Palestinian governments and the Palestinian people have warmed slightly since
2019, while views of the Israeli people have held steady. Nearly three-quarters of a century after the founding of the modern
state of Israel, the survey finds no clear consensus among Americans about
the best possible outcome of the conflict between Israel and the
Palestinians. About one-third of the public says splitting the land into two
countries – a version of the “two-state solution” long backed by U.S.
diplomacy – would be best (35%). But roughly a quarter (27%) would prefer to
see a single state emerge, in most cases with a government comprised jointly
of Israelis and Palestinians. And more than a third of U.S. adults (37%) say
they are not sure what is the best outcome.
Age is a factor in these opinions: Older Americans are more inclined
than younger ones to say that a two-state solution would be the best possible
outcome of the conflict, while adults under 30 are more likely than their
elders to say they aren’t sure what’s best. Religious affiliation also matters: White evangelical Protestants are
much more likely than members of any other major Christian tradition to say
the best outcome would be a single state with an Israeli government; 28% say
this, compared with 6% each of Catholics, White non-evangelical Protestants
and Black Protestants. Perhaps relatedly, White evangelicals also are the group most likely
to say God gave the land that is now Israel to the Jewish people. Fully 70%
of White evangelicals take that position, more than twice the share of U.S.
Jews who answered a similar (but not identical) question in a 2020
survey by saying God gave the land of Israel to the Jewish people
(32%). The new survey also asked the U.S. public about the boycott,
divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. Relatively
few Americans know about this boycott effort; 84% say they have heard “not
much” or “nothing at all” about it. Just 5% of U.S. adults have heard at
least “some” about BDS and express support for it, including 2% who strongly
support it. The survey was conducted among Americans of all religious
backgrounds, including Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and
Hindus, but it did not obtain enough respondents from non-Christian religious
groups to report separately on their responses. U.S. Jews’ views
toward Israel were explored in depth in Pew Research Center’s report
“Jewish
Americans in 2020” (though that survey did not include a question about
the best possible outcome of the conflict). Americans overall view Israeli people more
favorably than Palestinians Two-thirds of Americans express at least a somewhat favorable view of
the Israeli people, including one-in-five who say they feel very favorably toward the Israelis.
Opinion about the Palestinian people is somewhat cooler: 52% of the public
has a favorable view, and one-in-ten U.S. adults have a very favorable opinion of the
Palestinians.
Republicans and those who lean to the GOP are much more likely to
express a favorable view of the Israeli people (78%) than of the Palestinian
people (37%). Among Democrats and Democratic leaners, on the other hand,
similar shares express favorable views toward both groups (60% and 64%, respectively). Compared with their elders, younger U.S. adults tend to express
cooler views toward the Israeli people and warmer views toward the
Palestinians. For example, 56% of adults under 30 say they feel favorably
toward the Israeli people, compared with 78% among those ages 65 and older.
And a solid majority of those ages 18 to 29 (61%) express favorable views
toward the Palestinians, compared with 46% of those 50 and older. Nearly nine-in-ten White evangelical Protestants have a favorable
view of the Israeli people (86%), including 42% who say they have a very
favorable view. But White evangelical Protestants are among the least likely subgroups to say they
have a favorable view of the Palestinian people (37%). By contrast,
religiously unaffiliated Americans – adults who describe themselves,
religiously, as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” – express
similarly positive views toward both the Israeli people and Palestinian
people (58% and 59%).
Putting these two questions together, a plurality of U.S. adults
(42%) view both the Israeli people and Palestinian people favorably, while
15% express unfavorable views of both groups. An additional quarter see the
Israeli people favorably and the Palestinian people unfavorably, and
one-in-ten view the Palestinian people favorably and the Israeli people
unfavorably. Roughly half of Democrats view both groups favorably, compared with
34% of Republicans. Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to view
the Israeli people favorably and the Palestinian people unfavorably (44% vs.
12%). White evangelical Protestants, a heavily Republican group, are more
likely to view the Israeli people favorably and the Palestinian people
unfavorably than any other combination of responses. Adults under 30 are more inclined than older Americans to view the
Israeli people unfavorably but the Palestinians favorably. When asked about their views of the Israeli government, about half of the U.S.
public (48%) expresses a very or somewhat positive view, compared with 28%
who view the Palestinian government favorably. The survey did not define “Palestinian government” for respondents.
Much of the West Bank continues to be administered by the Palestinian
Authority, under the leadership of Mahmoud Abbas, while Gaza has been
governed by Hamas since 2007. As with views toward the Israeli people, young adults are much less
positive toward the Israeli government than are older Americans. But adults
under 30 have somewhat more favorable views of the Palestinian government now
than they did in 2019.
White evangelical Protestants are the religious group most likely to
express a very or somewhat favorable view of the Israeli government (68%).
Much lower shares of Catholics (50%), White Protestants who are not evangelical
(51%), Black Protestants (43%), and religiously unaffiliated people,
sometimes called “nones,” (31%) say the same. Atheists (a subgroup of the
“nones”) are more likely to express a favorable view of the Palestinian
government (39%) than of the Israeli government (20%).
