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BUSINESS & POLITICS IN THE WORLD
GLOBAL OPINION REPORT NO.773
Week:
December 12 – December 18, 2022
Presentation: December 23, 2022
Inside Afghanistan: Record Numbers Struggle to Afford Basics
UAE Parents Have High Concerns over Their Child’s Exposure To
Inappropriate Online Content
Health Insurance Coverage for Nigerians Still Abysmal; An Urgent
Call For New Strategy.
Labour Voters More Wary about Politics of Child’s Spouse
Most Brits Expect Recession, As Consumer Confidence Dips To
Six-Year Low
Half of Leave Voters Doubt Johnson Can Secure New Brexit Deal
Few Believe the Government's Explanation of Why Parliament Is To
Be Suspended
Brits Oppose Parliament Suspension By 47% to 27%
5 Facts about the Abortion Debate In America
U.S. Concern about Climate Change Is Rising, But Mainly Among
Democrats
Most Americans Say Science Has Brought Benefits to Society and
Expect More to Come
Parents' Concern about School Safety Remains Elevated
As Labor Day Turns 125, Union Approval Near 50-Year High
Americans' Satisfaction with U.S. Education at 15-Year High
Most Cannabis Consumers Use on a Weekly Basis or More
Ride-Sharing App Uber Overtakes Taxis as Preferred Private
Transport Service
Rising Numbers of Australians Looking At Electric and Hybrid
Vehicles for Their Next Set of Wheels
Toyota And Mazda Drivers Most Brand Loyal; Have The Luxury
Brands Lost Their Lustre?
Britons Make Worst Tourists, Say Britons (And Spaniards And
Germans)
Brazilians Least Satisfied in Amazon With Environment
India Ranks 9th on Happiness among 28 Global Markets: Ipsos
Global Happiness Survey
The Biggest Beauty Influencer Isn’t Who You Think It Is
INTRODUCTORY NOTE
773-43-22/Commentary:
SUMMARY OF POLLS
ASIA
773-43-01/Polls
12 Percent Of
Japanese People Say They Cook To Relax
In
countries other than Japan, many people said they enjoy the act
of cooking, such as baking and boiling. (Photo by Atsuko
Shimamura)
This
was the finding of a private survey among 800 men and women aged
at least 18 each in Japan, the United States, Italy, China,
Thailand and Indonesia carried out in January by Sigmaxyz Inc.,
a Tokyo-based consulting firm. It has
been conducting surveys on diet and well-being in six countries
since 2019.
“Nothing is enjoyable in cooking” and “deciding what to cook”
were cited by the second-largest portion of Japanese respondents
at 17 percent each.
The
results showed that two negative answers--“they don't cook” and
“nothing is enjoyable in cooking”--were included in the top five
answers in Japan.
The
ratios for these two answers were up from the previous survey
conducted in 2020.
But
positive answers came high on the list in the other countries.
“Cooking itself” and “serving meals” were cited by the largest
portion of respondents in the United States at 44 percent, while
“cooking itself” was cited by 55 percent of those in China and
47 percent of those in Thailand.
And
when the respondents were asked to give multiple answers on why
they cook, “to cut down on food expenses” was outstandingly high
among those in Japan at 44 percent.
“By
necessity” came next at 18 percent, followed by “they don’t
cook” (17 percent), “out of a sense of obligation to the family”
(16 percent), “to have communication time with family members”
and “to control their own health and condition” (14 percent).
Only 12
percent of the respondents in Japan said they “are interested in
cooking itself and can obtain knowledge.”
But
more than twice as many said so in the other Asian countries,
with Thailand at 35 percent, China at 34 percent and Indonesia
at 33 percent.
Even
those in Italy, which ranked second from bottom only above
Japan, agreed at 25 percent.
And
while 12 percent of the respondents in Japan said they cook to
“relax,” at least 30 percent of those in each of the other five
countries said so, with Italy ranked first at 43 percent.
“There
are two factors in cooking, with one being a form of household
chore and the other involving creativity,” said Tomomichi Sumi of
Sigmaxyz. “There is a good balance between the two in the
overseas countries, while (cooking) is more strongly accepted as
domestic labor in Japan.”
December 13, 2022
Source:
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14778595
773-43-02/Polls
High Inflation
Is Moving Households Away From Buying More Diverse, Different
Products
The
decline in product diversity was sharper in EU SES group
households.
The
Ministry of Labor announced that the proportion of minimum wage
earners among all employees is 37%. And the minimum wage has
increased by more than 90% in January and July in 2022. For the
low-paid people, we can say that it is much more difficult, even
impossible, to save, so this wage increase means that disposable
income is somewhat protected against inflation. Of course, it
would not be right to see this as an increase in welfare, but we
can only say that it is a reduction in the loss of welfare. On
the other hand, salaries increased relatively less in higher
income groups, especially those who worked for wages. The rate
of loss in the disposable income of this group is greater. We
started to see the reflections of this situation in consumption
statistics. As I mentioned, the variety of products purchased in
an average household decreased by 2% in the period
January-October 2022 compared to the same period last year,
while this decrease was 4% in households in the EU socioeconomic
segment. EU households are (declining) approaching the average,
spending 11% more than the average in the 12 months before
October 2021, spending 5% above average in the last 12 months in
October 2022. C2 households were on average during the same
periods, rising 1% above average, while DE households also took
a step towards the average, approaching 1% (rising).
The
loss faced by citizens belonging to the EU socio-economic group
is also reflected in their general satisfaction and
expectations. At the end of 2021, dissatisfaction with the
personal standard of living in this group was behind the general
average, but by September 2022, we started to see an
above-average dissatisfaction. The same applies to expectations
for the next few months. About a year ago, the proportion of
people who thought their personal economies would deteriorate
was lower in the EU segment than the national average. 10 months
later, the situation reversed. The EU is more desperate than the
general population.
This
economic erosion that the upper socioeconomic groups face as
consumers is a change that needs a lot of thought. Of course, a
more balanced picture in income distribution is the goal of
every country, but we should aim to be equalized by getting
richer, not by getting poorer.
16 December 2022
773-43-03/Polls
Between 2011 To
2022, There Has Been A 61% Increase In The Numbers Of Doctors As
Compared To A 135% Increase In The Number Of Dentists In The
Country
Abstract As a developing country, Pakistan has been struggling
with developments in the health sector. Even though there has
been constant development happening, the country still has a
long way to go. Undertaking an analysis of facts and figures
available in The Pakistan Statistical Yearbook 2022 published by
the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, this press release provides
an overview of the growth in the health sector over the last
decade. The complete Pakistan Statistical Yearbook is available
HERE. What is the Big Data Analysis Series by Gallup: Gallup
Pakistan’s Big Data series was started by Bilal I Gilani,
Executive Director of Gallup Pakistan. Bilal explains the
rationale of the series, “The usual complaint from academics and
policy makers is that Pakistan does not have data availability.
Our experience negates that. Pakistan has lots of data, but it
is not available in a usable form and it’s not widely
accessible. At Gallup we plan to bridge this gap in terms of
accessibility and use of data. The Gallup Big Data series has
earlier worked with data sets such as PSLM, Labour Force Survey,
and Economic Survey reports as well as National Census Reports
and Election Commission Data sets.” The current series is using
the Pakistan Statistical Yearbook, an annual compilation which
seldom has data points not covered in many other reports. We
hope that these series are useful, and we welcome both feedback
as well as possible collaborations as we create a public good in
the form of useful data sets in Pakistan’ What data points this
current edition covers: This series aims to present the
important learnings from the Pakistan Statistical Yearbook 2020
for policy makers, the public, as well as for marketers in an
easy and understandable way. In particular, this edition looks
at the developments in the health sector over the last decade.
The health sector has been flourishing when it comes to the
number of medical personnel as it has increased. However, there
hasn’t been much progress in the development of new health
institutions and the facilities available at them. The series’
main aim is to provide data. Implications of these data points
for the health sector as well as wider socio-political
ramifications is something we would like to trigger in relevant
circles.
Today’s
Topic is “Health” Key Findings 1) The
number of health institutions in Pakistan increased by 10% from
2011 to 2020 2) Almost 37% increase in the number of beds was
seen in health institutions from 2011 to 2020 3) 61% increase in
the number of doctors as compared to 135% increase the number of
dentists in the country from 2011 to 2020 4) 69% increase in
lady health visitors, 50% increase in the number of nurses and
40% increase in the number of midwives was seen in the previous
decade Table 1: Increase in health institutions, bed and
personnel from 2011 to 2020 Health Institutions 10% Beds 37%
Doctors 61% Dentists 135% Lady Health Visitors 69% Midwives 50%
Nurses 40% 1) The number of health institutions in Pakistan
increased by 10% from 2011 to 2020 Healthcare in Pakistan has
been a focal point after the country signed the U.N. Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). Pakistan began to initiate healthcare
programs, establishing both Basic Health Units as well as Rural
Health Units. Basic Health Units are assigned to NGOs, who
manage the day-to-day operations, administer medicine and
overlook the facilities. The number of health institutions
increased from 13243 in 2011 to 14455 in 2016, however, the
number of health institutions fell from 2016 to 2017, after
which it increased gradually till 2020. The decline in 2017
could be due to the privatization of government hospitals due to
mismanagement. Instead of increasing and improving facilities at
government hospitals, the government was focused on transferring
public hospitals to private organizations to operate under
public-private partnership. However, the sudden increase in the
number of health facilities that can be seen in 2020 could be
owed to the Covid-19 pandemic. As the number of covid cases
started to increase in the country, the government had to build
new health facilities to treat the patients. Figure 1: Number of
health institutions in Pakistan from 2011-2020
2)
Almost 37% increase in the number of beds was seen in health
institutions from 2011 to 2020 The number of beds in health
institutions has increased over the decade, however, it has not
been sufficient to cater the populations needs, as we saw how
the hospitals quickly ran out of bed spaces during the pandemic.
The population of the country is growing annually at a rate of
over 2% and the rate at which the beds are increasing are not
enough to sustain the growing population. The sudden increase
from 2019 to 2020 could be due to the Covid pandemic. When the
pandemic broke out, the government converted some of the public
centers like the expo center into covid wards with a large
number of beds – to cater to the increasing number of patients.
This led to an increase in the hospital beds Figure 2: Number of
beds in health facilities in Pakistan from 2011-2020
3) 61%
increase in the number of doctors as compared to 135% increase
the number of dentists in the country from 2011 to 2020 In a
press release published by Gallup Pakistan previously, (which
can be found here) it was seen that there has been a trend of
pursuing science amongst matriculation students, and the number
of students passing their matriculation exams has increased
significantly in the last decade. The increase in the number of
doctors and dentists could be owed to that. As per the
statistics, the number of doctors has increased significantly,
however, the on-ground situation tells us that there is still a
lack of doctors. This can be attributed to the incompetence of
the government, an appropriate number of doctors have not been
posted in hospitals, owing to which the patients face lot of
problems daily in getting medical treatment at private and
government hospitals in the entire country. Moreover, as per the
recommendations of the World Health Organization, a dental
surgeon versus population ratio should be one to 20,000 people.
