|
BUSINESS & POLITICS IN THE WORLD GLOBAL OPINION REPORT NO. 799-801 Week:
June 12 – July 02, 2023 Presentation:
July 14, 2023 Students With Food Allergies Rose 120,000 Over Past Decade Making Sense Of The Kuwaiti June 2023 Elections Zimbabweans Offer Bleak Outlook On The State Of The Economy Ghanaians Support Media’s Watchdog Role But Are Sceptical Of
News Sources Britons Blame Boris Johnson For Tory Disunity Just 6% Of Britons Agree With The Government’s Definition Of
A New Hospital Eight In Ten Britons Are Dissatisfied With How The Government
Is Running The Country Two In Three People Believe There Is Plenty Society Can Do To
End Homelessness Food Festivals Attract Visitors Almost Everyone (91%) In Germany Attaches Importance To A
Balanced Diet And Lifestyle Digital Donations Goes Beyond Cash With Young People In The
Front Row More Than Four-In-Ten Republicans Now Say The U.S. Is
Providing Too Much Aid To Ukraine As Ai Spreads, Experts Predict The Best And Worst Changes In
Digital Life By 2035 Americans Remain Critical Of Government’s Handling Of
Situation At U.S.-Mexico Border Majorities Of Americans Prioritize Renewable Energy, Back
Steps To Address Climate Change Majority (60%) Of Canadians Not Familiar With Private
Investments Federal Politics: Trudeau’s Approval Slides Among Ndp,
Liberal Voters Plurality Of Canadian Golf Viewers Oppose Saudi-Funded
Merger; Most Say Commissioner Should Resign Over Half A Million Australians Plan To Buy A New Electric
Vehicle In The Next Four Years Close To Four Million Australians Now Downloading Podcasts Australian Unemployment Jumped To 10.3% In June – The Highest
Since January 2023 (10.7%) Australians Are Wealthier Than Before Covid, But Half The
Population Holds Over 95% Of The Wealth Australians Say They Would Support Taiwan If China Attacked,
With Limits--Poll One In Three Globally Report Rising Crime, Violence In Their
Neighborhood In 29 Nations Economic Ratings Are Poor – And Getting Worse – In Most
Countries Surveyed Of 24 Countries What Worries The World – June 2023, Survey Across 29 Nations INTRODUCTORY NOTE This weekly
report consists of thirty-two surveys. The report includes five multi-country
studies from different states across the globe.
799-801-43-33/Commentary:
Ipsos Mori Report Shows; One In Seven People Face Hunger Across The UK
Because They Don’t Have Enough Money
New research for the Trussell Trust
published this week shows the extent of hunger in the UK. Some 14% of all UK adults (or their
households) have experienced food insecurity in the 12 months to mid-2022.
The research shows that certain groups of people are more at risk, the
drivers pushing people towards hunger, and how this leads to further issues,
including isolation, debt and health problems. Reports of findings and study technical
details are published on the Trussell Trust’s website. Survey datasets will also be available on
the UK National Data Archive. ‘Hunger in the UK’ is the most
in-depth study on hunger, its causes, impacts and who is affected, in the UK
to-date and evidences the main driver as a lack of money. The research shows
that certain groups of people are more at risk, the drivers of hunger, and
how this leads to further issues, including isolation, debt and health
problems. The research also finds that while
around 7% of the UK population were supported by charitable food support,
including food banks, most people facing hunger (71%) had not yet accessed
any form of charitable food support. Furthermore, paid work does not
always protect people from having to use food banks. One in five people using
food banks in the Trussell Trust network are in a working household. Just
under a third (30%) of people in work who have had to use a food bank, are in
insecure work such as zero hours contracts or agency work. Emma Revie, chief executive at the
Trussell Trust, says: Being forced to turn to a food bank
to feed your family is a horrifying reality for too many people in the UK,
but as Hunger in the UK shows, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Millions
more people are struggling with hunger. This is not right. Food banks are not
the answer when people are going without the essentials in one of the richest
economies in the world. We need a social security system which provides
protection and the dignity for people to cover their own essentials, such as
food and bills. (Ipsos MORI) June 29, 2023 SUMMARY OF
POLLS
ASIA (Japan) Students With Food Allergies
Rose 120,000 Over Past Decade The Japan
Society of School Health, a public interest incorporated foundation,
conducted the nationwide survey of public elementary, junior high, high
schools, as well as special needs schools, integrated elementary and junior
high schools and combined junior high and high schools in fiscal 2022.They
received responses from 25,466 schools with around 8.3 million students,
representing a 77.6 percent response rate. The results were compiled in March
this year.The number of students with food allergies had stood at 329,423, or
2.6 percent of students at responding schools, in the 2004 survey.That
climbed to 407,546, or 4.5 percent, in the 2013 survey and to 526,705, or 6.3
percent, in the 2022 survey. (Asahi Shimbun) June 30, 2023 84% Of Pakistanis Strongly Agree With The Statement That Every
Individual Should Play Their Role In Making Society Better According to a survey conducted by
Gallup & Gilani Pakistan, 84% of Pakistanis strongly agree with the
statement that every individual should play their role in making society
better. A nationally representative sample of adult men and women from across
the country, was asked the question “"Every individual should play their
individual role in making society better." How much do you agree or
disagree with this statement?” In response, 84% said strongly agree, 9% said
somewhat agree, 1% said neither agree nor disagree, 1% said somewhat
disagree, 3% said strongly disagree, and 2% said they do not know or gave no
response. (Gallup Pakistan) June 19, 2023 52% Pakistanis Believe That
Young People Should Get Education According To Their Personal Interests And
Liking According to a survey conducted by
Gallup & Gilani Pakistan, 52% of Pakistanis believe that young people
should get education according to their personal interests and liking as
opposed to worthiness of employment prospects of the degree. A nationally
representative sample of adult men and women from across the country, was
asked the question “Some people believe that young people should receive
education that is in line with employment opportunities, while others believe
that young people should receive education that interests them, and they
enjoy studying. What is your opinion?” (Gallup Pakistan) June 21, 2023 (Kuwait) Making Sense Of The Kuwaiti
June 2023 Elections According to 2022 Arab Barometer
data, younger Kuwaitis are slightly less interested in politics than their
elders. Yet, the most salient questions inside Kuwait are more related to the
political gridlock and the role of youth in transcending it. Public opinion
showed that 44 percent of Kuwaitis believed that the government spending priority
should be education, followed by improving roads and transportation (14
percent) and the healthcare system (13 percent). This public opinion data
reflect the 2022-23 budget.
According to the Ministry of Finance, government spending prioritizes
education (12.4 percent), health (11.52 percent), transportation (3.37
percent) and environmental protection (0.84 percent) of a total budget of
23.5 billion Kuwaiti Dinars (approximately $76.5 billion). (Arabbarometer) June 23, 2023 AFRICA (Zimbabwe) Zimbabweans Offer Bleak Outlook
On The State Of The Economy Zimbabweans are pessimistic about
national conditions. More than seven in 10 citizens (72%) believe the country
is going in “the wrong direction,” up from 60% in 2017. Citizens’ top concerns are related to the
economy: Management of the economy (cited by 45% of respondents) and
unemployment (43%) are the most important problems that Zimbabweans want their
government to address. Only about two
in 10 citizens (22%) are optimistic that the country’s economy will improve
over the next 12 months. (Afrobarometer) June 24, 2023 Ghanaians Support Media’s
Watchdog Role But Are Sceptical Of News Sources In Ghana, radio is the most popular
news source: 80% of adults say they tune in "every day" or "a
few times a week." Seven in 10 citizens (71%) say they regularly get
news from television, and more than four in 10 are regular consumers of news
from social media (43%) and the Internet (42%). Newspapers bring up the rear
with 6%. Almost nine out of 10
Ghanaians (85%) say the media should “constantly investigate and report on
government mistakes and corruption.”