A third of Americans have an unfavorable view of both the Israeli and
Palestinian governments, while three-in-ten (29%) view the Israeli government
favorably and the Palestinian government unfavorably. About half of Republicans (51%) view the Israeli government favorably
and the Palestinian government unfavorably, while roughly four-in-ten
Democrats (41%) view both governments negatively. Young adults are less inclined than their elders to view the Israeli
government favorably and the Palestinian government
unfavorably. Adults under 30 are also much more likely than those ages 65 and
older to view both governments unfavorably (43% vs. 18%). What is the best outcome of the conflict
between Israel and the Palestinians? For nearly three decades, successive U.S. administrations have
backed, at least in principle, negotiations between Israel and the
Palestinians toward a two-state solution along
the lines envisioned in the 1993 Oslo Accords. However, a long impasse has
led some U.S. officials, as well as some Israelis and Palestinians, to warn
that the vision of two independent states coexisting is in danger
of collapse. For this reason, the survey included a new question asking
Americans which of several broad alternatives they would consider to be the
best outcome of the conflict. About a third of U.S. adults (35%) say the best possible outcome
would be that “the land is split into two countries, one with an Israeli
government and one with a Palestinian government.” A similar share (37%) say
they are unsure what the best outcome would be, while fully one-quarter say
the best solution would be one country – either “governed jointly by Israelis
and Palestinians” (16%) or “with an Israeli government” (10%). Just 2% say
the best outcome would be one country “with a Palestinian government.” Roughly equal shares of Republicans and Democrats (including those
who lean to each party) favor a two-state solution, saying the best solution
is to split the land into two countries with separate governments (34% and
36%, respectively). But Republicans (18%) are far more likely than Democrats
(3%) to say the best outcome would be one country with an Israeli government.
And Democrats (19%) are slightly more likely than Republicans (13%) to favor
an outcome in which a single country would be jointly governed by Israelis
and Palestinians. About four-in-ten Catholics (42%), atheists (43%) and agnostics (40%)
say the best outcome is splitting the land into two countries, one with an
Israeli government and one with a Palestinian government share this
view. At the opposite end of the spectrum, White evangelical Protestants
are the most likely to say that the best possible outcome is one country
(39%), including 28% who say that the best solution would be a single country
with an Israeli government. By contrast, just 6% of other Protestants and
Catholics take that position.
Some Americans’ views toward Israel may be tied to their religious
beliefs. Indeed, 30% of all U.S. adults say God gave the land that is now
Israel to the Jewish people, similar to the share of Jewish
Americans who expressed this view in 2020.1 Others
say that God did not give the land that is now Israel to the Jewish people
(11%); that they do not believe in God (17%); or that they are not sure how
to answer the question (41%).2 Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to say that God gave
the land that is now Israel to the Jewish people (46% vs. 18%). (Previous
surveys also have found that Democrats
are less likely than Republicans to believe in God.) White evangelical Protestants are the U.S. religious group most
inclined to say God gave the land that is now Israel to the Jewish people. A
solid majority of White evangelicals (70%) take this position, compared with
a minority of Black Protestants (36%), White non-evangelical Protestants
(31%) and Catholics (25%). Among White evangelicals, those ages 50 and older
are especially likely to hold this view. Among all survey respondents who believe God gave Israel to the
Jewish people, a quarter (25%) say the best outcome of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict would be a single country with an Israeli
government – well above the 10% of all U.S. adults who favor this
outcome. Among U.S. adults, little familiarity with
– or support for – the BDS movement Relatively few Americans have heard “a lot” (3%) or “some” (12%)
about the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS)
movement against Israel. Three-in-ten say they have not heard much (31%)
about it, and 53% have heard nothing at all about the movement. These
patterns hold across political parties and religious groups, although U.S.
Jews are much
more familiar with BDS. The BDS movement, launched by Palestinian groups in 2005, alleges
that “Israel is occupying and colonizing Palestinian land, discriminating
against Palestinian citizens of Israel and denying Palestinian refugees the
right to return to their homes.” It describes
its mission as working “to end international support for Israel’s
oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international
law” by calling for boycotts of Israeli companies and sporting, cultural and
academic institutions. Critics of BDS, including the U.S. government
under President Donald Trump and the Anti-Defamation
League, have called the movement antisemitic.
Respondents who said they have heard at least “some” about the BDS
movement were asked a follow-up question about whether they support or oppose
it. Overall, 5% of U.S. adults say they support BDS at least “somewhat,”
including 2% who “strongly” support it. An additional 3% neither support nor
oppose the movement, while 6% are opposed to it, including 5% who “strongly”
oppose it. The vast majority of the public (84%) has
not heard much, if anything, about BDS and, therefore, was not asked whether
they support or oppose it. Atheists are especially likely to say they support the BDS movement
(13%, 2% oppose), although most atheists – like Americans in general – have
not heard much, if anything, about it (79%). Conversely, about one-in-ten
White evangelical Protestants (11%) and Republicans (12%) oppose the BDS
movement against Israel, while no more than 2% of people in these groups
support it. BDS has gained
some attention for its activity on college campuses, and adults
under 30 are slightly more likely than older Americans to say they support
the movement – though roughly eight-in-ten have not heard much about it.