However, even with the huge increase in the number of dentists,
the ratio of dentists to population is one dentist for more than
75000 people. Thus, the number of dentists is still too low.
4) 69%
increase in lady health visitors, 50% increase in the number of
nurses and 40% increase in the number of midwives was seen in
the previous decade Even though the number of nurses has
increased by 50%, it is still not enough to keep up with the
increasing population as the country still faces a shortage of
more than 1.4 million nurses. As per the global standards, it is
an obligation that around two doctors, a dentist and eight
nurses should be taking care of 1,000 people however the story
in the country is different where this standard is not met in
number of doctors and nurses. Lady health Visitors have a broad
understanding of basic health care and are responsible for a
wide range of activities at the community level, which is why
they are essential health professionals. The increase in lady
health workers and midwives can be said to have decreased the
maternal mortality rate as these professionals attend to females
giving birth. Lady health visitors have also been essential in
informing and educating the rural females of various health
issues. The increase in the number of Lady Health Visitors could
be owed to the Lady Health Worker Program (LHWP), introduced in
1994. In 2000, the program was renamed the National Program for
Family Planning and Primary Health Care, but it is still
commonly known as the Lady Health
Worker
Program. Following the 18th Amendment, the management of the
LHWP has been devolved to the Provincial Governments. Figure 4 –
Number of Lady Health Visitors, Midwives and Nurses from 2011 to
20202
5) 69%
increase in lady health visitors, 50% increase in the number of
nurses and 40% increase in the number of midwives was seen in
the previous decade A quick glance at the statistics makes it
seem like the situation of the health sector in Pakistan has
been improving over the past decade, however, if we look at the
per capita statistics, we can see that even though the situation
has improved, it is still not enough to cater to the needs of
the population. According to World Bank’s data on the Pakistani
population, the population in 2011 was 183340168 while in 2020,
the population was 220892331. Based on these figures, the
situation of beds, and health personnel has gotten slightly
better. The recommended number of doctors by WHO is one doctor
per 1000 people, in 2020, Pakistan had one doctor per 8073.6
people. This is almost eight times greater than the recommended
number, which can put into perspective how poorly the country is
doing. Moreover, the number of health institutions per capita
has increased, which means that the increase in the number of
health institutions has not been enough.
December 16, 2022
Source:
https://gallup.com.pk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Health-pr.pdf
AFRICA
773-43-04/Polls
Government Officials And The Police Remain The Most Violators Of
Human Rights In Nigeria
More findings from the poll also revealed that issues
of human rights violation are prevalent in Nigeria as disclosed
by 88 percent of respondents interviewed. Regarding violation,
31 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide claimed their human
rights have been violated in the past.
Analysis by gender showed that there are more male (36 percent)
than female (26 percent) respondents whose rights have been
violated before. Consequently, when asked about the component of
human rights that have been violated, 25 percent claimed that
their ‘right to freedom of movement had been trampled upon in
one way or another. While 11 percent mentioned that their ‘right
to freedom from torture/degrading treatment’ has been infringed
on, another 10 percent disclosed the ‘right to life’ amongst
other human rights violations.
Finally, the poll result showed that most victims (75 percent)
of human rights violations in Nigeria do not report violations
committed against them. Therefore, it is important to create
frequent awareness campaigns for the citizenry on their basic
human rights as recommended by 36 percent of the adult Nigerians
interviewed. Also, as advocated by 19 percent of Nigerians, the
government should enforce laws against human rights (s)
violators in the country as this will serve as a warning to
other violators of human rights in Nigeria. These are some of
the key findings from the Human Rights Poll conducted in the week commencing November
7th, 2022.
Background
NOIPolls joins the world in commemorating the 75th Anniversary
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is observed
annually across the world on 10th December. This
campaign aims to draw people’s attention to the issues
surrounding their human rights irrespective of who or where they
are in the world. This year’s Human Rights Day theme is “Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All” and
the call to action is hashtagged #StandUp4HumanRights. In commemoration of
World Human Rights Day, NOIPolls conducted a public opinion poll
to gauge the awareness and perception of Nigerians regarding
their basic human rights.
Survey Findings
The
first question sought to measure human rights awareness in
Nigeria and the result showed that a larger proportion of adult
Nigerians nationwide (88 percent) claimed to be mindful of their
basic human rights.
Furthermore, findings from the poll also revealed the concern
for human rights violations is prevalent in Nigeria as disclosed
by 88 percent of respondents interviewed.
Regarding violation, 31 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide
claimed that their human rights were violated. Analysis by
gender showed that there are more male (36 percent) than female
(26 percent) respondents whose rights have been violated before.
Also, an analysis of the geographical location indicated that
the South-South zone accounts for the highest number of
Nigerians in this category.
Similarly, of the 69 percent who claimed that their rights have
not been violated before, 17 percent admitted that they know
someone whose rights have been violated before. The South-South
zone also had the highest number of Nigerians who mentioned
this.
Consequently, when asked which human rights have been violated,
25 percent claimed that their ‘right to freedom of movement had
been trampled upon in one way or another. While 11 percent
mentioned that their ‘right to freedom from torture/degrading
treatment’ has been infringed on, 10 percent disclosed the
‘right to life’ amongst other human rights violations.
In
addition, Nigerians who claimed that their rights were violated
were further probed, and sadly, the poll findings revealed that
30 percent of Nigerians nationwide claimed that government
officials are primarily responsible for violating their rights.
Similarly, 26 percent lamented that their rights have been
violated by the police, while 22 percent blamed family and
friends for violating their human rights.
When
asked if the incident was reported, 25 percent indicated that
the incident was reported while 75 revealed that it was not
reported.
Of the
proportion (25 percent) who claimed that the incident was
reported, 65 percent stated that they reported it to the police.
While 16 percent mentioned that they reported to Human Rights
Organizations, 13 percent reported to the court among other
organizations
With
regards to recommendations on reducing human rights violations
in Nigeria, 36 percent of Nigerians suggested that the
government should create awareness for people to know their
basic human rights. Similarly, while 19 percent advocated for
the government to enforce laws against human rights violators in
the country, 9 percent encouraged good governance as a way of
reducing human rights violations in Nigeria. Another 7 percent
advised that law enforcement agencies in Nigeria should be
taught and made to respect basic human rights while 6 percent
hinted that the judicial system in the country should be allowed
to be independent amongst other mentions.
In
conclusion, the poll results have shown that most Nigerians
believe that human right violation is prevalent in the country.
For instance, 31 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide disclosed
that their rights have been trampled upon before while few
claimed that they know people whose rights have been infringed
on in the past.
Sadly,
respondents who claimed that their right to freedom of movement,
‘right to freedom from torture/degrading treatment, and ‘right
to life had been violated in the past reported they were
primarily violated by government officials and the police. Given
that government officials and the police are ranked highest
violators of human rights, it is, therefore, imperative that
routine training is conducted, reorientation of law enforcement
officers across all cadres, and government officials are
sensitized on what constitutes human rights as part of efforts
to protect the citizenry.
Finally, the poll result showed that most victims of human
rights violations in Nigeria do not report violations committed
against them. Therefore, it is important to create frequent
awareness campaigns for the citizenry on their basic human
rights as recommended by 36 percent of the adult Nigerians
interviewed. Also, as advocated by 19 percent of Nigerians, the
government should enforce laws against human rights violators in
the country as this will serve as a warning to other violators
of human rights in Nigeria.
December 15, 2022
Source:
https://noi-polls.com/human-rights-poll-2/
WEST EUROPE
773-43-05/Polls
Six In Ten Are Reducing Their Heating Usage, Despite
Recent Cold Weather
Half of
the population are wearing more layers or using blankets to
avoid high energy costs while 13% are still not using heating at
all
Similarly to when we
asked in October,
three quarters (73%) of the public are cutting back on the
amount of gas and electric they use at home, with six in ten
(63%) reducing their heating usage specifically.
The most common ways the public are trying to
reduce heating usage include wearing more layers or using
blankets (52%), reducing the temperature on the thermostat (42%)
or reducing the time they have the heating on (42%). People are
also being cautious about heating individual rooms, with
a third (34%) making sure they are closing doors to keep heat in
a certain room and one in five (20%) using fewer rooms in their
home. The number of people taking these steps have all increased
since October.
Despite temperatures dropping below zero in many
areas of the country, 13% of Britons say they are not using
their heating at all. This is down from 25% back in October when
temperatures were a lot milder. Amongst those struggling
financially, a quarter (26%) are currently still not using
heating at all, down from 44% two months ago.
December 14, 2022
773-43-06/Polls
Support For Nurse Strikes Falls – Though Still
Outweighs Opposition – As Half Say The Pay Rise They’re Asking
For Is Too High
Most Britons appear to be aware of the reasons for
the strikes, with around three-quarters (77%) believing they are
striking for an increase in pay, while around a third (32%) say
it is for better standards of care for patients. Other common
reasons for the strikes mentioned are to increase staff numbers
in the NHS (41%) or to increase the amount of money spent on the
NHS (33%).
When considering how acceptable it is for healthcare
workers to strike for different reasons, the majority of Britons
find both an increase of pay (61%) and better standard of care
for patients (68%) acceptable reasons.
Looking specifically at the request of the Royal
College of Nursing for a 5% pay rise on top of inflation – a
total pay rise of 17%, around half of Britons (49%) think this
pay rise is too high. Meanwhile, 37% say it is about right and
only 7% deem it too low.
The public are concerned about the ability of the NHS
to provide safe care for patients during the strike actions -
80% are concerned about this for the nurse strikes, and 82% for
the strikes by ambulance workers.
Kate
Duxbury, Research Director at Ipsos, said:
There
are signs that support for the nurses’ strikes has fallen since
November, perhaps as the strikes have become a reality and
concerns about the ability of the NHS to provide safe care for
patients during the strikes set in. On balance though, the
public are supportive rather than in opposition to both the
nurses’ and ambulance workers’ strikes – it remains to be seen
how this will change as the strikes progress, given the public’s
often positive views of, and concern for, NHS staff.
15
December 2022
773-43-07/Polls
Most Britons Have A Negative Economic Outlook For The
Country Amid The Rising Cost Of Living
The
majority of Britons say the government is managing the cost of
living badly
There has been a small shift in people’s expectations
of their own finances, although this should also be of concern
to the Government. When first asked in September, 65% said that
they expected their household’s financial situation to get worse
over the next year; this figure has now dropped to 57%.
However, while fewer people are now saying they have
negative expectations, they have only moved as far as saying
they expect their situation to be about the same, rather than
anticipating better times ahead. Given that nearly two thirds
(64%) say their finances have got worse over the last 12 months,
it appears that government support is having a limited impact.
The British public are also concerned about exactly
what measures will be taken to try and boost the economy. Three
quarters (73%) are worried that in the next two to three years
people like them will suffer directly from cuts in public
services spending as the government looks to tighten the purse
strings, while 4 in 10 (43%) are concerned about losing their
job or struggling to find work.