Three-quarters (74%) say the media should be free to publish without
government interference. (Afrobarometer) June 30, 2023 WEST EUROPE (UK) Britons Blame Boris Johnson For
Tory Disunity With the news in recent weeks
dominated by the battle between Boris Johnson and the government over Covid
inquiry evidence and Johnson’s resignation honours, it is no surprise to see
that fully 74% of Britons currently believe the Conservative party to be
divided. Just 5% of Britons see the party as united, including only 8% of
Tory voters.However, Britons place the blame for the current Conservative
chaos squarely at the feet of its former leader. Half (52%) say Boris Johnson
is primarily responsible for the current (dis)unity of the Tory party,
compared to just 19% who blame Rishi Sunak. (Among those Britons who
specifically say that the Conservatives are divided, 62% say Johnson is the
main reason versus 19% for Sunak). (YouGov UK) June 15, 2023 Just 6% Of Britons Agree With
The Government’s Definition Of A New Hospital A new YouGov poll finds that just
6% of Britons agree with the government in saying that all three categories
count as a ‘new hospital’. Using a slightly more accessible version of the
language used in the official definition, fully 92% of Britons say that “a
whole new hospital built from scratch on a site which previously did not
contain a hospital” would come under their definition of ‘new hospital’. Only
3% disagree. (YouGov UK) June 27, 2023 Eight In Ten
Britons Are Dissatisfied With How The Government Is Running The Country The latest Ipsos Political Monitor,
taken 14th to 20th June 2023, highlights strong public dissatisfaction with
how the government is running the country (especially amongst mortgage
holders) and increased public pessimism about the state of the economy. 80%
are dissatisfied with the way the government is running the country (+4pts
from May), 12% are satisfied (-3pts from May). Mortgage holders are notably
dissatisfied with the government’s performance. 87% are dissatisfied and just
9% are satisfied. (Ipsos MORI) June 23, 2023 Two In Three
People Believe There Is Plenty Society Can Do To End Homelessness Homelessness is seen as a serious
issue across the UK. 8 in 10 people think homelessness is a serious issue in
their country - almost 9 in 10 in Scotland and England – although people are
more likely to see it as a problem nationally than in their local area. Two
in ten have some experience of homelessness either personally or through a
family member or friend. Three-quarters of people think that
homelessness has got worse in the UK in the past 12 months and most of this
group (82%) think it will continue to get worse in the next 12 months. (Ipsos MORI) June 26, 2023 Ipsos Mori
Report Shows; One In Seven People Face Hunger Across The UK Because They
Don’t Have Enough Money New research for the Trussell Trust
published this week shows the extent of hunger in the UK. Some 14% of all UK adults (or their
households) have experienced food insecurity in the 12 months to mid-2022.
The research also finds that while around 7% of the UK population were
supported by charitable food support, including food banks, most people
facing hunger (71%) had not yet accessed any form of charitable food support. (Ipsos MORI) June 29, 2023 Food Festivals Attract Visitors Summer will once again bring
numerous festivals and events this year, and after the interruptions caused
by the Corona pandemic, numerous visitors will once again be drawn to
concerts and events in person this year, as a recent survey with YouGov
Surveys shows. Three out of five Germans (59 percent) say they attend events
hosted by companies or brands they like. Thus, festivals and events offer
companies the opportunity to introduce new products and increase their brand
awareness. (YouGov Germany) June 21, 2023 Almost
Everyone (91%) In Germany Attaches Importance To A Balanced Diet And
Lifestyle When asked which three of a total
of ten selectable measures would be most suitable for countering the
challenge of obesity in children, a wider range of balanced food in schools
is the most popular. 39 percent of those surveyed consider this to be one of
the top 3 measures. Similarly often, more sports activities and child-friendly
education about balanced nutrition in school lessons are mentioned (38%
each).This is followed by information campaigns on a balanced diet (26%) and
the restriction of advertising for foods rich in sugar, fat or salt (24%). (Ipsos Germany) June 13, 2023 Digital Donations Goes Beyond
Cash With Young People In The Front Row If during 2021 there was a strong
rapprochement between the two payment methods in donations, with 37% donating
in cash and 35% through digital tools, 2022 marks a turning point compared to
the approach of Italians interviewed in donation methods: 38% in cash, 42%
through digital payment. Compared to the amounts allocated to donations made
in the last twelve months, 42% of respondents donated more than 50 euros,
while 43% said they had donated, in the same period, between 10 and 50 euros.
A steadily growing trend is the use of mobile devices to make donations,
which in 2022 concerned 61% of respondents, compared to 65% who used a fixed
location. (BVA Doxa) June 27, 2023 NORTH AMERICA (USA) More Than Four-In-Ten
Republicans Now Say The U.S. Is Providing Too Much Aid To Ukraine As the war in Ukraine intensifies,
nearly half of Americans (47%) say either that the United States is providing
the right amount of aid (31%) or not enough assistance (16%) to Ukraine,
according to a new Pew Research Center survey. That compares with 28% who say
the U.S. is giving too much support to Ukraine.Yet the share of Americans who
say the U.S. is providing too much aid to Ukraine has steadily increased
since the start of the war, largely driven by a shift among Republicans. (PEW) JUNE 15, 2023 As Ai Spreads, Experts Predict
The Best And Worst Changes In Digital Life By 2035 Spurred by the splashy emergence of
generative artificial
intelligence and an array of other AI applications, experts
participating in a new Pew Research Center canvassing have great expectations
for digital advances across many aspects of life by 2035. They were also
asked to indicate how they feel about the changes they foresee. 42% of these
experts said they are equally excited and concerned about the changes in the
“humans-plus-tech” evolution they expect to see by 2035. 37% said they are
more concerned than excited about the changes they expect. 18% said they are
more excited than concerned about expected change. (PEW) JUNE 21, 2023 Americans Remain Critical Of
Government’s Handling Of Situation At U.S.-Mexico Border Just 23% of Americans say the
government is doing a good job dealing with the large number of people
seeking asylum at the border, while more than three times as many (73%) say
it’s doing a bad job.The new survey also finds: Nearly half of Americans
(47%) rate illegal immigration as a very big problem in the country, up from
38% last year. The public’s views of possible actions to deal with the
situation at the border have not changed much in recent years. About half
(52%) say it is very important to require people seeking asylum in the U.S.