(PEW) MAY 26, 2022 744-43-15/Polls Americans' Recent Attitudes Toward Guns
As Americans are reeling from two mass shootings that have occurred
within 10 days of each other in the U.S., an intense gun control debate has
reignited across the country. In the first incident, on May 14 in a Buffalo, New York, grocery
store, 10 Black adults were murdered; and in the second, on May 24 at an
elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, at least 19 children and two adults were
killed. In both cases, the accused murderers were 18-year-old men who used AR-15-style
rifles in the attacks that they reportedly purchased legally. Gallup's most recent polling about guns was conducted in October 2021
and January 2022. Both polls found a slight decrease in support for stricter
gun laws compared with the prior year's measures. Typically, Americans'
support for stricter gun laws has risen in the aftermath of high-profile mass
shootings and fallen during periods without such events. Additionally,
changes in the party of the president may also influence preferences for gun
laws. Here are some key takeaways from recent polling: Support for Stricter Gun Laws:
(Gallup) MAY 26, 2022 Source: https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/393092/americans-recent-attitudes-toward-guns.aspx 744-43-16/Polls Ballot-Box Bonus Likely For Progressive Conservatives As Their Voters
Are Most Certain To Turn Out, Most Committed To Their Choice
The ten-point advantage that the Progressive Conservatives have over
the Liberals in the popular vote has the potential to grow on election day
with the Tories likely to receive a ballot-box bonus at the polls, according
to a new Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Global News. Overall, six in ten (61%) Ontarians say they’re completely certain to
vote on election day. This is close to the 58% turnout of the 2018 provincial
election. Those who have declared their support for the Progressive
Conservatives are most likely (74%) to say they’re certain to vote this time,
ahead of NDP (71%), Liberal (65%) and Green Party (42%) voters. Half (51%) of Ontarians who have chosen which party they will support
say they’re absolutely certain of their vote choice
and won’t change their mind between now and Election Day, with PC voters
(66%) much more likely than Liberal (51%), NDP (36%) and Green Party (19%)
voters to be certain of their choice. This suggests there is some potential
for movement in the last week of the campaign, especially between the NDP and
Liberals as Ontarians who are opposed to the Ford government struggle with
the best option for stopping them. However, the data shows that identifying which party is best
positioned to spoil another Ford victory is proving difficult for opposition
voters: the Liberals (20%), NDP (19%) and Green Party (17%) are all nearly
equally favoured as Ontarians’ second choice, while just 12% would choose to
vote for the PCs as their second choice:
These data show that there is roughly an equal opportunity for
Liberal voters to switch to the NDP (41%) as NDP voters to switch to the
Liberals (42%), meaning either could grow their vote support at the expense
of the other – it’s just not clear which one has the greater advantage
heading into the final week of the campaign. Further, while the Tory support
base is larger and more solid, it has less opportunity to grow from its
current level of vote support but doesn’t need to with their 10-point lead. To give a glimpse into how campaign strategy could affect vote
switching in the final days of the campaign, one can examine voter expectations
for who is likely to win, their motivation for voting, and how this effects
their vote preference:
This is more evidence that the anti-Ford vote has yet to solidify
around either the Liberals or NDP. If this situation persists, the vote
splitting between the progressive parties will benefit the Progressive
Conservatives, and the status quo is likely to prevail. (Ipsos Canada) 26 May 2022 AUSTRALIA
744-43-17/Polls Eight Magazine Categories Enjoy Strong Growth In 2021-22 Led By General Interest, Health & Family,
Motoring And Sports – All With Readership Up Year On Year
14.8 million Australians read magazines in print and online Now 10.9 million Australians aged 14+ (51.5%) read print magazines,
virtually unchanged on a year ago, according to the results released today
from the Roy Morgan Australian Readership report for the 12 months to March
2022. This market broadens to 14.8 million Australians aged 14+ (70%) who
read magazines in print or online either via the web or an app, a small drop
of 3.7 per cent from a year ago. These are the latest findings from the Roy
Morgan Single Source survey of 65,365 Australians aged 14+ in the 12 months
to March 2022. Print readership increased for eight
magazine categories compared to a year ago including for General Interest,
Health & Family, Motoring and Sports There were increases in
readership for around half of the 17 magazine categories over the last year
despite the easing of restrictions allowing Australians to spend their money
more widely in the last few months. There were increases in readership for General Interest magazines,
the second most widely read magazine category, up 0.5 per cent to nearly 4
million, and also Health & Family magazines
which increased by over 28 per cent to a readership of over 1.16 million. The readership of Motoring magazines increased strongly, up over 20
per cent to 900,000, Sports magazines were up nearly 25 per cent to over
460,000 and there were also increases for Fishing, Music & Movies,
Motorcyles and Crafts. Around half the top 25 magazines increased
their print readership over the past year with Better Homes & Gardens and
Australian Women’s Weekly again the most widely read paid magazines The last year was a
good one for Australia’s top 25 most widely read magazines with around half (12 out of 25) increasing their
print readership during 2021/22 compared to a year earlier. Better Homes & Gardens is Australia’s most widely read paid
magazine with print readership of 1,529,000 ahead of the Australian Women’s
Weekly with a print readership of 1,203,000. Better Homes & Gardens and
Australian Women’s Weekly are the only two paid magazines with a readership
of over 1 million. In addition, National Geographic has an impressive print readership
of 820,000 to be Australia’s third most widely read paid magazine ahead of
Taste.com.au Magazine up 27.3 per cent to 789,000 ahead of Woman’s Day with a
readership of 713,000, an increase of 2.0 per cent. Coles magazine & Fresh Ideas are most widely read
while Bunnings magazine is read by 1.5m Australia's two most
widely read free magazines are Coles magazine with a readership of 4,738,000
just ahead of Fresh Ideas (from Woolworths) with a readership of 4,542,000,
up 1.8 per cent. Bunnings magazine is the third most widely read free magazine with a
readership of 1,504,000 ahead of the NRMA’s magazine Open Road (NSW) which