Low-income households are struggling with essential costs
Low-income households are particularly feeling the
pinch, with 70% of Britons with a household income of £20,000 or
less saying that they have already had to make cuts to their
usual spending in response to the rising cost of living
including more than half (56%) who say they expect to make
further cuts. Amongst Britons in low-income households, 4 in 10
(37%) say they are struggling to pay their energy bills most or
all of the time, and a third (32%) say they struggle to afford
food most or all of the time.
Most worryingly, half of Britons (49%) in low-income
households are either struggling to make ends meet (35%) or
cannot afford their essential costs and are going without food
and heating (14%) as we enter the coldest months of the year.
773-43-08/Polls
Two-Thirds Of Britons Who Celebrate Christmas Will
Have An Artificial Tree This Year
More
than half of Britons believe a fake tree is the greener option
This is likely because the older generation has long
since invested in an artificial tree, before environmental
considerations became a factor, with two-thirds of those aged 65
and over using a fake tree they already own compared to 48% of
18-24 year olds.
More
than half of Britons believe an artificial tree is more
environmentally friendly
When considering manufacturing, materials, packaging
and transport, a six-and-a-half-foot artificial tree has a
carbon footprint equivalent to about 40kg of greenhouse gas
emissions.
This is more than twice that of a real tree of the same size
that ends up in landfill and more than 10 times that of a real
tree which is burnt.
More than half of Britons (54%) think that having an
artificial tree is more environmentally friendly than having a
real tree each year, with only 16% believing a real tree is the
greener option. It is estimated that you would need to keep
a fake Christmas tree for at least 7 years before it has
less of a carbon impact than buying a real tree each year.
How do
Britons with real Christmas trees dispose of them?
In terms of disposing of a real Christmas tree
following the festive season, a third of Britons (33%) will take
advantage of their local authority’s special collection service,
with the trees then shredded and used on gardens and parks. A
quarter of Britons (25%) will take their tree to a recycling
centre, while 16% will re-plant it, and one in nine (11%) will
shred it and use it on their own garden.
December 16, 2022
773-43-09/Polls
Spending Of Russians In November Increased
Romir presents a monthly index of consumer activity*
of Russians, demonstrating a change in household consumption of
consumer goods. The index is calculated for both nominal and
real expenses (adjusted for inflation according to Rosstat).
The index of real expenditures (adjusted for
inflation) in October was 112%. Real
expenditures increased by 4 percentage points (3.7%) compared to
the previous month, but lower by 11 percentage points (0.9%)
than in November last year.
16
December 2022
Source:
https://romir.ru/studies/romir-rashody-rossiyan-v-noyabre-uvelichilis
773-43-10/Polls
1 in 3 Dutch people cut back on groceries
The rising prices of groceries and other fixed costs
areputting the Dutch in their pockets. The reaction to this is
visible: the Dutch consumer keeps his hand on the cut.
For example,the five Dutch people pay
attention to the expenditure, whereby this is really necessary
for one third to be able to make ends meet. The Dutch are
cutting back in different ways. This way, athird saves on
groceries. This is evident from representative online
research by Motivaction among 1,020 Dutch people, conducted in
October 2022.
Consumers go for cheaper and replace A-brands for private labels
How does Dutch consumers tackle austerity? Consumers
are opting for cheaper products in large numbers. For example,
eand a quarter of consumers buy fewer products from
A-brands. Eand larger group – a third of consumers – mainly buys
more private label products. The second way to cut back is to
cook more yourself. Eand a quarter of consumers dive into the
kitchen more often and are less likely to use convenience
products and ready-made products. Thirdly, we see a slight
decrease in the purchase of organic products, sustainable
products and local products. Finally, there is one way of
cutting back that everyone knows and that 34% also actively
use: offers.
Consumers cut back on unhealthy food and pull the cutting
board out of the closet more often
Although in the winter
months the supermarkets are full of goodies, from wreaths for
the tree to chocolate milk with whipped cream, a fifth of
consumers are cutting back on unhealthy food this
year. We mainly cut back on sweets and cakes. But ohok the ready
meals, frozen pizzas and other frozen meals latand we stand more
often. At the same time, there is an increase in the often
cheaper, healthy options such as fresh, uncutn vegetables, dry pasta
and frozenvegetablesn.
Saving
money and feeling good
Dutch and saving is a well-known combination. We go
to the drugstore for promotions such as 2 for the price of 1, we
drive to the neighboring countries for cheaper
beer and gasoline and on the groceries weet 71% of the Dutch how
they can best save. Besparen provides financialbenefit, but that
is not the only thing. For example, 64% of consumers get a good
feeling from this. To save money, just under half of consumers
visit several supermarkets every week. In addition, a third of
consumers go to a supermarket with lower prices in order to
score the best deals.
(Motivaction
Insights and Strategy)
12
December 2022
773-43-11/Polls
More Than 4 Out Of 10 French People Have Been Victims
Of Cyberviolence
Moreover, among
the respondents to the victims' survey,
the majority are women (84%
of respondents) as well as people discriminated
against because of their gender identity and sexual orientation
(43%). In more than 1 in 2 cases (51%) the victim was under 30
years of age at the time of the crime. As for the gendered
dimension of online attacks, it also appears via the data
collected on those identified as responsible for cyberviolence: men
are involved in the perpetration of this violence in at least
74% of cases.
While threats and insults are the most frequent
situations encountered by victims (93%), the non-consensual
dissemination of intimate or degrading content concerns more
than half of them (52%). Revictimization
is frequent and 93% of victims say they have experienced several
situations of cyberviolence, 40% of them even report having
experienced between 7 and 10. Insults, threats,
sending photos of genitals and exposure to violent content are
situations that the majority of victims have suffered several
times.
Far from being a
virtual evil, cyberviolence
has an extremely heavy impact on the health of victims,
but also on their relational, family, school and professional
development. The consequences
can be extreme and 14% of victims say they have attempted
suicide as a result of the violence suffered. It is
impossible today to draw a clear line between offline and
online: cyberviolence is intertwined with violence experienced
in the tangible space and is part of a continuum of
violence that most often targets women, girls and the most
discriminated against.
However, the fight against this violence still relies
mainly on the victims, who, in the absence of satisfactory
remedies, feel isolated and develop costly and exhausting coping
strategies. Less than one
victim in 10 say they knew how to react at the time of violence
and more than a third of them (36%) report having been made
guilty when they confided in their entourage or professionals, this
figure even rises to 69% for victims of non-consensual
dissemination of intimate or degrading content.
Violence that is part of a continuum and continues offline
The digital space is not separated from the tangible
world: threats made online do not remain at the stage of threats
and are carried out, thus, 72%
of victims say that cyberviolence has continued in person. They
are even nearly 1 in 5 (16 and 18%) to report a experience of
physical or sexual violence accompanying online violence.
Victims of cyberviolence are therefore at great risk: it is not
enough to turn off your computer or deactivate your social media
accounts to stop this violence.
Moreover, for one
in two victims (49%) the situation has been long-term and the
violence has continued for at least a month – or even more than
a year for a quarter of the victims. This violence
leads victims to submit to costly coping and avoidance
strategies that cause physical and psychological exhaustion and
are harmful to their agency and freedom of expression. 32%
of them have deactivated their social accounts following the
violence.
Serious
consequences for the health and lives of victims
The psychological and social consequences of
cyberviolence are numerous and significant for victims, even
more so when it comes to women and people discriminated
against. In 1 in 2 cases, a
medium to very high impact is reported by victims on their
education or professional life. Online violence is
also the cause of major health problems: it has a psychological
impact in 80% of cases, and even a physical impact for 1 in 2
victims (46%).
Among
the consequences reported by the victims, there are many
symptoms of post-traumatic stress: hypervigilance
(91%), anxiety and depressive disorders (88%) and insomnia (78%)
and suicidal thoughts (49%). 45% of victims develop eating
disorders and nearly 1 in 5 victims say they have already
self-harmed as a result of violence. Finally, 31% of victims say
they have increased their consumption of alcohol and substances
because of the violence suffered.
An
over-representation of women and discriminated against among
respondents.
The digital world is a reflection of our society:
there are all the oppressions and inequalities observed offline
and the violence perpetrated there often targets the most
discriminated against. Thus, the victims of cyberviolence who
took the time to answer the questionnaire to testify about their
experiences are mostly women
(84%) and people who say they belong to a minority group and/or
have a disability (80%). 72% of LGBTQI+ people report
having experienced 7 to 10 situations of cyberviolence compared
to 40% of respondents overall. In addition, people
from disadvantaged groups or with disabilities report
significantly greater consequences on their lives and health. Thus,
LGBTQI+ people are more likely to feel hopeless and anxious than
those who are not part of a minority group, they are also 3
times more likely to self-harm.
People with
disabilities report 2 times more often a physical impact of violence than non-disabled people and are 3 times more
likely than them to fail their studies — moreover, the violence
they suffer has 6 times more often very serious consequences on
their schooling or studies. As for racialized people, they
report becoming hypervigilant 2 times more frequently than
people who do not belong to a minority group. Victims
discriminated against because of their religion are 3 times more
likely to say they can no longer go to school or work as a
result of online violence.
Poor
access to the law
The
judicial process of victims is fraught with pitfalls: 61% of
respondents think that filing a complaint is useless and they
cannot really be proven wrong. Although
one in 4 victims went to the police station or gendarmerie, they
complain in 70% of cases that their complaint has not resulted
in any prosecution, while a third of victims have
been refused to file a complaint – although this refusal is
illegal. As for people from a religious minority, they are 4
times more likely to be unwelcome by the police and gendarmerie
and not to be able to file a complaint than people who are not
part of a minority group. Overall, online violence experienced by respondents resulted in a
complaint followed by legal proceedings in only 3% of cases. Access
to victims' rights is clearly insufficient and 17%
of them say they did not file a complaint because they did not
know they could do so.
A cruel
lack of information and recourse
69% of
victims admit that they did not know how to react when
confronted with a situation of cyberviolence. While
74% were able to talk to at least one person about the violence,
more than a third of those who remained silent did so because
they did not know who to talk to or because they were afraid of
the consequences/that the situation would worsen, and more than
a quarter remained silent because they felt guilty. When they
confided, the victims did so primarily in the friendly sphere —
much less in the family or medical context. In
addition, the level of information regarding support systems
remains very low: 81% of victims say they are poorly informed on
platforms available to help them, this figure even
rises to 92% for those who were under 25 years old at the time
of the violence. Only 27% of
victims say they have heard of a device such as 30 18 and only
3% have used it. These figures point to serious and
regrettable shortcomings in terms of government initiatives to
ensure public information and care for victims of cyberviolence.
December 15, 2022
Source:
https://www.ipsos.com/fr-fr/cyberviolences-et-cyberharcelement-le-vecu-des-victimes
773-43-12/Polls
German E-Car Market Is Growing
In the joint project "Electric Car Market &
Innovation Report 2022", YouGov and the Center of Automotive
Management (CAM) are examining, among other things, the
demographic composition of potential BEV customers and the
purchase intentions of German consumers, as well as the
developments in the electric mobility market in Germany.