to apply before they travel to the border. (PEW) JUNE 21, 2023 Majorities Of Americans
Prioritize Renewable Energy, Back Steps To Address Climate Change A new Pew Research Center survey
finds large shares of Americans support the United States taking steps to
address global climate change and back an energy landscape that prioritizes
renewable sources like wind and solar. The Pew Research Center survey of
10,329 U.S. adults conducted May 30 to June 4, 2023, finds: 74% of Americans
say they support the country’s participation in international efforts to
reduce the effects of climate change. 67% of U.S. adults prioritize the
development of alternative energy sources such as wind, solar and hydrogen
power over increasing the production of fossil fuel energy sources. (PEW) JUNE 28, 2023 Self-Employed People In The
U.S. Are More Likely Than Other Workers To Be Highly Satisfied With Their
Jobs Most self-employed workers (62%)
say they are extremely or very satisfied with their job, compared with 51% of
those who are not self-employed. They also express higher levels of enjoyment
and fulfillment with their job.In turn, those who are not self-employed are
more likely than self-employed workers to say they find their job stressful
and overwhelming.Some 48% of self-employed workers say their contributions at
work are valued a great deal, compared with a quarter of those who are not
self-employed. (PEW) JUNE 30, 2023 (Canada) Majority (60%) Of Canadians Not
Familiar With Private Investments A majority (60%) of Canadians say they are
not familiar with private investments, according to a new Ipsos poll
conducted on behalf of Harbourfront Wealth Management. Nearly two in ten
(17%) have never heard of these types of investments, which include
privately-held businesses, private equity, private credit, venture capital
and private real-estate trusts, while another 43% say they’re not very
familiar and that they’ve only heard the term but have a limited
understanding of the specifics. Conversely, just four in ten (40%) are
familiar (10% very/30% somewhat). (Ipsos Canada) 27 June 2023 Federal Politics: Trudeau’s
Approval Slides Among Ndp, Liberal Voters New data from the non-profit Angus
Reid Institute finds Canadians lean slightly towards believing the government
is operating poorly (46%) under the agreement than well (41%).Discontent with
what the government is getting accomplished under the NDP-Liberal agreement
is higher among past Conservative voters (85%), but past Liberal (73%) and
NDP supporters (59%) are both satisfied at majority levels.Meantime, Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau sees his approval dip to a low since the 2021
election – 36 per cent. Sliding approval from past Liberal (74%) and NDP
voters (46%) is pulling down appraisal of the prime minister after an
end-of-2022 bump that pushed the Liberal leader to 43 per cent. (Angus Reid Institute) 19 June 2023 Plurality Of Canadian Golf
Viewers Oppose Saudi-Funded Merger; Most Say Commissioner Should Resign New data from the non-profit Angus
Reid Institute finds Canadian golf fans viewing the merger, which would bring
the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and Europe’s DP World Tour together, as
sub-par.Indeed, among those who follow the PGA, 43 per cent oppose the deal,
significantly outpacing those who support it (25%). Notably, one-in-three
(32%) are unsure how to feel about the recently-announced agreement, which
caught many, including players,
off guard. The most avid golf fans – those who follow the PGA “very closely”
– are divided about the LIV-PGA merger. Two-in-five support it, and
two-in-five oppose it. (Angus Reid Institute) 20 June 2023 AUSTRALIA Over Half A Million Australians
Plan To Buy A New Electric Vehicle In The Next Four Years New data from Roy Morgan shows
548,000 Australians plan on buying an electric vehicle in the next four years
– equal to 12.5% of all those intending to purchase a new vehicle in this
period – a stunning increase of over 1,230% compared to four years ago.As
electric vehicles have become more familiar on our roads, and intention to
purchase has rapidly increased, a gap has opened up in the market. Now far
more people intend to purchase an electric vehicle (548,000) than a Tesla
(369,000) – a gap of 179,000 intending to buy another make of electric
vehicle. (Roy Morgan) June 20, 2023 Close To Four Million Australians
Now Downloading Podcasts New data from Roy Morgan shows
podcasts are increasingly popular in Australia with over 3.9 million
Australians now downloading audio or video podcasts in an average four weeks,
up by a massive 456,000 (+13.1%) from a year ago.This equates to almost
one-in-five Australians (18.3%), up by 1.9% points from a year ago. Mobile
phones and tablets are clearly the leading way to download podcasts used by
3.2 million Australians (15.2%) while around 1.1 million (5.2%) download podcasts
via their computer – (2.1% use both). (Roy Morgan) June 27, 2023 Australian Unemployment Jumped
To 10.3% In June – The Highest Since January 2023 (10.7%) In June unemployment jumped 1.9% to
10.3%, according to the latest Roy Morgan employment series data. However,
there was a decline in under-employment in June, down 0.5% points to
9.3%.1,572,000 Australians were unemployed (10.3% of the workforce) in June,
an increase of 314,000 from May with more people looking for full-time work,
up 94,000 to 608,000 and more people looking for part-time work, up a large
220,000 to 964,000. (Roy Morgan) June 30, 2023 Australians Are Wealthier Than
Before Covid, But Half The Population Holds Over 95% Of The Wealth After inflation, Australia’s wealth
increased by 7.0% between March 2020 (pre-COVID) and March 2023 driven
largely by the soaring value of owner-occupied homes – up 43.2% from $4.16
trillion to $5.95 trillion.The value of debt increased more quickly than the
value of assets (53.0% vs. 22.2%), but not enough to stop the growth in
overall wealth – the value of assets is now six times higher than the value
of debt.Half the population now accounts for 95.4% of the nation’s net
wealth, and the other half accounts for only 4.6% of net wealth. (Roy Morgan) June 30, 2023 Australians Say They Would
Support Taiwan If China Attacked, With Limits--Poll Australians would support
responding to a Chinese attack on Taiwan with economic sanctions, arms
supplies or using the navy to prevent a blockade, but don't support sending
troops, an opinion poll to be released Wednesday finds.The prospect of a
military conflict between the United States and China over Taiwan was seen as
a “critical threat” by 64% of Australians surveyed, worrying twice as many
people as two years ago. The top threat cited, by 68% percent of respondents,
was cyber-attacks from other countries. (Asahi Shimbun) June 21, 2023 MULTICOUNTRY STUDIES One In Three Globally Report
Rising Crime, Violence In Their Neighborhood In 29 Nations The latest global Ipsos survey on
perceptions on crime and law enforcement across 29 countries finds that many around
the world report a range of crimes in their neighborhood, from vehicle theft
and people using illegal drugs to assault and gangs.On average among the 29
countries polled, vehicle thefts (50%) and illegal drug consumption (50%)
were the most reported crimes occurring in people’s neighborhoods out of the
10 crimes polled. Under half reported violence against women in their
neighborhood (40%), followed by violence against children (36%) and violence
against men (34%). (Ipsos Global) 13 June 2023 Source:https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/one-three-globally-report-rising-crime-violence-their-neighborhood On A Global Scale, 45% Of Respondents Say They Are
Scared About Sharing Their Personal Information In 39 Countries The annual WIN World Survey,
carried out internationally by WIN and BVA Doxa for Italy, shows how concern
about data privacy has decreased.On a global scale, 45% of respondents say
they are scared about sharing their personal information compared to 48% in
the previous survey. The data that emerged analyzes the opinions of about 29
thousand people about the use of social media, demonstrating, in particular,
how in the last year the fear related to the violation of data privacy has
decreased. In Italy, 35% of respondents say they are worried about sharing
their digital information, 10% are not worried at all. (BVA Doxa) 15 June 2023 Source:https://www.bva-doxa.com/tecnologia-e-vita-quotidiana-una-relazione-complessa/ Economic
Ratings Are Poor – And Getting Worse – In Most Countries Surveyed Of 24 Countries As the global economy continues to
weather high inflation, energy prices and interest rates, majorities of
adults in 18 of 24 countries surveyed by Pew Research Center this spring rate
their nation’s economic situation poorly. A median of 70% of adults across
these countries say their nation’s economic situation is bad. Just 29% offer