rounds out the top four free magazines with a readership of 1,240,000, up a
large 27.3 per cent on a year ago – the equal largest increase for any of the
top 20 magazines. There were gains in readership for all four of the popular Women’s
competition magazines including That’s Life Mega Monthly, up 7.8 per cent to
554,000, Take 5 Bumper Monthly, up 0.8 per cent to 526,000, Take 5 (Weekly),
up 1 per cent to 490,000 and That’s Life, up 1.7 per cent to 485,000. Other magazines to increase their readership over the past year
included RACQ’s Road Ahead (Qld), up 16.8 per cent to 666,000, Home
Beautiful, up 6 per cent to 334,000 and big gains for both Street Machine, up
57.7 per cent to 298,000 and Men’s Health, up 42.7 per cent to 274,000. Top 25 Magazines by print readership –
March 2022
The five most read categories of magazines
Food & Entertainment magazines number
one with total readership of almost 7 million Food & Entertainment is again Australia's
best performing magazine category and is now read by 6,944,000 Australians,
or 32.8% of the population – almost 3 million ahead of any other category. The free supermarket titles remain the clear leaders in the category
led by Coles magazine with a readership of 4,738,000
just ahead of the second-placed Woolworth’s Fresh Ideas now read by 4,542,000
Australians, up 80,000 (up 1.8 per cent). Taste.com.au magazine was one of the big winners over the last year
and significantly increased its readership, up by 27.3 per cent to a
readership of 789,000 while Eat Well more than doubled its early readership
result and was, up 105.6 per cent to 148,000. Other widely read titles include Delicious, with a readership of
271,000 and Australian Gourmet Traveller now read by 185,000 while another
big improver was Halliday, up by 30.3 per cent to a readership of 43,000. General Interest magazines increase
readership by almost 20,000 to nearly 4 million 3,966,000 Australians,
or 18.7% of the population, read at
least one of the general interest magazines. Of the 15 magazines in the
category, 10 increased their readership from a year ago while only three
decreased and there were two new titles: Escape Magazine and T Australia: The
New York Times Style Magazine. National Geographic was easily the most widely read paid magazine in
the category with a readership of 820,000, ahead of the second-placed
Australian Geographic with a readership of 438,000 and Reader’s Digest
Australia in third with a readership of 386,000. Several magazines recorded large increases in readership in the
category led by Cosmos, up 115.1 per cent to 114,000, Australian Traveller,
up 57 per cent to 168,000, Vacations & Travel, up 15.1 per cent to
145,000, and RM Williams Outback which increased by 6.6 per cent to 243,000. There were also strong performances by several motoring magazines:
Open Road (NSW) read by 1,240,000 (up 27.3 per cent), Road Ahead (Qld) now
read by 666,000 (up 16.8 per cent), Horizons (WA) read by 267,000 (up 15.1
per cent) and SA Motor (SA) read by 215,000 (up 13.2 per cent). For the new magazines in the category the readership numbers were
impressive with Escape Magazine achieving a readership of 257,000 and T
Australia: The New York Times Style Magazine read by 116,000. Home & Garden magazines are in a clear
third place read by over 3.6 million Australians Home & Garden
magazines are now read by 3,635,000 Australians accounting for over
one-in-six Australians. There were four magazines in the category to increase their readership on a year
ago. Australia’s most widely read paid magazine is again Better Homes
& Gardens (BH&G) with a readership of 1,529,000 – over 300,000 more
than any other paid magazine. The second most widely read is the freely available Bunnings magazine
which is now read by 1,504,000 and is the only other magazine in the category
with a readership of over 1 million. Other well-known and widely read magazines in the category include
House & Garden with an impressive readership of 574,000 and and Gardening
Australia with a readership of 429,000. There were several magazines to grow their readership over the last
year led by Home Beautiful, up 6 per cent to a readership of 334,000, Grand
Designs Australia, up 7.5 per cent to 158,000, Belle, up 5.7 per cent to
129,000 and Inside Out, up 7.5 per cent to 115,000. Mass Women’s magazines sees growth for
Woman’s Day, That’s Life and Take 5 Mass Women’s magazines
are now read by 2,663,000 Australians equal to 12.6 per cent of the
population and include five magazines
read by more than 500,000 people – more than any other category. Easily the most widely read magazine in the category is Australian
Women’s Weekly with a readership of 1,203,000. There was an increase in
readership for the second most widely read magazine in the category, Woman’s
Day, up 2 per cent to 713,000. The popular ‘competition-focused’ magazines also saw increases in
readership led by That’s Life Mega Monthly, up 7.8 per cent to 554,000,
That’s Life, up 1.7 per cent to 485,000, Take 5 (Weekly), up 1 per cent to
490,000 and Take 5 Bumper Monthly, up 0.8 per cent to 526,000. Other widely read magazines in the category include New Idea with a
readership of 577,000 and New Idea Royals Monthly with a readership of
221,000. Every magazine in the Health & Family
magazine category increases its readership Overall
the Health & Family magazines readership increased by a substantial 28.4
per cent to 1,161,000 (5.5% of the population). All five of the
continuing magazines in the category
experienced an increase in readership over the last year led by Healthy Food
Guide, up 45.3 per cent to a category leading readership of 250,000. There were other large increases in readership for Women’s Health, up
30.4 per cent to 236,000, Diabetic Living, up 11.7 per cent to 181,000 and
Wellbeing up 37 per cent to 148,000. Readership of Prevention increased 4.5
per cent to 70,000. There was one new magazine in the category, Wellbeing Wild, that
achieved a readership of 48,000. There was growth in several smaller magazine categories with the
Motoring, Sports, Fishing, Music & Movies and Motorcycle categories all
increasing their readership in the 12 months to March 2022. Motoring magazines are
the seventh most widely read magazine category and experienced growth of 20.7
per cent over the past year for an overall readership of 899,000, or 4.2% of
the population with all five of the six magazines in the category increasing
their readership over the past year. The magazines to
increase their readership included Street Machine, up a large 57.7 per cent
to 298,000, 4x4 Australia, up 14.2 per cent to 258,000, Just Cars, up 51.3
per cent to 236,000 and Unique Cars, up 49.6 per cent to 202,000. Another of the widely read magazines in the
category is Wheels, read by 207,000. Sports magazines also
had a good year increasing readership by 24.8 per cent on a year ago to
463,000 on the back of strong performances from two golfing magazines.