Who buys electric cars?
The group of potential BEV buyers more often consists
of men (62 percent) between the ages of 31 and 50 (43 percent).
34 percent of this target group currently owns more than one car
and one in three BEV buyers (29 percent) believes that
environmental policy should be completely preventive.
Environmental protection is a high priority for potential BEV
buyers and they see themselves as environmentalists. The
majority of this target group (82 percent) sees climate change
as the greatest threat to humanity (vs. 71 percent of the total
population). 80 percent are of the opinion that fewer cars
should be driven to protect the environment and that electric
cars are clearly the means of transport of the future (76 vs. 47
percent of the total population). Potential BEV buyers are open
to new technologies and products and generally have a keen
interest in science and computers. The vast majority (88
percent) of the target group believe that technology makes life
easier and many like to test products before they hit the market
(69 vs. 62 percent car decision makers). Almost half of
potential BEV buyers (49 percent) are interested in science and
finance (47 percent)
Existing problems
Although the German EV market continues to grow
dynamically, there are still large gaps in consumer knowledge
that need to be closed for a possible purchase. The number of
household decision-makers who previously had direct contact with
electric vehicles (e.g. through their own ownership, test or
taxi rides) increased by 5 percentage points compared to the
previous year, but only 32 percent still had direct contact due
to a lack of concrete contact points. Consumers most frequently
come into contact with electric cars as passengers (19 percent).
Despite few points of contact, consumers see the
advantages of e-cars: 29 percent of potential BEV buyers believe
that current energy costs have made e-cars more attractive.
However, the target group of potential BEV buyers have concrete
ideas about the basic technical needs that an electric car
should meet. Both potential BEV buyers and the group of car
decision-makers in the household prefer an electric car with a
long range and would also accept a longer charging time (0.9 and
0.8 percent respectively). In the eyes of consumers, an electric
car should also be more suitable for city traffic and have a
long range. A high engine power and a good suitability for the
highway are currently rather less interesting.
With regard to improving the range and the public
charging infrastructure, expectations of manufacturers and
politicians are high, but consumers expect government support
programs for electric mobility (37 percent) and electricity
costs (74 percent) to deteriorate over the next 12 months. Many
are already of the opinion that politics does not relieve
motorists enough (51 percent potential BEV buyers, 64 percent
car decision-makers).
December 13, 2022
Source:
https://yougov.de/topics/consumer/articles-reports/2022/12/13/deutscher-e-auto-markt-wachst
773-43-13/Polls
Good Intentions: More Than Half Of Germans Want To
Change Body Weight
Regardless of summer or winter, a slight majority of
people in Germany want to change their own weight. As reasons,
they name not feeling comfortable in their own body, but often
health reasons are also mentioned. In the current target group
analysis "Bodytransformation",
we use the target group segmentation tool YouGov Profiles and
data from the YouGov
RealTime Omnibus to examine the target groups of those
consumers who plan to gain or lose weight, but also those who
are satisfied with their weight. The analysis takes a look at
the demographic characteristics as well as the motivations and
approach of the three consumer groups.
Women
most often want to lose weight
Half of Germans are losing weight (50 percent), so
they want to lose body weight. Decreasing are predominantly
women (57 percent) and people who live in relationships (57
percent vs. 52 percent of the total population). More than half
of this group (51 percent) eat frequently out of boredom (vs. 42
percent). Losing weight people spend a lot of time on social
media, most often on Facebook (62 percent) and Instagram and
YouTube (42 percent each). 57 percent of people losing weight
want to lose weight because they don't feel comfortable in their
bodies. But health reasons are also
often cited as motivation to lose weight (42 percent). To lose
body weight, the majority of people losing weight plan to eat
less (64 percent), change their diet (55 percent) or exercise
(52 percent).
Increasing are more likely to be men
Only 6 percent of Germans say they want to gain
weight. This target group is more often male (71 percent) and
significantly more likely to have a migrant background (40
percent vs. 17 percent of the total population). The vast
majority of this consumer group (76 percent) enjoy discovering
new dishes and foreign cuisines. This group is less active on
Facebook than those consumers who want to lose weight (54 vs. 62
percent). Instagram (46 percent) and YouTube (44 percent), on
the other hand, use them more often. The reasons for the desired
weight gain are similar to those of those who lose weight: not
feeling comfortable in their own body (38 percent) and health
reasons (36 percent). In contrast to the group of people losing
weight, the increasing also cite great social pressure as
motivation (20 percent vs. 6 percent of those losing weight). To
gain weight, this target group plans to eat more (45 percent),
exercise (37 percent) and change their diet (32 percent).
December 15, 2022
NORTH AMERICA
773-43-14/Polls
Americans Don’t Have A Clear Idea Of Which Of Their
Actions Have The Strongest Impact On Climate Change
Majorities of Americans think recycling, using energy
efficient appliances, and carpooling have a large or moderate
effect on reducing greenhouse gas emissions caused by a single
person, despite research showing
that these don’t make as much of a difference. The public is
split on the impact of avoiding long flights, lowering the room
temperature, buying fewer things, and installing a heat pump.
Far fewer believe that changing their diet through eating
vegetarian, vegan, or organic food has a large or moderate
impact on a single person’s emissions, even as outside research
indicates that these actions can have a sizeable impact on
reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Through it all, across nearly
all of these actions, partisan divisions exist.
To learn more about this, visit the interactive quiz
the New York Times put together here.
Detailed findings:
About
the Study
This NYTimes/Ipsos poll was conducted December 9 –
12, 2022, by Ipsos using the probability-based KnowledgePanel®.
This poll is based on a nationally representative probability
sample of 1,023 general population adults age 18 or older.
The margin of sampling error for this study is plus
or minus 3.3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, for
results based on the entire sample of adults. The margin of
sampling error takes into account the design effect, which was
1.17. The margin of sampling error is higher and varies for
results based on other sub-samples. In our reporting of the
findings, percentage points are rounded off to the nearest whole
number. As a result, percentages in a given table column may
total slightly higher or lower than 100%. In questions that
permit multiple responses, columns may total substantially more
than 100%, depending on the number of different responses
offered by each respondent.
The survey was conducted using KnowledgePanel, the
largest and most well-established online probability-based panel
that is representative of the adult US population. Our
recruitment process employs a scientifically developed
addressed-based sampling methodology using the latest Delivery
Sequence File of the USPS – a database with full coverage of all
delivery points in the US. Households invited to join the panel
are randomly selected from all available households in the U.S.
Persons in the sampled households are invited to join and
participate in the panel. Those selected who do not already have
internet access are provided a tablet and internet connection at
no cost to the panel member. Those who join the panel and who
are selected to participate in a survey are sent a unique
password-protected log-in used to complete surveys online. As a
result of our recruitment and sampling methodologies, samples
from KnowledgePanel cover all households regardless of their
phone or internet status and findings can be reported with a
margin of sampling error and projected to the general
population.
The data for the total sample were weighted to adjust
for gender by age, race/ethnicity, education, Census region,
metropolitan status, household income, and party identification.
The demographic benchmarks came from the 2021 March Supplement
of the Current Population Survey (CPS). The party identification
benchmark comes from ABC News.
15
December 2022
Source:
https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/new-york-times-climate-action
773-43-15/Polls
At Least Four-In-Ten US Adults Have Faced High Levels
Of Psychological Distress During Covid-19 Pandemic
At least four-in-ten U.S. adults (41%) have
experienced high levels of psychological distress at least once
since the early stages of the coronavirus
outbreak,
according to a new Pew Research Center analysis that examines
survey responses from the same Americans over time.
How we
did this
The analysis highlights the fluid nature of
psychological distress among Americans, as measured by a
five-item index that asks about experiences such as loneliness,
anxiety and trouble sleeping.
In the September 2022 survey, 21% of U.S. adults fell
into the high psychological distress category; in each of four
surveys, no more than 24% of adults have fallen into this
category. But because individuals experience varying levels of
distress at different points in time, a significantly larger
share of Americans (41%) have experienced high psychological
distress at least once across
the four surveys conducted over the past two and a half years.
In addition to age, experiences of high psychological
distress are strongly tied to disability status and income.
About two-thirds (66%) of adults who have a disability or health
condition that keeps them from participating fully in work,
school, housework or other activities reported a high level of
distress at least once across the four surveys. And those with
lower family incomes (53%) are more likely than those from
middle- (38%) and high-income households (30%) to have
experienced high psychological distress at least once since
March 2020.
While many Americans faced challenges with mental
health before the coronavirus pandemic, public health officials warned
in early 2020 that the pandemic could exacerbate
psychological distress. The negative effects of the outbreak
have hit some people harder than others, with women, lower-income
adults, and Black and Hispanic adults among the groups who
have faced disparate health or financial impacts.
Americans’ personal levels of concern about getting
or spreading the coronavirus have continued
to decline over the course of 2022. The coronavirus is one
of many potential sources
of stress, including the economy and worries about the
future of the nation.
Psychological distress levels have shifted for most Americans
during the pandemic
Amid the shifting
landscape of COVID-19 in the United States, just 35% of
Americans have registered the same level of psychological
distress – whether high, medium or low – across all four surveys
conducted by the Center since March 2020.
Instead, a majority of respondents (60%) moved in and
out of levels of psychological distress. Psychological distress
increased for some but decreased for others. One illustration of
the fluid nature of these experiences is that while 41% of U.S.
adults faced high psychological distress at
least once across four surveys, just 6% experienced
high distress in all four surveys. Nearly five times as many
(28%) experienced low distress in all of the surveys.
The index of psychological distress is based on
measures of five types of possible distress experienced in the
past week, such as anxiety or sleeplessness, that are adapted
from standard psychological measures. As used in the current
survey, the questions are not a clinical measure nor a
diagnostic tool; they describe people’s emotional experiences
during the week prior to the interview.
Only one question refers specifically to the
coronavirus outbreak. It asks how often in the past week
Americans have “had physical reactions, such as sweating,
trouble breathing, nausea, or a pounding heart” when thinking
about their experience with the coronavirus outbreak. In the
most recent September survey, 14% of Americans answered this
question affirmatively. In March 2020, in the early stages of
the outbreak, 18% said they had experienced this.
Trouble sleeping is one of the most common forms of
distress measured in the surveys. In the latest survey, about
two-thirds of adults (64%) reported trouble sleeping at least
some or a little of the time during the past week. A similar
share (61%) said they had felt nervous, anxious or on edge.
Experiences with depression and loneliness also
register with sizable shares of Americans. In the most recent
survey, 46% of adults said they had felt depressed at least one
or two days during the past week, and 42% said they had felt
lonely.
All four surveys have included a question about
positive feelings, though it is not part of the psychological
distress index. Overall, 78% of U.S. adults said they had felt
hopeful about the future at least one or two days in the past
week, according to the latest survey from September. However,
22% of adults said they had felt hopeful about the future rarely
or none of the time during the past week.