positive assessments.At least three-quarters of adults in Argentina, France,
Italy, Japan, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, South Korea and the United
Kingdom assess their country’s economy negatively. Smaller majorities say the
same in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Spain, Sweden and
the United States. (PEW) 15 June 2023 World Refugee
Day 2023: Support For Providing Shelter Remains Strong, Albeit Down From
2022, A Survey Across 29 Countries On average, 74% of global citizens
say that countries should take in such people. In this sense, Spain is the
country in Europe in which there is a greater degree of acceptance of these
people reaching 85%, a percentage that has increased 8 points since 2021, and
which is followed by the United Kingdom, with 84% and Sweden, with 82%. The
data also places Spain as the second in the world that most supports the
reception, after New Zealand (87%).Only 29% of people support closing borders,
the lowest percentage of support in Europe after Poland (26%). 68% of
citizens believe that refugees are treated well in Spain. (Ipsos Spain) 18 June 2023
Our monthly What Worries the World
survey explores what the public thinks are the most important social and
political issues, drawing on more than ten years of data to place the latest
scores in context. This wave was conducted between May 26th – June 9th,
2023.Inflation is still the highest concern this month. This month sees a
slight easing of 1pp to 40%. Eleven nations – Argentina, Australia, Canada,
France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Poland, Singapore, the US, and Turkey
– have rising prices as their biggest concern. Colombia has inflation joint
first with unemployment. (Ipsos MORI) 28 June 2023 Source:https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/what-worries-world-june-2023 ASIA
799-801-43-01/Polls Students With Food Allergies Rose 120,000 Over Past
Decade
Around 527,000 students in public
schools across Japan suffer from food allergies according to a recent survey,
an increase of about 120,000 students from the previous survey nine years
ago. The number of students from
elementary school to high school who have experienced severe allergic
symptoms, known as anaphylaxis, has also risen. The Japan Society of School Health,
a public interest incorporated foundation, conducted the nationwide survey of
public elementary, junior high, high schools, as well as special needs
schools, integrated elementary and junior high schools and combined junior
high and high schools in fiscal 2022. They received responses from 25,466
schools with around 8.3 million students, representing a 77.6 percent
response rate. The results were compiled in March this year. The foundation conducted similar
surveys in 2004 and 2013 as a project the education ministry commissioned. The recent survey was carried out
as a project of the foundation and was subsidized by the government. The number of students with food
allergies had stood at 329,423, or 2.6 percent of students at responding
schools, in the 2004 survey. That climbed to 407,546, or 4.5
percent, in the 2013 survey and to 526,705, or 6.3 percent, in the 2022
survey. The latest survey showed that 25.8
percent of students’ food allergies were caused by chicken eggs, followed by
fruits at 25 percent, crustaceans at 14.9 percent, nuts at 12.4 percent,
peanuts at 11.2 percent and milk and dairy products at 11.1 percent. Health experts say having hay fever
makes people more susceptible to fruit allergies. Some suggest if there are
more children with hay fever, there could be more children with food
allergies. Food allergies cause symptoms such
as hives, coughing and vomiting. In some cases, they can lead to the
potentially fatal anaphylaxis. The latest survey also counted how
many students have experienced anaphylaxis. The number stood at 18,323, or 0.14
percent, in the 2004 survey. But it climbed to 43,621, or 0.48 percent, in
the 2013 survey and to 51,881, or 0.62 percent, in the 2022 survey. Only 26.8 percent of the surveyed
schools conducted a drill for how to respond to a student with anaphylaxis,
according to the survey. When people develop anaphylaxis,
the survival rate can significantly depend on whether they can immediately
have the self-injectable medicine called epinephrine administered. In the western Tokyo city of Chofu,
a student with a dairy allergy died in 2012 after eating Korean pancakes with
cheese, which was mistakenly served to her during school lunch. It took 14 minutes from when she
reported feeling unwell to when she was given epinephrine. An accident
investigation committee noted the delay in administering the injection. In the 2022 survey, there were
1,415 cases nationwide in which epinephrine was used during fiscal 2021. Of these, 31.9 percent had
paramedics administering it, followed by teachers and staff at 28.5 percent,
students themselves at 23.7 percent and parents at 15.9 percent. In the 2013 survey, students giving
themselves the injection accounted for 30.8 percent, followed by parents at
28.2 percent, teachers and staff at 26 percent and paramedics at 15 percent. Motohiro Ebisawa, head of the
Japanese Society of Allergy who was involved in the survey, said the ratio of
teachers administering epinephrine had not increased much compared to the
previous survey. He said it would be best if
teachers and staff at the school, who are likely to be the first to notice any unusual symptoms, could administer
the injection, as it takes time for parents or paramedics to arrive on the
scene. June 30, 2023 Source: https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14945266
799-801-43-02/Polls 84%
Of Pakistanis Strongly Agree With The Statement That Every Individual Should
Play Their Role In Making Society Better
According to a survey conducted by
Gallup & Gilani Pakistan, 84% of Pakistanis strongly agree with the
statement that every individual should play their role in making society
better. A nationally representative sample of adult men and women from across
the country, was asked the question “"Every individual should play their
individual role in making society better." How much do you agree or
disagree with this statement?” In response, 84% said strongly agree, 9% said
somewhat agree, 1% said neither agree nor disagree, 1% said somewhat
disagree, 3% said strongly disagree, and 2% said they do not know or gave no
response.
(Gallup Pakistan) June 19, 2023 Source: https://gallup.com.pk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/19th-June-English.pdf
799-801-43-03/Polls 52%
Pakistanis Believe That Young People Should Get Education According To Their
Personal Interests And Liking
According to a survey conducted by
Gallup & Gilani Pakistan, 52% of Pakistanis believe that young people
should get education according to their personal interests and liking as
opposed to worthiness of employment prospects of the degree. A nationally
representative sample of adult men and women from across the country, was
asked the question “Some people believe that young people should receive
education that is in line with employment opportunities, while others believe
that young people should receive education that interests them, and they
enjoy studying. What is your opinion?” In response, 42% said education in
line with employment opportunities, 52% said education according to personal
interest and liking, and 6% said they do not know or gave no response.
(Gallup Pakistan) June 21, 2023 Source: https://gallup.com.pk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/21st-June-English.pdf MENA
799-801-43-04/Polls Making
Sense Of
The Kuwaiti June 2023 Elections
For political scientists monitoring
the Arab world, the Kuwaiti elections typically pose two questions. First,
how is it that only one woman is elected to parliament in a country where 13 women were
candidates and a country with several women chief executive officers? Second,
why are there so many elections in general? According to 2022 Arab Barometer
data, younger Kuwaitis are slightly less interested in politics than their
elders. Yet, the most salient questions inside Kuwait are more related to the
political gridlock and the role of youth in transcending it. Political gridlock has delayed
economic growth in Kuwait while neighboring countries have achieved economic
development objectives more cost-effectively, according to Ahmed Aljarallah
in Al-Seyassah. Aljarallah attributes this situation to an absence of
leadership that is “strong and capable,” expressing he does not expect this
political gridlock to end. Alqabas provides similar opinions
in more optimistic ways. “For parliamentary elections are not only a
democratic practice and a victory for candidates accordingly; rather, it can
be seen as a factory for the creation of innovation and creativity for the
visions, programs, plans in every part of life,” wrote Asrar Hayat in her column.