Readership of Australian Golf Digest was up 51.4 per cent to 168,000 and
readership of Golf Australia increased 23 per cent to 150,000. Notably, and despite a
heavily disrupted season during 2021, the AFL Record is still the most widely
read magazine in the category with a
readership of 187,000. Fishing magazines have
had a good year with readership in the category increasing 18.1 per cent to
222,000. There were increases for Fishing World, up 22 per cent to 161,000
and Fresh Water Fishing Australia, up 11.8 per cent to 85,000. Other magazines to
perform strongly included Time, up 8.6 per cent to 189,000, New Scientist, up
4.5 per cent to 187,000, The Monthly, up 30.4 per cent to 150,000, Harper’s
Bazaar, up 36.8 per cent to 145,000, Men’s Health, up 42.7 per cent to 274,000,
Rolling Stone up 40.1 per cent to 213,000, Australian Motorcycle News, up
14.1 per cent to 105,000, Dirt Action, up 71 per cent to 53,000, Road Rider,
up 7.3 per cent to 44,000, PC Power Play up 13.6 per cent to 92,000, Quilters
Companion, up 3.2 per cent to 64,000 and Homespun, up 9.8 per cent to 56,000. Are Media’s ‘Now to Love’ digital platform
is read by almost 1.8 million Australians The results for the 12
months to March 2022 for Magazine Publishers are impressive with the 4 week
digital platform audience data showing Are Media’s ‘Now to Love’ website
attracting an audience of almost 1.8 million Australians in an average 4 week
period. Are Media’s ‘Now to Love’ platform allows advertisers to reach their
audience in new ways with innovative online offerings. Many of Are Media’s magazine brands (including Australian Women’s
Weekly, Woman’s Day, Take 5 and TV Week) have
consolidated their online presence on the ‘Now to Love’ platform which adds
incremental reach to already strong print based publications, including
Woman’s Day and Australian Women’s Weekly which both reach cross-platform
audiences of around 3 million readers in an average 4 week period. Other magazines with large cross-platform audiences include News
Corp’s Taste.com.au Magazine with a total audience of over 3.3 million, Are
Media’s Take 5 (weekly) with a total audience of almost 2.5 million, TV Week
with a total audience of around 2.4 million, New Idea with almost 2.2 million
and Better Home & Gardens with well over 2 million readers in an average
4 weeks in the 12 months to March 2022. Top 15 Magazines – Total Cross-Platform
Audience
Full Magazine Total
Cross-Platform Audience results available to view here. Total cross-platform audience includes
print – average issue readership and digital – website visitation and app
usage in an average 4 weeks, except for weekly titles which are in an average
7 days (denoted by *). #For additional detail on the platforms available for
each magazine visit the Roy Morgan website. Michele Levine, CEO, Roy Morgan, says the
mixed results for magazines in the year to March 2022 illustrate the
challenges of navigating a pandemic with several different waves of COVID
during the last two years making comparisons between time periods tricky to
contextualise: “The latest Roy Morgan readership survey
shows 14.8 million Australians now read magazines whether in print or online
while print readership itself was virtually unchanged on a year ago at 10.9
million. “There were strong performances across many
magazine categories with around half increasing their print readership
compared to a year ago. Those to increase their print readership included
General Interest magazines, up 0.5 per cent to 3,966,000, Health & Family
magazines, up a stunning 28.4 per cent to 1,161,000 and Motoring magazines,
up 20.7 per cent to 899,000. In addition to the leading categories there were
also increases in several other categories including Sports, Fishing, Motorcycles
and Crafts magazines. “As we all know, the last two years have
presented unprecedented challenges to the Australian economy. The various
lockdowns we’ve all experienced have played a big part in dictating behaviour
across many industries, including when it comes to the publishing industry
and magazines. “Although we now seem to be past lockdowns
with a highly vaccinated population it is important to remember that much of
the second half of 2021 was experienced with more than half of Australians
locked down for extended periods – particularly in NSW and Victoria – the
most important markets. “Following the end of these lockdowns last
October there was a brief respite before the emergence of the highly
contagious ‘Omicron variant’ in December led to millions of cases of the
virus in the March quarter 2022 – the time period we
are analysing in this data. “Although there was no formal lockdown,
policies around isolation, and the behaviour of consumers as they adapted to
the much higher chance of catching COVID-19, meant behaviour even in the
early parts of this year was heavily impacted by the pandemic. It was only in
mid-April 2022 that restrictions were further relaxed and mandatory isolation
for close contacts was ended. “The direct comparison for this data is to
the 12 months to March 2021 – a period in which most of Australia (except
Victoria) experienced only a short period of lockdown for a matter of a few
weeks in the early stages of the pandemic in April 2020. “The ups and downs of the pandemic are reflected
in the latest magazine readership data with around half of magazine
categories increasing their readership while the other half have had declines
and in a similar vein around half of the ‘Top 25 magazines by readership’
have seen an increase in readership over the last year while the other half
haven’t. “It appears most Australians are keen to
put the travails of the last two years behind them and get on with life in
this new so-called ‘COVID-normal’ world. Today’s results show that magazines
continue to reach the great majority of Australians – around 14.8 million –
and have the ability to influence hard to find
consumers with complex and nuanced messaging on an extensive range of topics.