DECEMBER 12, 2022
773-43-16/Polls
Striking Findings From 2022
Pew Research Center’s surveys have shed light on
public opinion around some of the biggest news events of 2022 –
from Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine to the
overturning of Roe v. Wade to Americans’
experiences with extreme weather events.
Here’s a look back at the past year through 15 of our
most striking research findings, which cover these topics and
more. These findings represent just a sample of the Center’s research
publications this year.
Today, roughly four-in-ten Americans (41%) say none
of their purchases in a typical week are paid for using cash, a
July survey found. This is up from 29% in 2018 and 24% in 2015.
While growing shares of Americans across income
groups are relying less on cash than in the past, this is
especially the case among the highest earners. Roughly
six-in-ten adults whose annual household income is $100,000 or
more (59%) say they make none of their typical weekly purchases
using cash, up sharply from 43% in 2018 and 36% in 2015.
If
recent trends continue, Christians could make up a minority of
Americans by 2070. That’s according to
a September report that models several hypothetical scenarios
of how
the U.S. religious landscape might change over the next 50
years, based on religious switching patterns.
Since the 1990s,
large numbers of Americans have left Christianity to join the
growing ranks of U.S. adults who describe their religious
identity as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular.”
Depending on whether religious switching continues at
recent rates, speeds up or stops entirely – the
last of which is not plausible because it assumes all
switching has already ended – the projections show Christians of
all ages shrinking from 64% to somewhere between 54% and 35% of
all Americans by 2070. Over that same period, “nones” would rise
from their current 30% of the population to somewhere between
34% and 52%.
Views
of reparations for slavery vary
widely by race and ethnicity,
especially between Black and White Americans, a
November analysis found. Overall, 30% of U.S. adults say
descendants of people enslaved in the United States should be
repaid in some way, such as given land or money. About
seven-in-ten (68%) say these descendants should not be repaid.
Around three-quarters of Black adults (77%) say the
descendants of people enslaved in the U.S. should be repaid in some way. Just 18% of White adults hold
this view.
There are also notable differences by party
affiliation and age. Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning
independents, views are split: 48% say descendants of enslaved
people should be repaid in some way, while 49% say they should
not. Only 8% of Republicans and GOP leaners say these
descendants should be repaid in some way, and 91% say they
should not.
And 45% of adults under 30 say these descendants
should be repaid, compared with 18% of those 65 and older.
Notably, three-quarters of adults who say descendants
of those enslaved in the U.S. should be
repaid (including 82% of Black adults who say this) say it’s a
little or not at all likely this will happen in their lifetime.
A
growing share of adult TikTok users in the U.S. are getting
news on the platform,
bucking the trend on other social media sites, according
to a survey fielded in July and August. A third of adults who
use TikTok say they regularly get news there, up from 22% two
years ago. The increase comes even as news consumption on many
other social media sites has either decreased or stayed about
the same in recent years. For example, the share of adult
Facebook users who regularly get news there has declined from
54% in 2020 to 44% this year.
Most
Americans who have experienced extreme weather in the past year
– including majorities in both political parties – see climate
change as a factor, according
to a May survey.
Overall, 71% of Americans said that, in the past 12
months, their community had experienced at least one of the five
forms of extreme weather the Center’s survey asked about. Among
those who had recently encountered extreme weather, more than
eight-in-ten said climate change contributed at least a little
to each type of event.
Among Democrats as well as Republicans, majorities of
those who had experienced one of these forms of extreme weather
said climate change contributed to the event. But Democrats were
more likely than Republicans to say climate change contributed a lot.
Following Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, Americans
became much more likely to
see Russia as an enemy of the United States. In March, just after the invasion, 70% of Americans said
that, on balance, Russia is an enemy of the U.S., up sharply
from 41% who held this view in January. In the January survey,
Americans were more likely to describe Russia as a competitor of
the U.S. than as an enemy. In both surveys, very few Americans
described Russia as a U.S. partner.
Democrats and
Republicans largely agreed in the March survey that Russia is an
enemy of the U.S., but partisan and ideological differences
still existed. Liberal Democrats,
for example, were the most likely to see Russia as an enemy
(78%), while moderate and liberal Republicans were the least
likely to do so (63%).
Relatively few Americans take an absolutist view on the legality
of abortion –
either supporting or opposing it at all times, according
to a survey conducted in March, before the Supreme Court
overturned Roe v. Wade. The vast majority of the public is somewhere
in the middle when it comes to abortion: Most think it
should be legal in at least some circumstances, but most are
also open to limitations on its availability in others.
Overall, 19% of Americans say that abortion should be
legal in all cases, with no exceptions. Fewer (8%) say abortion
should be illegal in every case, without exception. But 71%
either say it should be mostly legal or mostly illegal, or say
there are exceptions to their blanket support for or opposition
to legal abortion.
A separate survey conducted in
June and July – after the Supreme Court struck down Roe –
found that 57% of adults disapproved of the decision, including
43% who strongly disapproved. About four-in-ten (41%) approved,
including 25% who strongly approved.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the
partisan gap in views of the court grew
wider than at any point in more than three decades. While
73% of Republicans expressed a favorable view of the court in an
August survey, only 28% of Democrats shared that view. That
45-point gap was wider than at any point in 35 years of polling
on the court.
The current
polarization follows a
term that included the
ruling on abortion and several
other high-profile cases that often split the justices along
ideological lines.
Growing shares of Democrats also say the Supreme
Court has a conservative tilt: 67% said this in August, up from
57% in January. And about half of Democrats (51%) said in August
that the justices on the court are doing a poor job of keeping
their own political views out of their judgments on major cases,
nearly double the share who said this in January (26%).
About
5% of Americans younger than 30 are transgender
or nonbinary – that is,
their gender is different from their sex assigned at birth, according
to a survey conducted in May. By comparison, 1.6% of those ages
30 to 49 and 0.3% of those 50 and older say that their gender is
different from their sex assigned at birth. Overall, 1.6% of
U.S. adults are transgender or nonbinary – that is, someone who
is neither a man nor a woman or isn’t strictly one or the other.
While a
relatively small share of U.S. adults
are transgender or nonbinary, many say they know someone who is.
More than four-in-ten (44%) say they personally know someone who
is trans and 20% know someone who is nonbinary. The share of
adults who know someone who is transgender has
increased from 42% in 2021 and from 37% in 2017.
In focus
groups with trans and nonbinary adults, most participants
said they knew from an early age – many as young as preschool or
elementary school – that there was something different about
them, even if they didn’t have the words to describe what it
was.
Most
Americans say journalists should always
strive to give every side equal coverage,
but journalists themselves are more likely to say every side
does not always deserve equal coverage, according to
two separate surveys conducted in late winter amid debate over “bothsidesism”
in the media.
Among Americans overall, 76% say journalists should
always strive to give all sides equal coverage, while 22% say
every side does not always deserve equal coverage. The balance
of opinion is reversed among journalists themselves: A little
more than half (55%) say every side does not always deserve
equal coverage, while 44% say journalists should always strive
to give every side equal coverage.
This issue gained new
intensity during Donald Trump’s presidency and the widespread
disinformation and competing views surrounding the 2020
election and the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who favor equal
coverage argue that it’s always necessary to allow the public to
be equally informed about multiple sides of an argument, while
those who disagree contend that people making false statements
or unsupported conjectures do not warrant as much attention as
those making factual statements with solid supporting evidence.
A
recent surge in U.S. drug overdose deaths has hit Black men the
hardest, a January analysis found.
While overdose
death rates have increased in every major demographic group
in recent years, no group has seen a bigger increase than Black
men. As a result, Black men have overtaken White men and are now
on par with American Indian or Alaska Native men as the
demographic groups most likely to die from overdoses.
Nearly 92,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in
2020, up from around 70,000 in 2017. During the same period,
the rate of fatal
overdoses rose from 21.7 to 28.3 per 100,000 people.
Despite these increases, the share of Americans who
say drug addiction is a major problem in their local community declined
by 7 percentage points in subsequent surveys – from 42% in
2018 to 35% in 2021. And in a separate
survey in early 2022, dealing with drug addiction ranked
lowest out of 18 priorities for the president and Congress to
address this year.
Nearly
half of U.S. teens now say they
use the internet “almost constantly,” according to a survey
conducted in April and May. This percentage has roughly doubled
since 2014-15, when 24% said they were almost constantly online.
Black and Hispanic teens stand out for being on the
internet more frequently than White teens. Some 56% of Black
teens and 55% of Hispanic teens say they are online almost
constantly, compared with 37% of White teens. (There were not
enough Asian American teens in the sample to analyze
separately.)
Older teens are also more likely to be online almost
constantly. About half of 15- to 17-year-olds (52%) say they use
the internet almost constantly, while 36% of 13- to 14-year-olds
say the same. And 53% of urban teens report doing this, compared
with somewhat smaller shares of suburban and rural teens (44%
and 43%, respectively).
Since 2014-15, there has been a 22-point rise in the
share of teens who report having access to a smartphone (from
73% then to 95% now). While teens’ access to smartphones has
increased, their access to other digital technologies, such as
desktop or laptop computers or gaming consoles, has remained
statistically unchanged.
The
share of aggregate
U.S. household income held by the middle class has fallen steadily since 1970, according to an analysis
published in April.
In 1970, adults in middle-income households accounted
for 62% of aggregate income, a share that fell to 42% by 2020.
Meanwhile, the share of aggregate income held by upper-income
households has increased steadily, from 29% in 1970 to 50% in
2020. Part of this increase reflects the rising share of adults
who are in the upper-income tier; another part reflects more
rapid growth in earnings for these adults.
The share of U.S. aggregate income held by
lower-income households edged down from 10% to 8% over these
five decades, even though the proportion of adults living in
lower-income households increased over this period.
Growing
shares of both Republicans and Democrats say that members of the
other party are more immoral, dishonest and closed-minded than
other Americans, according to a survey
conducted in June and July.
The percentage of Americans
who view the people in the opposing political party in a
negative light has increased in recent years. In 2016, 47%
of Republicans and 35% of Democrats said those in the other
party were a lot or somewhat more immoral than other Americans.
Today, 72% of Republicans regard Democrats as more immoral than
other Americans, and 63% of Democrats say the same about
Republicans. Similar patterns exist when it comes to seeing
members of the other party as more dishonest, closed-minded and
unintelligent than other Americans.
There is one negative trait that Republicans are far
more likely than Democrats to link to their political opponents.
A 62% majority of Republicans say Democrats are “more lazy” than
other Americans, up from 46% in both 2019 and 2016.
Majorities in nations around the world generally see
social media as a good thing for democracy – but not in the United States, a survey of people in 19
advanced economies found.
Americans are
the most negative about the impact of social media on democracy:
64% say it has been bad. Republicans are much more likely than
Democrats (74% vs. 57%) to see the ill effects of social
media on the political system.