To achieve a Kuwaiti renaissance and program, Hayat suggests a two-pronged
approach. First, elected officials should work with their predecessors to
draft laws. Second, appointed officials should listen to youthful voices and
uplift the solutions they express in their political activities and the fora
that occur prior to elections. Hayat’s posing of solutions is optimistic
because it deals with collaboration. We are still about 11 years away
from achieving the 2035 vision goals, writes Dr. Dhari Adel Alhuwayl in
Alqabas. It is not too late to work towards the goals relating to education,
health and other forms of caring for the youth. All parliamentary members
must work together to create laws and provide regulatory oversight for
achieving these goals that will enhance the democratic freedoms provided in
the 92nd article of the Kuwaiti constitution, he wrote. Alhuwayl’s opinion is
optimistic because it shows both determination and respect for freedoms
granted in the Kuwaiti constitution. The opinion of the prominent
economist Amer Theyab Altamimi in Alqabas focuses on another solution that
would enhance the quality of life for Kuwaiti youth. “Focusing on creating
real employment opportunities in both the public and private sectors for
citizens entering the job market is of prime importance.” He writes that
improving educational systems would balance the demographics of nationals to
non-nationals in Kuwait. He notes that while parliament focuses on political
solutions, ongoing economic development is necessary. Kuwait’s economic stagnation, which
is reflected in all international development indicators, can be attributed
to this political gridlock, writes Yousef Ahmed Aljalahemah in Alrai. Three
columnists in Alanba write about the impact of this political gridlock on the
morale of citizens: Dr. Abdulhadi Abdulhameed Alsaleh, Abdulmohsen Mohamad
Alhussaini, and Mishal Alsaeed. Others focused on environmental
protections or its impacts. Adel Naif Almizal wrote about the importance of
recycling industrial waste. Mohammed Abdulhamid Alsaqer called for the
appreciation of firefighters, whose work is courageous, through providing
more health benefits to them. Their work is necessary for the improvement of
the Kuwaiti environment and the resources associated with it, Alsaqer writes. These responses reflect some of the
public opinion gathered by the Arab Barometer in 2022.
Public opinion showed that 44 percent of Kuwaitis believed that the
government spending priority should be education, followed by improving roads
and transportation (14 percent) and the healthcare system (13 percent). This
public opinion data reflect the 2022-23 budget.
According to the Ministry of Finance, government spending prioritizes
education (12.4 percent), health (11.52 percent), transportation (3.37
percent) and environmental protection (0.84 percent) of a total budget of
23.5 billion Kuwaiti Dinars (approximately $76.5 billion).
The majority of the Middle East and
North African region is under the age of 40—including Kuwait. In the age of
digital media, the 2022 Arab barometer report
shows that only three percent of Kuwaitis rely on newspapers as their primary
source of information. So why then would opinion-editorials in print
newspapers be important to examine? Because these opinions have historically
been the main section of newspapers where the authors are primarily Kuwaiti
intellectuals. Furthermore, these elite voices focus on solutions to the
problems youth face in Kuwait. Perhaps examining these themes would provide
insight to the questions outsiders ask themselves. (Arabbarometer) June 23, 2023 Source:https://www.arabbarometer.org/2023/06/making-sense-of-the-kuwaiti-june-2023-elections/ AFRICA
799-801-43-05/Polls Zimbabweans
Offer Bleak Outlook On The State Of The Economy
Key findings Zimbabweans are pessimistic about national
conditions. More than seven in 10 citizens (72%) believe the country is going
in “the wrong direction,” up from 60% in 2017. Citizens’ top concerns are related to the
economy: Management of the economy (cited by 45% of respondents) and
unemployment (43%) are the most important problems that Zimbabweans want
their government to address. Only
about two in 10 citizens (22%) are optimistic that the country’s economy will
improve over the next 12 months. The
share of respondents who describe their personal living conditions as bad has
increased by 21 percentage points since 2012, to 64%. Not surprisingly, citizens’ negative
perceptions of the country’s economic situation and their own living
conditions are reflected in their assessments of government and leadership
performance. o Large majorities say the government is performing “fairly
badly” or “very badly” at keeping prices stable (87%), creating jobs (86%),
narrowing income gaps (79%), improving the living standards of the poor
(77%), and managing the economy (76%). o Only four in 10 Zimbabweans (41%)
“approve” or “strongly approve” of the president’s job performance over the
past 12 months, and even fewer (34%) give their member of Parliament a
passing mark. Both ratings reflect substantial declines over the past decade.
Country’s direction Only one-quarter (26%) of Zimbabweans believe the country
is going in “the right direction,” while 72% say it is on the wrong path
(Figure 1).
Perceptions of the country as
heading in the wrong direction increase with respondents’ level of poverty,
ranging from 58% of the better-off to 87% of those experiencing high lived
poverty1 (Figure 2). This view is also particularly common among urban
residents (79%), the middle-aged (76%), and respondents with secondary or
post-secondary education (75%- 77%). Harare (80%) and Manicaland (82%) record
the highest share of citizens who say the country is moving in the wrong
direction.
A weak economy and deteriorating
economic security The leading issues in the public eye are management of the
economy (cited by 45% of respondents as one of their three priorities for
government action) and unemployment (43%) (Figure 3).
Urbanites are more likely than
rural residents to prioritise management of the economy (51% vs. 41%),
unemployment (48% vs. 40%), water supply (32% vs. 22%), and corruption (21%
vs. 14%). Food insecurity is considered a more urgent problem in rural areas
(22%) than in cities (6%) (Figure 4).
Unemployment is an especially
pressing problem for young people. Figure 5 shows a stepwise decline in
concern about job creation by age: Almost half (47%) of respondents aged
18-35 cite unemployment as one of their main priorities, compared to just 31%
of those age 56 or above.
Only about two in 10 citizens (22%)
foresee improvement in the country’s economic health over the next year
(Figure 6). This proportion has fallen substantially from its peak in 2012,
when more than half (52%) of the population was optimistic about economic
conditions in Zimbabwe, perhaps in large part due to a brief period of
economic recovery after the Government of National Unity was formed between
President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF and Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) in 2009 (Dzirutwe, 2013). More than four in 10 (44%)
anticipate that economic conditions in the country will become “worse” or
“much worse,” while about one-third think things will stay the same (24%) or
say they “don’t know” (10%).
Assessments of personal living
conditions have worsened as well over the past decade: Just 20% of citizens
describe them as “fairly good” or “very good,” while 64% now see their living
conditions as bad, up from 43% in 2012 (Figure 7).
Views on leadership and government
performance Considering the country’s economic difficulties, how do citizens
evaluate the performance of their government and leadership? Large majorities
say the government is doing “fairly badly” or “very badly” on key economic
issues, including keeping prices stable (87%), creating jobs (86%), narrowing
income gaps (79%), improving the living standards of the poor (77%), and
managing the economy (76%) (Figure 8).
Assessments of the president and
Parliament are somewhat less negative, though hardly glowing (Figure 9). Only
four in 10 citizens (41%) “approve” or “strongly approve” of the president’s
performance in the past year, while 49% disapprove. Approval ratings dropped
sharply between 2017 (56%) and 2021 (35%) and have recovered only slightly
since then. Even fewer citizens (34%) approve of the performance of their
members of Parliament, down from 52% a decade ago.
Conclusion Most Zimbabweans see the
country as moving in the wrong direction, reflecting widespread
discouragement about the economy and concerns about their own livelihoods.
Few expect things to get better in the near future. Their assessments of the
government’s economic performance reflect this bleak outlook, particularly
when it comes to keeping prices stable and creating jobs, an especially
important priority among the youngest adults. As Zimbabweans approach
national elections, an economic turn-around will clearly be at the top of
voters’ agenda. (Afrobarometer) June 24, 2023 799-801-43-06/Polls Ghanaians
Support Media’s Watchdog Role But Are Sceptical Of News Sources
Key findings In Ghana, radio is the most popular news
source: 80% of adults say they tune in "every day" or "a few
times a week." Seven in 10 citizens (71%) say they regularly get news
from television, and more than four in 10 are regular consumers of news from
social media (43%) and the Internet (42%). Newspapers bring up the rear with
6%. Almost nine out of 10 Ghanaians
(85%) say the media should “constantly investigate and report on government
mistakes and corruption.”