The massive reach many magazines have can deliver large and valuable
audiences for advertisers.” (Roy Morgan) May 24 2022 MULTICOUNTRY
STUDIES
744-43-18/Polls 52% Globally Say Cycling In Their Area Is Too Dangerous, A 28 Country
Survey
A new Ipsos survey finds that most
adults across 28 countries consider cycling plays an important role in the
reduction of carbon emissions (on average, 86% do so) and in
the reduction of traffic (80%). However, half (52%) say cycling in their area is too dangerous. The
prevalence of cycling to run errands or to commute is highest in countries
where it is most widely perceived as a safe mode of transportation such as
China, Japan, and the Netherlands. In most countries surveyed, a solid
majority of citizens are in favor of giving
bicycles priority over automobiles in new infrastructure projects. Globally, fewer adults report typically using a bicycle for a
2-kilometer/1-mile trip in their neighborhood (14% on average) than walking
(37%) or driving (25%). However, cycling
is the most common mode of transportation for short local trips in the
Netherlands (45%) and China (33%) and is also widely used in
Japan (27%), India (21%), Germany (21%), and Belgium (20%). As many as 30% of adults in the Netherlands, 22% in China and India,
and 20% in Sweden report riding a
bicycle to get to their place of work or education. In
contrast, only 4% in Canada, and 5% in South Africa, the United States, and
Great Britain do so. On average globally, twice as
many say they ride a bicycle for exercise (28%) than for commuting (12%). Cycling
for exercise is most widely practiced in Poland where 61% report doing it. Across the 28 countries, almost
two-thirds (63%) of adults say they know how to ride a bicycle and 42% report
owning one. The Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden show the
highest levels of bicycle ownership. Usage of public bicycle-sharing systems
averages at 8% per country, but it is much higher in China (38%), India
(19%), South Korea (15%), and Turkey (15%). The proportion of cyclists does not differ
greatly among major demographic groups. The
prevalence of weekly cyclists is only slightly higher among those who are
male, younger, urban, more affluent, and highly educated than it is among
those who are not. However, one group stands out: business decision-makers.
On average, 55% of them ride a bike at least once a week vs. 35% of all
adults. These are some of the
findings of a survey of 20,057 adults under the age of 75 conducted between
March 25 and April 8, 2022
on Ipsos’s Global Advisor online survey platform.
Cycling as a solution Large majorities in all countries agree
that cycling plays an important role in the reduction of carbon emissions (from
a high of 94% in Peru and China to a low of 77% in Germany) and the reduction
of traffic (from 94% in Peru to 62% in the U.S.). Furthermore, cycling
enjoys a higher level of favorability than do all other forms of
transportation – a global
average of 82% view bicycles favorably vs. 74% for
automobiles, 73% for e-bikes, 59% for motorcycles or mopeds, 53% for standup
scooters and 43% for trucks. Countries where bicycles are most favored over cars are Turkey, the
Netherlands, Hungary, Chile, Argentina, Belgium, Colombia, and Peru (all by
15 percentage points or more). Only four of the 28 countries show a
significantly higher level of favorability for automobiles than for bicycles:
Australia, the U.S., Great Britain, and Canada. Bicycles are viewed favorably in all
countries (from 93% in Poland to 64% in Great
Britain) as are e-bikes (from 84% in India to 57% in Great Britain). In
contrast, other types of vehicles are not viewed as kindly in some countries:
standup scooters are seen favorably by only 17% in Japan (vs. 79% in India),
motorcycles and mopeds by only 23% in South Korea (vs. 85% in India and 79%
in Malaysia), and trucks by 24% in Turkey and 28% in China (vs. 70% in the
U.S.). Prioritizing bicycles In this context, twice as many agree as disagree (64% vs. 36%, on
average per country) that new road and
traffic infrastructure projects in their area should prioritize bicycles over
automobiles. Support is higher than average in all emerging
countries surveyed. The only countries where fewer than 50% agree are Canada,
the U.S., Australia, Japan, and Great Britain while opinions are evenly split
in Belgium and Norway. Support for prioritizing bicycles in infrastructure prevails where
large majorities agree that “cycling from one place to another in my area is
too dangerous”, including all countries surveyed across Latin America and
Southern Europe as well as Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.