In addition to being the most negative about social
media’s influence on democracy, Americans are consistently among
the most negative in their assessments of specific ways that
social media has affected politics and society. For example, 79%
in the U.S. believe access to the internet and social media has
made people more divided in their political opinions, the
highest percentage among the countries polled.
DECEMBER 13, 2022
Source:
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/12/13/striking-findings-from-2022/
773-43-17/Polls
Supply Chain Crunch Provides New Perspective For
Canadians On Marine Shipping
A stubborn feature of the pandemic era has been a
relentless supply chain crunch that has affected everything from
new cars to children’s
medicine.
New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute, in
partnership with Clear
Seas Centre for Responsible Marine Shipping, finds a growing proportion of Canadians saying marine
shipping is “very” or “critically” important to their
day-to-day-life – and a shrinking proportion who believe it not
to be important at all.
Indeed, four-in-five (82%) say global issues such as
inflation, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the COVID-19
pandemic have increased their awareness of how the global
network of goods works.
An estimated 70 to 80 per cent of items used daily by
Canadians are brought
by ship. Canadians are much more aware of this fact now than
they have been in recent years. In 2018, half of Canadians
voiced an awareness that most or the vast majority of products
they used daily were transported by ship. Now three-in-five
(61%) say the same.
While Canadians give the shipping industry a high
mark on safety (91% believe it to be very or generally safe),
there remain common concerns about the impacts of shipping.
Three-in-five (61%) worry about potential spills from oil
tankers. A similar number (57%) fear the risk of ships dumping
garbage. Half (53%) say the prospect of ships spilling their own
fuel is a concern.
Although the potential for spills from tankers is the
top risk for Canadians, overall residents are more confident
than not when it comes to the shipping of petroleum products in
general (60% confidence) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) more
specifically (67% confidence).
More
Key Findings:
About
ARI
The Angus
Reid Institute (ARI) was founded in October 2014 by
pollster and sociologist, Dr. Angus Reid. ARI is a national,
not-for-profit, non-partisan public opinion research foundation
established to advance education by commissioning, conducting,
and disseminating to the public accessible and impartial
statistical data, research and policy analysis on economics,
political science, philanthropy, public administration, domestic
and international affairs and other socio-economic issues of
importance to Canada and its world.
About
Clear Seas
Clear
Seas Centre for Responsible Marine Shipping is
a Canadian not-for-profit organization that provides impartial
and evidence-based information about marine shipping – risks,
benefits, mitigation measures, best practices – to policy makers
and the public. Clear Seas’ vision for safe and sustainable
shipping is holistic, encompassing the environmental, social,
and economic impacts of marine trade. Clear Seas was launched in
2015 to be a leading source of independent, fact-based
information on safe and sustainable marine shipping.
INDEX
Part
One: Public impressions of marine shipping
Part
Two: Safety, the environment and marine shipping
Part
Three: Views on shipping regulation
Part
Four: Shipping Confidence Index
Part
One: Public impressions of marine shipping
Marine shipping plays an important role in delivering
Canadians the goods they use in their everyday life. More
than 70 per cent of the goods Canadians use daily are
brought to Canada by ship. Marine shipping is also important in
getting Canadian goods to international markets – 20
per cent of Canadian imports and exports by dollar value
travel to and from the country by ship.
All in all, the marine shipping industry is worth $30
billion to Canada’s economy, or about 1.8
per cent of Canada’s GDP.
Canadians’ impression of marine shipping has been
consistently positive. Since 2016, at least four-in-five
Canadians say they have a “very” or “somewhat” positive view of
marine shipping. Notably, however, negative impressions have
increased by seven points since 2016. One-in-five (21%) now say
they have a “very” or “somewhat” negative view of marine
shipping:
The view of the
industry varies on Canada’s east and west coasts, despite
shipping’s importance as an economic cog in both regions.
Three-in-ten (29%) in British Columbia have a negative impression of
the industry, more than twice the number of those in Atlantic
Canada (13%) who say the same. British Columbians have held
higher negative views of shipping consistently
over the years, though they are still in the minority.
A majority of
Canadians affirm the importance of the marine shipping industry
to the country’s economy (75%), communities on Canada’s
coastlines (76%), and the import (80%) and export (80%) of
Canadian goods. Since 2016, at least seven-in-ten Canadians say
the shipping industry is key to those four elements of Canada:
Supply
chain woes increasing awareness of shipping network
The shipping industry is an important part of the
global supply chain, which has buckled in the pandemic era.
COVID-19 lockdowns – especially
in China, one of the world’s largest exporters of goods –
put the initial pressure on the supply chain. The subsequent Russian
invasion of Ukraine has driven up the cost of fuel and
complicated global supply networks for food.
Canadians are more likely to feel the supply chain
woes have increased in recent months. Three-in-five (57%)
believe supply chain issues have worsened. Fewer than
one-in-five (17%) have noticed improvement. Those in Alberta
(19%), Ontario (20%) and Quebec (20%) are most likely to believe
the supply chain issues have become much worse in recent months:
Most Canadians
say recent global events
– the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine – have increased their awareness of how the
global network of goods functions. Three-in-ten (30%) say they
are now a lot more aware of how products move around the world,
and half (53%) say they are somewhat more aware. Both those
figures are greater than when ARI asked a similar question in
2020 about the effect the COVID-19 pandemic had on Canadians’
awareness of the supply chain:
*In
2020, respondents were asked only about COVID-19. In 2022,
respondents were asked about inflation, Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine, COVID-19 pandemic, and climate change.
Perhaps in
relation to the above data, Canadians are now much more likely
to believe shipping plays an important role in their day-to-day life. In 2018, one-third (35%) believed the shipping industry
was not important to their daily life. That figure has declined
to one-quarter (26%). One-third (34%) now say they believe
shipping to be “critically” or “very” important to their life –
a 12-point jump from 2020:
There is a
growing recognition by Canadians of the number of goods that
arrive by ship following two years of supply chain strife.
Three-in-five (61%) now estimate most or the vast majority of
items they use on a daily basis arrive by ship, an increase from the half who said
so in both 2018 and 2020:
Finally, there is a growing belief that shipping is
increasing in importance in recent years. Three-in-five (62%)
believe marine shipping has been growing in importance over the
past 20 years. In 2016, that figure was two-in-five (43%):
Nearly all (91%) Canadians believe shipping is done
safely in the waters surrounding the country. This has been a
steady belief since ARI and Clear Seas first asked on this
subject in 2016:
Still, there are some concerns over potential impacts
from the marine shipping industry. The top worries are related
to water pollution. Three-in-five (61%) say they worry about the
risk of potential spills from oil tankers. Nearly as many (57%)
say this of ships dumping waste into Canadian waters. Half (53%)
worry about ships spilling fuel, while half (49%) are concerned
about water pollution in general.
Though the amount of oil shipped worldwide has
increased significantly, oil spills are happening less
frequently due to improved
safety measures. For example, Transport Canada’s National
Aerial Surveillance Program established in 1991, uses planes
stationed across the country to help
detect and prevent marine pollution. A 2013 Transport
Canada-commissioned independent assessment found Canada to be
at low
risk for large oil spills.
Other environmental risks are also top of mind for
Canadians. Half (51%) say they are concerned about ships
striking or otherwise disturbing marine life. Further down the
list of concerns, but still chosen by at least two-in-five, are
issues of smuggling (42%), and human trafficking (38%):
Majorities confident in shipping of oil and LNG
Though spills from oil tankers top the list of
shipping worries for Canadians, a majority (60%) say they are
confident in the safety of transporting petroleum products in
Canadian waters. Confidence dipped in 2020 to 55 per cent, but
otherwise has remained consistent at this three-in-five level:
The global
energy price shock brought on by Russia’s invasion of the
Ukraine has renewed calls in Europe for the continent to
supplant Russian sources of energy. Liquefied natural gas (LNG)
from Canada has been touted as a
potential alternative to Russian natural gas. On the east
coast, however, there
is much work to be done before any LNG could be exported
from Canada’s Atlantic shores. LNG Canada, a $40-billion project
in Kitimat, B.C., is
closer to completion.
Canadians are more confident in shipping LNG than
traditional petroleum products. More than two-thirds (67%, see
detailed tables) say they are more confident than worried
about shipping LNG in Canadian waters.
Overall, half (47%) of Canadians believe the
environmental risks are balanced by the economic benefits of
marine shipping in general. For the other half, more believe
that economic benefits carry more weight (31%) than believe the
environmental risks outweigh the potential financial rewards
(22%):
When compared to other shipping methods and
industries, marine shipping is more likely to be seen as
economically beneficial – despite the environmental risks – than
the oil industry. However, electricity generation, railway
transportation, and road transport are viewed as more likely to
be worth the environmental risks in economic benefits than
transport by sea:
Emissions and shipping
The federal government has set a goal to reach net
zero emissions by 2050, which means every industry’s emissions
will have to be reduced or offset, including marine shipping.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set
a goal of reducing emissions in the shipping industry by 70
per cent from 2008 levels by 2050.
Reducing emissions in shipping has been described as
difficult for several reasons. Viable alternatives to fossil
fuels available at the size and scale needed by large ships are
not yet widely available. And because of the
long life-cycle of ships – an average of 25 to 30 years –
older and less efficient ships remain in operation for a long
time.
Few Canadians – less than one-in-five (17%) – believe
the shipping industry should be a top priority for emissions
reductions. Instead, a plurality believes (42%) all industries
should reduce emissions, while nearly as many (37%) believe
marine shipping is a lesser priority than other industries:
In the midst of a
cost-of-living crisis, a majority do not have much appetite
for an increase in prices to help offset marine shipping
emissions. Two-in-five (38%) would not pay any amount extra if
it meant lower emissions for items shipped from overseas.
One-in-five (22%) say they would pay less than one per cent
more. One-quarter (24%) say they would pay between one and two
per cent, while one-in-six (16%) are willing to pay two per cent
or more.
Men are much more likely than women to say they will
not pay any amount extra to offset emissions from the marine
shipping industry. However, men aged 18- to 34-years-old are the
most likely demographic to say they would pay two per cent or
more on items from overseas if it meant reduced emissions:
Part
Three: Views on shipping regulation
Canadians’ confidence in the regulation of the
shipping industry has increased since 2016. Three-quarters (76%)
now say they are very or fairly confident in the rules covering
transportation in Canadian waters; two-thirds (65%) said so in
2016:
This high level of confidence does not extend to all
elements of the regulatory system. While majorities believe the
Canadian Coast Guard (69%), port and harbour authorities (62%)
and the shipping industry (59%) are doing well in contributing
to safe shipping in Canadian waters, there is less positivity
towards provincial governments (49%), federal departments (49%)
and the federal government overall (44%). At least one-in-five
(provincial governments, 20%; federal departments, 23%; federal
government, 27%) believe these latter three are instead doing a
poor job of contributing to safe shipping:
The perception of the federal government’s
contribution towards safe shipping has declined since 2016 when
two-thirds (64%) said it was doing a good job on that matter.