Three-quarters (74%) say the media should be free to publish without
government interference. A large
majority (71%) see Ghana’s media as “somewhat” or “completely” free, while
28% say it is “not very free” or “not at all” free, up from 19% in 2019. Fewer than half of respondents say they
trust information from privately owned media outlets (48%), state-owned media
outlets (44%), government sources (40%), and social media (38%). More than a quarter (27%) of Ghanaians
believe that “most” or “all” media persons from private and public
institutions are corrupt. Sources of news in Ghana Radio is the most popular
source of news in Ghana. Eight in 10 citizens (80%) say they get news via
radio “every day” or “a few times a week.” Only 8% say they “never” use the
radio as a news source (Figure 1). Television news comes second, with 71% of
adults as regular consumers. More than four in 10 citizens say they rely on
digital media channels for news: 43% for social media 43% for the Internet.
Only 6% use newspaper as a regular source of news.
Reliance on radio news increases
somewhat with respondents’ age, reaching 84% among those over age 55, while
regular consumption of TV news declines among the elders (64%) (Figure 2).
Social media and the Internet are far more common news sources among 18- to
35-year-olds than than among their elders. Consumption of news from all these
media channels increases significantly with the educational level of
respondents. Gaps are particularly pronounced with regard to social media and
the Internet, where at least 77- percentage-point differences separate
citizens with no formal education from those with post-secondary
qualifications. Men are more likely than women to use each of these channels
for news, especially the Internet (50% vs. 33%), social media (50% vs. 35%),
and radio (85% vs. 74%). Large gaps also separate urban and rural news
consumption via the Internet (26 percentage points), social media (25
points), and television (24 points), reflecting limited electricity and
Internet coverage in many rural areas. Urban-rural use is similar for radio,
whose wide coverage reaches 79% of rural adults on a regular basis, and
newspapers.
Role and freedom of the media As
frequent news consumers, what kind of a media do Ghanaians want? Most are in
favour of a media that acts as a watchdog over the government: More than
eight in 10 (85%) “agree” or “strongly agree” that the media should
“constantly investigate and report on government mistakes and corruption,”
while just 14% think that “too much reporting on negative events … only harms
the country” (Figure 3).
About one-quarter (24%) instead
think the government should have the right to prevent the publication of
things it disapproves of. Support for media freedom in Ghana has been on a
steep rise since 2017. This preference is slightly more common among men than
women (76% vs. 72%) and in cities compared to rural areas (76% vs. 71%). It
gathers strength as respondents’ education level increases, ranging from 70%
among those with no formal schooling to 80% among those with post-secondary
education (Figure 5).
Providing further evidence of their
firm belief in the free flow of information, strong majorities say the media
and ordinary citizens should have the right to access government information
about local government budgets (90%) and government bids and contracts (88%).
A slimmer majority (55%) say information about salaries of local government
officials and teachers should be available to the public, while 42% disagree
(Figure 6).
In practice, how free is Ghana’s
media to play its watchdog role? Almost three in 10 respondents (28%) say the
media is “not at all free” (6%) or “not very free” (22%), up from 19% in
2019. But a solid majority (71%) say it is “somewhat free” (41%) or
“completely free” (30%) (Figure 7).
Trust and corruption in the media
Despite their support for media freedom, do Ghanaians trust media outlets and
sources of information? In fact, citizens show themselves to be quite
sceptical. Fewer than half say they trust information “somewhat” or “a lot”
when it comes from privately owned media outlets (48%), state-owned media
outlets (44%), and government sources (40%). Only 38% trust information from
social media (Figure 8).
Conclusion Radio and television are the most
popular news sources in Ghana, while social media and the Internet have
gained strong traction. Ghanaians overwhelmingly support investigative
reporting and value the media's role as a watchdog, and most express support
for media freedom. But trust in various information sources is weak,
highlighting the need for transparency and ethics among media
professionals. (Afrobarometer) June 30, 2023 WEST EUROPE
799-801-43-07/Polls Britons Blame Boris
Johnson For Tory
Disunity
With the news in recent weeks
dominated by the battle between Boris Johnson and the government over Covid
inquiry evidence and Johnson’s resignation honours, it is no surprise to see
that fully 74% of Britons currently believe the Conservative party to be
divided. Just 5% of Britons see the party as united, including only 8% of
Tory voters. However, Britons place the blame
for the current Conservative chaos squarely at the feet of its former leader.
Half (52%) say Boris Johnson is primarily responsible for the current
(dis)unity of the Tory party, compared to just 19% who blame Rishi Sunak.
(Among those Britons who specifically say that the Conservatives are divided,
62% say Johnson is the main reason versus 19% for Sunak).
Conservative voters likewise name
Boris Johnson as the main culprit, albeit by a narrower margin of 41% to 29%. With Tory MPs coordinating
resignations, and doing so in a way to maximise by-election woes for the
leadership, just 20% Britons think that Rishi Sunak is in control of the
Conservative party. Among Conservative voters only 30% think he has a firm
grip on the party, with 51% saying he is not. (YouGov UK) June 15, 2023
799-801-43-08/Polls Just
6% Of Britons Agree With The Government’s Definition Of A New
Hospital
In their 2019 election manifesto,
the Conservatives pledged to build 40 new hospitals by 2030. However, health
secretary Steve Barclay was pressed in an interview in May
about whether the government were bring straight with the public about this
pledge, given the way they are defining ‘new hospital’. According to the Department for
Health & Social Care’s New Hospital Programme
Communications Playbook, a ‘new hospital’ can be defined
as:
A BBC investigation in 2021 found
that, of 34 hospital trusts that replied to them, just five said their
project came under the first category, 12 the second, and nine the third
(others were unable to say). Now a new YouGov poll finds that
just 6% of Britons agree with the government in saying that all three
categories count as a ‘new hospital’. Using a slightly more accessible
version of the language used in the official definition, fully 92% of Britons
say that “a whole new hospital built from scratch on a site which previously
did not contain a hospital” would come under their definition of ‘new
hospital’. Only 3% disagree.
Only 14% of Britons consider
“adding a major new clinical building or new wing to an existing hospital,
containing a whole clinical service such as maternity or children's services”
to constitute a new hospital, while 20% say the same of “a complete or major
refurbishment of an existing hospital”. As many as 78% and 72% respectively
say that these projects would not count as a new hospital. Conservative voters who backed the
party – and its manifesto – in 2019 are the same as the wider population in
terms of their definition of a new hospital.
(YouGov UK) June 27, 2023 Source:https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2023/06/27/what-counts-new-hospital
799-801-43-09/Polls Eight
In Ten Britons Are Dissatisfied With How The Government Is Running The Country
Dissatisfaction rises to almost 9
in 10 amongst those with mortgages 58% think the economy will worsen
in the next 12 months The latest Ipsos Political Monitor,
taken 14th to 20th June 2023, highlights strong public dissatisfaction with
how the government is running the country (especially amongst mortgage
holders) and increased public pessimism about the state of the economy. The
survey also explores public satisfaction with the main party leaders and sees
Labour’s lead in voting intention grow to 22 points. Chart showing satisfaction with
party leader and government
The public are more dissatisfied
with the current Government compared to last month: 80% are dissatisfied with the way
the government is running the country (+4pts from May), 12% are satisfied
(-3pts from May). This gives them a net satisfaction of -68, the lowest net
satisfaction rating since Sunak became Prime Minister, and effectively the
joint worst rating the Conservative government has had since the 2019 General
Election (Liz Truss’ government registering a -69 in October). Mortgage holders are notably
dissatisfied with the government’s performance. 87% are dissatisfied and just
9% are satisfied. This net score of -78 is worse than for those renting (-62)
or those owning outright (-63). In terms of satisfaction with party
leaders: Satisfaction with Sunak has
declined since May. 28% are satisfied with the job Sunak is doing as Prime
Minister (-2pts from May), 59% are dissatisfied (+4pts). Net = -31. 61% of
Conservative supporters are satisfied with the job Sunak is doing (-7pts from
May), 30% are dissatisfied (+9). Satisfaction with Starmer remains
consistent with last month. 31% are satisfied with the job Sunak is doing as
Prime Minister (No change from May), 49% are dissatisfied (-1pt). Net = -18.