(Ipsos MORI) 24 May 2022 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/global-advisor-cycling-across-the-world-2022 744-43-19/Polls Globally, About Half Of Adults Across 29 Countries Say They Are Familiar With The
Metaverse (52%)
Less than half the Australian population (44%) are familiar with the
metaverse, while only 36% express positive feelings about engaging with
extended reality in daily life, a new global survey conducted by Ipsos for
the World Economic Forum finds. Globally, about half of adults across 29
countries say they are familiar with the metaverse (52%) and 50% have
positive feelings about engaging with it. Key Australian findings include:
Ipsos Australia Director, David Elliott,
said: "The findings from this latest Global survey show that Australia
is well behind a lot of countries around the globe in terms of our
familiarity with extended reality and our feelings towards it. What we know
from other research is that a familiarity improves so to does the potential
for trust and positivity. As we hear more about these technologies and learn
more about them, it is likely we will become more positive about them and
their potential to hopefully have a real impact on our lives." Globally, the survey
points to wide differences in familiarity and favourability toward these new
technologies across countries and demographic groups. Excitement about extended reality is significantly higher in emerging
countries than it is in most high-income countries. In China, India, Peru,
Saudi Arabia, and Colombia, more than two-thirds say they have positive
feelings about the possibility of engaging with it. However, it is the case
of fewer than one-third in Japan, Great Britain, Belgium, Canada, France, and
Germany.
Levels of familiarity with virtual reality, augmented reality, and
the metaverse show a similar pattern. More than two-thirds in Turkey, India,
China, and South Korea report being at least somewhat familiar with the
metaverse, compared to fewer than one-third in Poland, France, Belgium,
Germany, and the Netherlands.
Familiarity and favourability towards the new technologies are also
significantly higher among younger adults, those with a higher level of
education, and men than they are among older adults, those without a
university-level education, and women.
Despite significant differences in familiarity and enthusiasm, the
global public widely expects that various types of metaverse apps using XR
will significantly change people’s lives over the next decade – most of all
virtual learning (for a 29-country average of 66%), digital entertainment in
virtual reality, and virtual work settings.
Expectations about the impact of metaverse apps also vary by country
and by demographic characteristics, following the same pattern as
favourability toward extended reality. However, differences are not as sharp,
suggesting that, whether they look forward to it or not, most people expect
their lives to be profoundly impacted by the new technologies in the coming
years. (Ipsos Australia) 25 May 2022 744-43-20/Polls In A Study Carried Out In 28 Countries, Consumers Are Asked What
Products They Intend To Buy In The Next 12 Months
Knowing what consumers want not only allows industries to plan well,
but also helps them create a seamless shopping experience for all
consumers. Data from YouGov's latest tool, Global Profiles, reveals the
products consumers say they most intend to buy in the next 12
months. Global Profiles analyzes the thoughts, feelings, behaviors and habits of consumers, as well as global
trends and media consumption in 43 different markets. In this study, carried out in 28 countries from among all the markets
surveyed in Global Profiles, consumers are asked what products they intend to
buy in the next 12 months, and the options included everything from
televisions, computers and appliances to furniture, baby products and mobile
phones. The data indicates that the sector should stock up on mobile
phones, as the highest percentage of consumers selected this category as the product they are most interested in buying (37%).
Individually, Indonesia and South Africa (55% each) top the list,
with more than half of consumers expressing an intention to purchase a mobile
phone. These two countries are followed by the Philippines
(52%). Consumers in the rest of the Asian markets have the same intention. Indians
(48%) and Malaysians (43%) are more likely than the global public to look for
new phones. Chinese consumers (37%) are on par with the broader global
trend. The figure is slightly lower in other Asian countries:
Singaporeans stand at 35%, while Japan ranks last among Asian countries
(18%). The British (16%) are the least likely of the 28 countries surveyed
to say they intend to buy a new mobile phone. France (20%) and Germany
(19%) register approximately two out of ten consumers who say the
same. Other European markets such as Italy (28%), Poland (31%), Spain
(32%) and Portugal (34%) have around a third of consumers declaring their
intention to buy a mobile phone. The Greeks (41%) show a slightly higher
intention than the other Europeans. Around a quarter of Australian consumers (23%) say they intend to buy
a new mobile phone in the next 12 months. A similar proportion of
Canadians (23%) and Americans (22%) also have similar
intentions. However, Mexicans (35%) are more likely than their neighbors
to indicate that they want to buy a new mobile device in the next 12
months. The buying process of a consumer in the next 12 months will also
allow retailers to offer good customer service. Breaking down the data
reveals that, globally, there is a significant deviation in intention between
men (40%) and women (34%) regarding the purchase of a mobile phone in the
next 12 months.
Looking at the data by age, consumers ages 35-44 (42%) and ages 45-54
(41%) are the most likely to say they intend to buy a mobile device. More
than a third of consumers aged 18 to 24 (36%) also have similar
intentions. However, they register a lower percentage compared to other
groups, only surpassed by those over 55 years of age, who stand at 28%. (YouGov Spain) Source: https://es.yougov.com/news/2022/05/25/global-que-probabilidad-tienen-los-consumidores-de/ 744-43-21/Polls Re-Thinking The Drivers Of Regular And Irregular Migration: Evidence From The
MENA Region Across 12 Countries
Why do individuals vary in their desire to emigrate? Why are some
willing to emigrate irregularly? My recently published open access article in Comparative
Migration Studies tests four theoretical approaches to these two
questions—socio-demographics; economic and political context; access to
migrant networks; and psychological factors—across 12 countries in the Middle
East and North Africa. To do so, it uses logistic regression analyses, as well as
descriptive data, based on data from the Arab Barometer, which has conducted
international standard social scientific surveys across the Middle East and
North Africa every two years since 2006 with sample sizes of around 2400 per
country based on area probability sampling and face-to-face interviews.