Positive appraisal of provincial and territorial governments has
also declined by 13 points:
*Note:
The Canadian Coast Guard was included with federal departments
in the 2016 and 2018 surveys.
There is
significant belief among Canadians that governments have not
paid enough attention to marine shipping safety.
Two-in-five (40%) say this issue does not receive the
appropriate amount of attention, while one-quarter (27%) believe
the opposite. Fewer than one-in-ten (7%) believe too much
attention is paid to marine shipping safety.
The sentiment that more attention should be paid to
marine shipping safety is strongest in two provinces with strong
connections to the marine shipping industry: British Columbia
(47%) and Quebec (54%):
Those two provinces, too, are more likely to believe
there is not enough oversight or enforcement of marine shipping
safety policies. More than two-in-five in British Columbia (45%)
and Quebec (45%) say this.
Nationally, one-quarter (25%) believe the government
is doing the appropriate amount of oversight and enforcement of
marine shipping safety, while two-in-five (37%) believe there is
more to be done:
The federal government’s Oceans
Protection Plan (OPP) was launched in 2016, a $1.5-billion
investment to protect Canada’s coasts and waterways. The plan
included improving the marine safety system on all three
coastlines, preserving and restoring marine ecosystems, creating
stronger partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and coastal
communities, and increasing preparedness for oil spill response.
The federal government renewed
the program in 2022, with an additional $2 billion of
funding over nine years.
Knowledge of the OPP has increased since
2018, when ARI and Clear Seas last surveyed Canadians on the
plan. Two-in-five (42%) have some knowledge of the plan (see
detailed tables).
Canadians are near universal in their support of the
pillars of the OPP. Only a handful disagree with them (6%) or
believe the plan should focus on other areas (2%). Men aged 18-
to 34-years old are less likely than other demographics to agree
with the pillars (77%), though a majority still do so:
Emergency towing vessels: public or private responsibility?
As part of the OPP, the Canadian government leased
two emergency towing vessels (ETVs) stationed on the west coast.
ETVs are powerful tugboats that can rescue ships in distress.
Though Canada has the two ETVs on the west coast, for other
parts of Canada’s waters, ships in need of assistance rely on
“vessels of opportunity” or suitable ships nearby for emergency
response. The government says it is currently developing a
long-term plan while factoring in information learned from
the leased vessels on the west coast.
Three-quarters (73%) of Canadians believe it should
be the responsibility of shipping companies to pay for emergency
towing services. Few (13%) believe it should be a government
service paid for by taxpayers:
Part
Four: Shipping Confidence Index
In order to better understand Canadian perspectives
on the marine shipping industry, ARI developed the Shipping
Confidence Index in 2020 which analyzed respondents’ views on
shipping safety and regulation and relative importance of the
industry to the economy.
The Shipping Confidence Index is comprised of three
groups: Shipping Supporters, Maritime
Moderates, and Cautious
Critics.
Shipping Supporters (33%) perceive the
shipping industry as “critically” or “very” important for the
federal economy as well as their own provincial economy, and
international trade. This group tends to assign higher priority
to the economic considerations of marine shipping over potential
environmental risks.
Maritime Moderates (42%), as their name
suggests, represent an ideological centre between the other two
groups. Although mostly confident about overall safety and
regulation, Moderates are divided on other aspects related to
marine shipping in Canada, including assessments of shipping
petroleum in Canadian waters.
Of the three
groups, Cautious
Critics (25%) express the highest rates of skepticism
when it comes to the importance of the industry and its overall
safety. This group is also defined by high levels of concern
related to the environmental risks of the industry.
Since 2020, fewer Canadians fall into the Cautious
Critics category while more are considered to be Maritime
Moderates by the Index.
Three-in-five (59%) Cautious Critics have a negative
view of the shipping industry overall. Views are much more
positive among Maritime Moderates and Shipping Supporters. For
the Cautious Critics, perhaps this is because they are much more
likely to believe the environmental risks of shipping outweigh
the economic benefits (46%) when compared to Maritime Moderates
(19%) and Shipping Supporters (7%, see
detailed tables).
Cautious Critics
are most common in Quebec (32%) and British Columbia (29%). More
than two-in-five in
Atlantic Canada (44%) and Alberta (44%) are classified as
Shipping Supporters, the most in the country:
Half of men over the age of 54 (52%) fall into the
Shipping Supporters category, the most of any demographic. Women
are much more likely to be Cautious Critics than men, while 18-
to 34-year-old women are the least likely to be considered
Shipping Supporters by the Index:
December 13, 2022
Source:
https://angusreid.org/clear-seas-2022-marine-shipping-supply-chain/
AUSTRALIA
773-43-18/Polls
Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Virtually Unchanged At
82.9 Despite Eighth Straight Interest Rate Increase
Across the index the two questions that look at the
next year improved slightly this week whereas the question
relating to whether now is a ‘good/bad time to buy’ deteriorated
in a worrying development for retailers as we enter the last two
weeks of the pre-Christmas retailing period.
Current
financial conditions
Future
financial conditions
Current
economic conditions
Future
economic conditions
Time to
buy a major household item
ANZ
Senior Economist, Catherine Birch, commented:
Consumer confidence increased marginally last week despite the
RBA raising the cash rate 25bp on Tuesday. This was the first
time in the current tightening cycle that confidence has
improved after an increase in the policy rate, perhaps a sign
that households expect a pause soon. While confidence dropped
1.3pts for households paying off their mortgage, to be below 80
for the ninth straight week, confidence lifted for homeowners
(+1.9pts) and renters (+0.2pts). We’ll be watching the December
spending data carefully for signs of a slowdown following the
6.8pt drop in the “time to buy a major household item” index to
a four-week low.
December 13, 2022
Source:
https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/9130-anz-roy-morgan-consumer-confidence-december-13
MULTICOUNTRY STUDIES
773-43-19/Polls
One In Three People In Europe Has Difficulty Meeting
Essential Expenses, In 7 European Countries
The current inflation tracker: YouGov monthly data on
inflation and cost of living in seven European countries since
September 2022
About a third (32 percent) of the Europeans surveyed
stated in November that they were barely or not at all able to
cover the necessary expenses such as food or heating costs.
If you ask more precisely whether there
have been difficulties buying groceries in the last three
months, for example, almost a quarter
(23 percent) of Germans state that they have mostly or always
had difficulties. In Great Britain (15 percent), Denmark (13
percent), Sweden (15 percent) and Spain (14 percent), this
applies to significantly fewer people. In France (28
percent) and Italy (30 percent), on the other hand, more people
had difficulties. In Italy, respondents are also particularly
likely to find it difficult to pay their rent: four out of ten
(40 percent) Italians say they have difficulties here at least
occasionally. In the other countries surveyed, a quarter (26
percent) make this statement.
Against the backdrop of rising living costs, six out
of ten (62 percent) of respondents in these seven countries have
already made cuts in their usual spending. Respondents from
France (67 percent), Spain (66 percent) and Italy (68 percent)
had to make cuts slightly more frequently, while Germany (59
percent) is slightly below average with Denmark (59 percent) and
Sweden (55 percent). An even larger proportion of Europeans
surveyed expect to make (further) cuts. A good two-thirds (67
percent) of Germans expect to make (further) cuts in their
spending. This puts Germany in the European midfield. In France
(78 percent) and the UK (72 percent), concerns about further
restrictions are particularly high. Denmark (48 percent) has by
far the lowest prospects for restrictions.
Mostly
major criticism of governments in dealing with increased cost of
living
Although the respective governments in the countries
surveyed have launched corresponding programmes to support
households and businesses, criticism of national governments is
high. In Germany, about three-quarters of respondents (74
percent) express criticism and say that the government is
dealing poorly with the cost of living. In particular,
respondents from the eastern German states are critical of the
government's handling of the crisis (77 percent, compared to 73
percent of respondents from the western states).
Compared to previous months, however, there was a
slight improvement in Germany in November: 78 percent expressed
their dissatisfaction with the government in September and 76
percent in October. The reasons for the slight improvement in
the values could be the various measures adopted by the
government – such as emergency aid through one-off payments for
gas and district heating customers or the adjustment of the tax
system to high inflation.
But criticism of the government is also high in the
other countries surveyed in the inflation tracker. Given the
current financial crisis in the UK, it is hardly surprising that
four out of five respondents (80 percent) say the government is
rather poor when it comes to the cost of living. This
is also reflected in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's steadily
declining approval ratings since taking office in October
2022 and
during his previous role as Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Moreover, only 2 percent of respondents believe there will be an
economic boom in the UK in a year's time, while 70 percent think
the country will be in recession or depression in 12 months.
In Spain (73 percent) and France (69 percent), the
majority of respondents also say the government is dealing badly
with the issue. The Danes are the least critical: In comparison,
only 52 percent of respondents express criticism, while a third
(34 percent) state that the government is (rather) dealing well
with the cost of living.
Since
September, satisfaction with government regarding the cost of
living in Italy has risen
The biggest change compared to previous months can be
observed in Italy. Since the new head of government Giorgia
Meloni, leader of the far-right Fratelli d'Italia, took office,
criticism of the government regarding the inflation crisis has
decreased. While in September 82 percent said the government was
dealing badly with the situation, in October it was 74 percent
and in November only 62 percent. One in five respondents in
Italy currently rates the government's handling of the cost of
living as (rather) good (22 percent). After the surprising fall
of Prime Minister Mario Draghi in July, the upward trend in
government assessments could, among other things, be an
expression of relief over stable government relations. In view
of the rising costs, Meloni had announced at the beginning of
November that it would take on further government debt to
financially support families and companies. Furthermore, the
Italian government plans to develop new natural gas deposits.
December 13, 2022
773-43-20/Polls
Who In Africa Is Connected And Who Is Not, Survey
Across 34 African Countries
Summary Digital connectivity through information and
communications technologies (ICTs) has been recognised as
critical for every country’s future development and prosperity
(International Telecommunication Union, 2021). The United
Nations (UN) Agenda 2030 highlights this issue in Sustainable
Development Goal 9 (SDG 9), to “build resilient infrastructure,
promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.”
Target 9C calls on countries to “significantly increase access
to information and communications technology and strive to
provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in the
least developed countries by 2030” (United Nations, 2022). And
while access to ICTs is an objective in its own right, ICTs have
crosscutting effects and are important for the achievement of
many of the other SDGs as well. ICTs can help developing
countries to leapfrog development gaps and join the knowledge
society. To quote the United Nations Statistical Commission
(2020), the spread of ICTs and global interconnectedness have
“great potential to accelerate human progress, to bridge the
digital divide and to develop knowledge societies.” The COVID-19
pandemic brought the importance of connectivity to the fore. As
lockdowns closed physical businesses and schools and restricted
movement, only the connected could keep interacting with their
loved ones, work or transact business online, and continue to
educate their children. UNICEF (2020) reported that about half
of schoolchildren in subSaharan Africa – the highest proportion
globally – could not be reached by digital and remote-learning
programmes during the COVID-19 crisis (see also Krönke, 2020).