56% of Labour supporters are satisfied with the job Starmer is doing (+6 pts
from May), 29% are dissatisfied (-7). Sir Ed Davey’s ratings have
remained consistent with last month. 23% are satisfied (-2 from May) and 34%
are dissatisfied (+2). Economic optimism The public continue to be
pessimistic about the economic condition of the country moving forward – with
scores falling back after recent improvements. 58% say the economy will worsen in
the next year (+4 from May) 21% say the general economic
condition of the country will improve (-3 from May) 18% say the general economic
condition of the country will stay the same (No change from May) Chart showing economic optimism
Voting intention Labour have extended their lead
over the Conservatives in terms of voting intention: •
Labour 47% (+3 from May); •
Conservative Party 25% (-3 from May) •
The Liberal Democrats 13% (No change from May) •
The Green Party 8% (+2 from May) •
Other 8% (No change from May) Ipsos Head of Politics Gideon
Skinner said of the findings: It’s been a difficult few weeks for
the Conservatives, with the re-emergence of partygate and continuing concerns
about inflation and interest rates.
This is reflected in our polling data on the fundamentals of
government performance and the economy – 80% government dissatisfaction is
well below the long term Ipsos average, and has only ever been worse under
John Major 1992-95 and Theresa May in 2019.
Rishi Sunak’s personal ratings have also taken a dip, and while Keir
Starmer’s ratings are also only average this hasn’t yet stopped Labour reinforcing
its lead. Delivery on the economy and
public services will be key to hopes the Conservatives might have of
kick-starting their recovery, but at the moment there is a distinct lack of
optimism among the public – particularly mortgage holders and renters - that
things will get better. (Ipsos MORI) June 23, 2023 Source:https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/eight-ten-britons-are-dissatisfied-how-government-running-country
799-801-43-10/Polls Two
In Three People Believe There Is Plenty Society Can Do To End Homelessness
The Royal Foundation of The Prince
and Princess of Wales has today unveiled findings of new research into public
attitudes towards homelessness, undertaken by Ipsos as Research Partner of
the Homewards programme. Launched by Prince William,
Homewards is a five-year locally led programme which will demonstrate that
together, it is possible to end homelessness, making it rare, brief and
unrepeated. The research involved a survey by
Ipsos to measure public perceptions of homelessness and prospects for ending
it, to establish a baseline from which to track changes in opinion (design of
the survey was informed by qualitative research conducted last year). This
reflects Homewards’ ambition to improve society’s understanding of
homelessness and boost optimism that it can be ended. Key findings in detail Homelessness is seen as a serious
issue across the UK. 8 in 10 people think homelessness is a serious issue in
their country - almost 9 in 10 in Scotland and England – although people are
more likely to see it as a problem nationally than in their local area. Two
in ten have some experience of homelessness either personally or through a
family member or friend. Three-quarters of people think that
homelessness has got worse in the UK in the past 12 months and most of this
group (82%) think it will continue to get worse in the next 12 months. There is, however, a sense of
opportunity. Two in three (65%) think there are plenty of things society can
do to end homelessness. There is also a feeling though that successful
intervention would have positive impacts beyond the individuals supported,
alleviating pressure on public services, benefiting local communities and the
country as a whole. There is a gap in people’s
understanding of homelessness. The default definition tends to be narrow and
focused on visible homelessness with rough sleeping top-of-mind. However,
people recognise the wider definition including ‘hidden homelessness’, and
there is a general acceptance that homelessness can be defined as experienced
by anyone without a stable and permanent home. There is empathy for people who
experience homelessness or who are unable to find a solution to their
situation as well as a recognition that a single, unexpected event could lead
to homelessness. 8 in 10 people believe that homelessness can happen to
anyone and just under 6 in 10 agree that most people who are homeless are in
that situation because of things outside their control. 9 in 10 think there are lots of
causes of homelessness. For example, poverty and alcohol or drugs problems
were selected most often by survey respondents from a list of potential
causes of homelessness. Causes are seen by people as being complex and
interconnected, feeding concerns about whether ‘ending’ homelessness is possible.
There is a strong sense that as a
society we’re not devoting enough attention to ending homelessness;
three-quarters (73%) hold this view. Half think that charities are doing
about the right amount (1 in 10 think they are doing too much) and there is a
consistent view that others are doing too little. There is, though, low
awareness of current efforts; 7 in 10 say they don’t know what is being done
to address homelessness. Just as the causes of homelessness
are seen to include social/structural factors, so attempts to address it will
necessarily involve a collective effort from a range of public and private
sector organisations. Just 13% of people are confident that councils,
government, charities and businesses will work together to tackle homelessness
in the next few years. 7 in 10 (72%) support the aim of
‘ending’ homelessness by making it rare, brief and unrepeated. Demonstrating that homelessness can
and has been ended with facts, figures and case studies has the potential to
engage the public and help to shift perceptions into more positive territory. Kelly Beaver MBE, Chief Executive
of Ipsos UK and Ireland, said: We are delighted to be partnering
with the Royal Foundation on Homewards.
This is a programme that has the potential to bring about real change
to the long-term issue of homelessness in the UK. With 1 in 5 people having some experience
of homelessness, either directly or via friends or family, it is clear that
this is an issue that impacts a large number of people. The public think that homelessness
is likely to increase in the year ahead. But our research also suggests that
it is far from a lost cause - nearly three-quarters of people support
Homewards’ aim of ending homelessness and the majority think that society can
do more to make this a reality. (Ipsos MORI) June 26, 2023 Source:https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/two-three-people-believe-there-plenty-society-can-do-end-homelessness
799-801-43-11/Polls Ipsos
Mori Report Shows; One In Seven People Face Hunger Across The UK Because They
Don’t Have Enough Money
New research for the Trussell Trust
published this week shows the extent of hunger in the UK. Some 14% of all UK adults (or their
households) have experienced food insecurity in the 12 months to mid-2022.