Uniquely, the penultimate, 2018/19 round of surveys asked not only about
desire to migrate but also about willingness to do so irregularly, as well as
a range of socio-demographic, attitudinal and behavioral indicators. Trends in aggregate propensity to migrate by country over time, as
reported by the Arab Barometer, are displayed over time below in Figure 1 and
analyzed in the article. Figure 1. Propensity to emigrate by country, 2007-2021
Notes: Weighted. Arab Barometer I, II, III, IV, V, VI. Percentage
responding “yes” to “Some people decide to leave their countries to live
somewhere else. Have you ever thought about emigrating from your country?” In Figure 2, we differentiate between the proportion of those who
would not consider emigrating without official papers (i.e.
to emigrate irregularly) and those who would be willing to do so, by country
in ascending order of willingness to emigrate without papers. Figure 2. Distribution of desire to emigrate and willingness to do so
without papers by country, 2018/19
Notes: Arab Barometer, 2018/19. Weighted. See Figure 1 for question
on desire to emigrate. Those who responded “yes” were then asked
“Would you consider leaving [COUNTRY] even if you didn’t have the required
papers that officially allowed you to leave?”. “Total” figure country-level
average. Logistic regression analyses show that the most prevalent factors
increasing the likelihood of wanting to migrate are youth, university
education, being male, and stress levels as well as negative economic and
political perceptions, being unmarried, trust in social media, receiving
remittances, and low religiosity. Notably, economic factors such as
unemployment and income are shown to rarely have an effect. By contrast, the determinants of being willing to emigrate without
papers are fewer and distinct: gender and lower income especially as well as
lower education and negative economic and political perceptions. Altogether,
these factors are shown and linked in generalized terms for the MENA region
in Figure 3. Figure 3. Factors increasing chance of having thought of emigrating
and factors increasing willingness to emigrate without papers, across the
MENA region
This article makes five contributions. First, it conceives of and
tests (irregular) migration as a two-step process—first, wanting to emigrate
in general and, second, being willing to do so irregularly—and so
disentangles the determinants of each. Second, by covering 12 countries the
study highlights commonalities across country contexts and provides a
generalizable model of the two-step process, shown in Figure 3. Third, it
shows that objective economic indicators like income and employment status
have weak predictive power when other socio-demographics, political and
economic perceptions, access to migrant networks, and psychological variables
are controlled for, contradicting with stated reasons for thinking of
emigrating as shown below. In the discussion, potential reasons for this
seeming contradiction are offered. Fourth, the predictive power of
psychological variables is highlighted, with feeling stressed a particularly
prevalent predictor of thinking of emigrating and interpersonal trust in some
countries shown to predict willingness to do so without papers. Fifth, by
taking a cross-country approach, several countries are shown to have typical determinants of emigration,
and a few are shown to be atypical in the effects of socio-demographics—Iraq,
Kuwait, Libya, Sudan, and Yemen—highlighting the seeming ability of extreme
wealth (in Kuwait) and war to interact with and even reverse the most fundamental
determinants of migration, a relationship that should be further
investigated. (Arabbarometer) May 26, 2022 744-43-22/Polls Regarding Choice Of Holiday During Most Recent Trip, Just Over A Third Of Global Respondents
Choose Low Cost As A Contributing Factor (31%) Among 24 Countries
What makes consumers choose a destination when choosing a vacation
spot? Data from YouGov's new tool, Global Profiles, reveals the factors
consumers take into account when choosing a holiday
destination. Global Profiles tracks consumer thoughts, feelings, behaviors and habits, and monitors global trends and media
consumption in 43 markets. In this article, we analyze 24 countries from all the markets studied
in Global Profiles. Although climate and natural beauty are one of the main factors for
travelers when choosing a holiday destination, value for money and overall
cost also play a role. When asked what influenced their choice of
holiday during their most recent trip, just over a third of global
respondents choose low cost as a contributing factor (31%). Individually, most Asian markets outperform the global
public. Indonesia (57%), Malaysia (54%), the Philippines (50%) and
Singapore (47%) are significantly more likely than global consumers to say
that low cost is an important factor. Consumers from Vietnam (38%) and
Japan (35%) have a lower percentage, but still more than the global public.
South Africa registers more than two in five consumers who are more
likely to look at the total cost of the holiday before selecting the
destination. The MENA region markets - the US (40%) and Saudi Arabia
(36%) - also see well over a third of consumers say low cost is a
factor. However, Morocco is among the markets least likely to say the same
(22%). Consumers in Italy reveal that they are not overly concerned about
the cost of travel. Less than two in ten Italians (16%) say that low
costs are a factor when deciding where to go on holiday. The other
European markets are not far behind: only a quarter
of consumers in Germany (24%), Great Britain (25%), France (25%) and Spain
(27%) think similarly. Greece (41%), Bulgaria (38%) and Ireland (37%)
are the only exceptions in the European region, where almost two in ten
consumers say they choose a cheap holiday. The United States ranks lower on the list, with more than two in ten
consumers (23%) considering cost, compared to its North American
counterparts, which account for more than a third of consumers: Canada (34 %)
and Mexico (33%). (YouGov Spain) Source: https://es.yougov.com/news/2022/05/26/global-en-que-medida-influye-el-coste-en-el-destin/ |