As the pandemic has highlighted, significant digital gaps still
divide those who are connected and those who are not.
Substantial gaps remain both between countries, especially
between developed and developing countries, and within many
countries between the rich and the poor, urban and rural
residents, the most and least educated, and men and women. The
International Telecommunication Union (2021) report on
connectivity notes that despite increased access to mobile
broadband networks, the least developed countries (LDCs) may
actually be falling further behind in Internet usage. Likely
reasons include the cost of services and devices as well as a
lack of awareness of the Internet and requisite digital skills.
Afrobarometer captured several dimensions of the digital divide
in its Round 8 surveys (2019/2021) in 34 African countries,
including 19 countries classified as “least developed” by the UN
(United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, 2022).
Survey responses inform measures, across both individuals and
states, of access to devices and to network services,
utilisation rates, and differences in how the Internet is used
in daily practice. Afrobarometer finds that most Africans own a
mobile phone and have access to a mobile phone network. However,
fewer than half own a mobile phone with Internet access, and
even fewer have access to a computer. This translates to low
levels of Internet use in many countries. Lack of Internet
access and use is far more common among women and people who are
rural, older, less wealthy, and/or less educated. There is also
a sizeable gap between LDCs and more developed countries.
Afrobarometer surveys Afrobarometer is a pan-African,
nonpartisan survey research network that provides reliable data
on Africans’ experiences and evaluations of democracy,
governance, and quality of life. Eight rounds of surveys have
been conducted in up to 39 countries since 1999. Round 8 surveys
were completed in 18 countries between August 2019 and March
2020 before fieldwork was suspended because of the COVID-19
pandemic. Surveys in 16 more countries between October 2020 and
July 2021 completed the 34-country round. (See Appendix Table
A.1 for a list of countries and fieldwork dates.) Afrobarometer
conducts face-to-face interviews in the language of the
respondent’s choice with nationally representative samples that
yield country-level results with margins of error of +/-2 to
+/-3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. 1 This
34-country analysis is based on 48,084 interviews. The data are
weighted to ensure nationally representative samples. When
reporting multi-country averages, each country is weighted
equally (rather than in proportion to population size). Key
findings
§
Coverage by a cell network is widespread
on the continent: 87% of enumeration areas (EAs) visited by
Afrobarometer fieldwork teams have coverage. o Coverage averages
90% in non-LDC countries, but even in LDCs, coverage is only
modestly lower at 84%. o Mauritius, Morocco, and Botswana boast
nearly universal coverage (99%), and eight other countries
record levels of 95% or above. o Where coverage is more limited,
it is usually rural areas that are left behind, with coverage
averaging just 80%, compared to 95% in urban areas.
§ More than eight
in 10 citizens (84%) personally own a mobile phone. Across 31
countries tracked since 2014/2015, phone ownership has increased
by 5 percentage points. o A 14-percentage-point gap in phone
ownership separates LDCs (78%) and nonLDCs (92%). Ten LDCs have
mobile phone ownership rates below 80%, most notably Ethiopia
(59%), Malawi (57%), and Angola (57%). o Phone ownership rates
vary across key demographic groups. Differences are especially
pronounced by respondents’ education level, urban-rural
location, and economic status.
§ While phone
ownership is relatively high, fewer than half (45%) of African
adults have access to the Internet on their phones, including
just 20% of Malawians and Nigeriens and 16% of Ethiopians.
Across 31 countries tracked since 2016/2018, access to the
Internet via mobiles has risen by 7 percentage points.
o Demographic differences in Internet access via
phone are even larger than for phone ownership, reaching 72
percentage points between citizens with no formal schooling (13%
have Internet access via phone) and those with post-secondary
education (85%). LDCs trail non-LDCs by 23 points in access to
the Internet via phone (35% vs. 58%).
§
Access to a computer in the household is much more limited (28%)
and has not increased significantly since the previous survey
round. Fewer than one in 10 citizens have access to a computer
in five LDC countries – Uganda, Tanzania, Niger, Ethiopia, and
Malawi.
§ Four in 10
Africans (40%) report that they use the Internet – either
through a smart phone or a computer – “a few times a week” or
“every day.” o Frequent Internet use is far less common in LDCs
(30%) than in non-LDCs (53%) and falls below one in five
citizens in six countries, all LDCs: Ethiopia (12%), Malawi
(14%), Uganda (15%), Burkina Faso (16%), Niger (17%), and
Tanzania (19%). o Frequent Internet use varies widely across key
demographic groups, showing gaps of 72 percentage points between
citizens with no formal schooling and those with post-secondary
education, 39 points between poor and wealthy citizens, 36
points between rural and urban residents, 33 points between the
youngest and oldest respondents, and 8 points between women and
men.
§ Comparisons of reported Internet use with
estimates of broadband network coverage and voice/data costs
suggest that price of service may be a more important barrier to
connectivity than service coverage. Access to the mobile network
During the course of fieldwork in any given country,
Afrobarometer field teams visit between 150 (for survey n=1,200)
and 300 (for survey n=2,400) enumeration areas (EA). They
conduct eight interviews in each EA and also capture information
on the presence of basic services and facilities within that EA,
including mobile phone service. The following information on
mobile network coverage comes from these EA-level observations
recorded by the field teams, rather than from individual
interviews Nearly nine in 10 (87%) of the EAs visited during
Round 8 have network coverage (Figure 1). The gap between
coverage in LDCs (84%) and non-LDCs (90%) is a relatively modest
6 percentage points. Several countries have reached nearly
universal network coverage, led by Mauritius, Morocco, Botswana
and Kenya. Angola stands out as having exceptionally low network
coverage (46%). On average, urban areas have a
15-percentage-point advantage in network coverage over rural
areas (95% vs. 80%). The gap ranges from as little as -2 points
in Mauritius and Cameroon (i.e. recorded access was actually
slightly higher in rural areas) to 47 points in Sierra Leone, 41
points in Côte d’Ivoire, 39 points in Tunisia, and 31 points in
Gabon, where rural areas are being left far behind (Figure 2).
Ownership of ICT devices On average across 34
countries, ownership of mobile phones now stands at 84% (Figure
3), with another 8% saying that someone else in their household
owns a phone. Access varies widely across countries, from a high
of 96% in Gabon and Morocco to just over half (57%) of
respondents in Angola and Malawi. All 12 of the countries with
mobile phone ownership at or below the average are LDCs. But
other LDCs report significantly higher levels of ownership,
ranging up to 89% in Burkina Faso and 92% in Guinea.
Accessing the Internet Phone access on its own can be
an invaluable tool for communication and information sharing.
But of course the utility of this digital technology increases
exponentially if that phone can also be used as a tool to access
the Internet to tap into the wealth of news and information that
is available there. Just over half (45% out of 84%) of mobile
phone owners report having access to the Internet on their
phones (Figure 5), reaching a high of 77% in Mauritius, followed
by Morocco (75%), Cabo Verde (69%), and Gabon and South Africa
(66% each). Just one in five citizens or fewer have phones with
Internet access in Malawi (20%), Niger (20%), and Ethiopia
(16%).
There are stark differences in phone ownership and
especially in Internet access via phone across demographic
groups. Men are 9 percentage points more likely than women both
to own a phone (88% vs. 79%) and to have a phone with Internet
access (49% vs. 40%) (Figure 6). The urban-rural gap is
considerably larger, at 16 percentage points for phone ownership
(92% vs. 76%) and 35 points for Internet access (64% vs. 29%).
Younger people are only modestly more likely to own a phone than
their elders (84% vs. 78%), but they are more than twice as
likely to have Internet access on the device (53% vs. 21%). The
same is true for the wealthiest respondents compared to the
poorest. The sharpest differences, however, are associated with
education level. Nearly everyone (98%) with post-secondary
education has a mobile phone, compared to just two-thirds (66%)
of those with no formal education. But there is a startling
72-percentage-point gap in phone Internet access between the two
groups, from a high of 85% among those with postsecondary
education to just 13% among those with no formal schooling.
While there is a 14-percentage-point gap in phone ownership
between LDCs (78%) and nonLDCs (92%), the gap in Internet access
reaches 23 points (35% vs. 58%)
14
December 2022
773-43-21/Polls
People Across 36 Countries Place Fault For The Cost
Of Living At The Feet Of Politicians, But Also Realize There Are
Larger Factors At Play
Consumers are feeling the pinch and they’re pinning
some blame on government policies for their pain.
But, most also seem to understand there are other
forces at play well beyond the control of any one country’s
policy choices.
Prices for everything from gas to groceries skyrocketed
in 2022. In response, central banks around the world have pulled
the trigger on higher interest rates over and over again. While
some governments have rolled out tax breaks and price caps to
help people shoulder the burden of high prices, many are seriously
struggling to
get by.
The
blame game
So, who (or what) is to blame for the ongoing cost-of-living
crisis?
Citizens realize it’s complicated.
Online polling via Ipsos’ Global
Advisor from
Oct. 21 – Nov. 14 for the latest Ipsos
Global Inflation Monitor finds
almost three in four (74%), on average globally, believed “the
state of the global economy,” followed by the invasion of
Ukraine (70%) are contributing to inflation.
Other factors 50%, or more, of those surveyed believe
are factors in inflation including: businesses making excessive
profits (62%), the pandemic (61%), workers demanding pay
increases (51%) and immigration (50%).
Unsteady leadership
Great Britain, well, hasn’t had a great year.
Global problems, such as the ongoing COVID-19
pandemic and invasion of Ukraine, paired with national problems
(Brexit and Liz Truss’ historically short run as prime minister)
likely all helped push inflation even higher (hitting 11.1% in
October) and drove down consumer
confidence.
So, it’s perhaps little surprise the vast majority
(84%) of people in Great Britain, followed closely by
respondents in South Korea (82%) and Thailand (81%), said the
policies of its government were contributing to the rising cost
of living in their country.
Like Great Britain, South Korea has had a bumpy 2022.
Han Duck-soo returned as the country’s prime minister
this May after previously serving in 2006 and 2007/08. By July
the inflation rate in South Korea hit a high of 6.4% and while
it fell to 5.0% by November PM Duck-soo remains “very unpopular
for various reasons such as political scandals these days here
in Korea,” said Chanbok Lee, Country Service Line Leader of
Public Affairs for Ipsos in South Korea.
Thailand’s long-time prime minister has also been
embroiled in his fair share of scandal over the years. Usana
Chantarklum, Managing Director for Ipsos in Thailand, said 81%
of Thais may put some of the blame on national policies for
inflation, which hit 7.86% in August but was down to 5.55% by
November, due to “the government’s unclear direction or measures
that address the rising cost of living.”
Grim
outlook
Inflation has eased slightly in Thailand and other
countries in recent months, yet prices remain near historic
highs. And some experts predict the cost of living could tick
back up in 2023, while others warn a global recession is on the
horizon.
Regardless of who (or what) is to blame, consumers
don’t expect the economic pain to subside any time soon.
18
December 2022
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