The research shows that certain groups of people are more at risk, the
drivers pushing people towards hunger, and how this leads to further issues,
including isolation, debt and health problems. Reports of findings and study technical
details are published on the Trussell Trust’s website. Survey datasets will also be available on
the UK National Data Archive. ‘Hunger in the UK’ is the most
in-depth study on hunger, its causes, impacts and who is affected, in the UK
to-date and evidences the main driver as a lack of money. The research shows
that certain groups of people are more at risk, the drivers of hunger, and
how this leads to further issues, including isolation, debt and health
problems. The research also finds that while
around 7% of the UK population were supported by charitable food support,
including food banks, most people facing hunger (71%) had not yet accessed
any form of charitable food support. Furthermore, paid work does not
always protect people from having to use food banks. One in five people using
food banks in the Trussell Trust network are in a working household. Just
under a third (30%) of people in work who have had to use a food bank, are in
insecure work such as zero hours contracts or agency work. Emma Revie, chief executive at the
Trussell Trust, says: Being forced to turn to a food bank
to feed your family is a horrifying reality for too many people in the UK,
but as Hunger in the UK shows, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Millions
more people are struggling with hunger. This is not right. Food banks are not
the answer when people are going without the essentials in one of the richest
economies in the world. We need a social security system which provides
protection and the dignity for people to cover their own essentials, such as
food and bills. (Ipsos MORI) June 29, 2023
799-801-43-12/Polls Food
Festivals Attract Visitors
Summer will once again bring
numerous festivals and events this year, and after the interruptions caused
by the Corona pandemic, numerous visitors will once again be drawn to
concerts and events in person this year, as a recent survey with YouGov
Surveys shows. Three out of five Germans (59 percent) say they attend events
hosted by companies or brands they like. Thus, festivals and events offer
companies the opportunity to introduce new products and increase their brand
awareness. According to other YouGov data,
festivals and events related to food and drink are particularly popular with
Germans. More than a quarter of respondents (28 percent) say it's likely for
them to attend a food and drink festival. Music festivals and concerts are
also popular: 26 percent are likely to attend them, closely followed by
events related to films and theatre (23 percent). Almost one in five people
are likely to attend a sporting event (19 percent), but book and literary
events also attract visitors (16 percent). Cars-related events, on the other
hand, seem to be of less interest to consumers, with only 9 percent of
Germans likely to attend one in the next 12 months. Esports and gaming events
are also rarely attended (5 and 7 percent, respectively), possibly because
many of these events have a large online presence. A look at the different age groups
shows big differences in consumer preferences. The 18- to 24-year-olds are
most likely to be drawn to music festivals (33 percent), but also to events
related to film and theater (26 percent). Sporting events as well as events
related to food and drink are also popular with GenZ: almost a quarter of
this age group (23 percent each) are likely to attend such an event. The age
group between 25 and 34 years as well as the 35 to 44-year-olds, on the other
hand, prefer film and theatre events (31 and 32 percent respectively). Among
the age groups between 45 and 54 years and 55+, culinary events are the
undisputed number 1, with 30 and 28 percent respectively planning to attend
events related to food and drink. (YouGov Germany) June 21, 2023
799-801-43-13/Polls Almost
Everyone (91%) In Germany Attaches Importance To A Balanced Diet And
Lifestyle
Obesity among children: Germans see
the school system as having a duty When asked which three of a total
of ten selectable measures would be most suitable for countering the
challenge of obesity in children, a wider range of balanced food in schools
is the most popular. 39 percent of those surveyed consider this to be one of
the top 3 measures. Similarly often, more sports activities and
child-friendly education about balanced nutrition in school lessons are
mentioned (38% each). This is followed by information
campaigns on a balanced diet (26%) and the restriction of advertising for
foods rich in sugar, fat or salt (24%). One in five Germans (19%) considers a
special taxation of products with a sugar, fat or salt content defined by
experts to be a well-suited measure. Better food labelling (e.g. Nutri-Score
or food lamp) is approved by 18 percent. Among those respondents who are in
favour of restricting advertising for food above a certain sugar, fat or salt
content, the vast majority (69%) believe that this should apply to the entire
population, regardless of age. 29 percent of this group, on the other hand,
prefer a targeted restriction of advertising for children under the age of
14. Green and SPD supporters most
likely in favour of advertising restrictions The supporters of the parties
represented in the Bundestag sometimes differ greatly in their opinions on
the role of the state in regulating unhealthy foods. When it comes to
children, almost one in two Green voters (48%) and 43 percent of SPD
supporters see the state as having a responsibility to regulate products with
a sugar, fat or salt content defined by experts. Among sympathizers of the
AfD and FDP, 28 and 30 percent of respondents see it that way, respectively.
(Ipsos Germany) June 13, 2023
799-801-43-14/Polls Digital
Donations Goes Beyond Cash With Young People In The Front Row
Digital donations exceed cash
donations for the first time 85% of millennials and GenZ have
donated at least once in the last 12 months The ninth edition of the Donare 3.0
study, conducted by BVA Doxa with PayPal Italia and Rete del Dono, confirms
the growing attitude to donation on the part of younger generations, more
inclined to donate a solidarity gift and often in favor of more charitable
causes. The primacy of digital in donations If during 2021 there was a strong rapprochement
between the two payment methods in donations, with 37% donating in cash and
35% through digital tools, 2022 marks a turning point compared to the
approach of Italians interviewed in donation methods: 38% in cash, 42%
through digital payment. Compared to the amounts allocated to donations made
in the last twelve months, 42% of respondents donated more than 50 euros,
while 43% said they had donated, in the same period, between 10 and 50 euros.
A steadily growing trend is the use of mobile devices to make donations,
which in 2022 concerned 61% of respondents, compared to 65% who used a fixed
location. Considering the online payment methods, PayPal is confirmed to be,
once again, the preferred tool for 70% of respondents, followed by the credit
card at 62%. The donor protagonist The attitude to donation on the
part of young people is consolidated. Online donors show a positive growth
trend year on year, first of all the millennial and GenZ generation: 85% made
at least one donation during 2022. 38% of respondents said they donate to
associations suggested by trusted people, especially among Millennials and
GenZ. In addition, about one in two donors (51%) remains "very loyal to
the associations to which they donate". Also between the two generations
mentioned, there is a strong preference (61%) for the gift of material
objects. The propensity to marry more than one charitable cause is very
marked, considering that 64% of respondents said they had donated to more
than two associations. It should be noted, among other things, the attitude
to volunteering which, according to the results of the research, actively
involves 33% of the subjects interviewed. Health and research, the main cause
to donate Among the different reasons and
causes for which you decide to contribute through a donation, the theme of
health and research is consolidated in first place with 55% of the
preferences of the interviewees. The growth of interest continues from year to
year with respect to social assistance, sport, art and culture. Precisely
this last cause, culture, reveals a cross-section with a high attention to
projects related to Italian cultural heritage and those related to the
territory. Five donor profiles Among the novelties of the 2023
edition of Donate 3.0 there is an accurate profiling of five different types
of donor, detected on the basis of the motivations and perception found among
the interviewees with respect to the theme of donation. ACT (19%) so donating is a broader
and deeper gesture than money. EXCHANGE (11%) for which the
donation represents a give and take, a sort of exchange. ON DEMAND (39%) in this case the
donation takes place against a request HELP (7%) for which donating means helping
especially those who need it most LIFE (24%) in this case the
donation is a central part of one's life. (BVA Doxa) Source:https://www.bva-doxa.com/donazioni-il-digitale-supera-il-contante-con-i-giovani-in-prima-fila/ NORTH
AMERICA
799-801-43-15/Polls More
Than Four-In-Ten Republicans Now Say The U.S. Is Providing Too Much Aid To
Ukraine
As the war in Ukraine intensifies,
nearly half of Americans (47%) say either that the United States is providing
the right amount of aid (31%) or not enough assistance (16%) to Ukraine,
according to a new Pew Research Center survey. That compares with 28% who say
the U.S. is giving too much support to Ukraine. Yet the share of Americans who say
the U.S. is providing too much aid to Ukraine has steadily increased since
the start of the war, largely driven by a shift among Republicans.
Currently, 44% of Republicans and
Republican-leaning independents say the U.S. is giving too much aid to
Ukraine, up modestly since January (40%) and the highest level since shortly
after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. Just 14% of Democrats and
Democratic leaners view the current level of U.S. aid as excessive, little
changed in recent months. In March of last year, Republicans
were only 4 percentage points more likely than Democrats to say the U.S. is
providing too much aid to Ukraine (9% vs. 5%). Today, Republicans are 30
points more likely to say so. Public attention to the
Russia-Ukraine conflict is little changed in recent months. Around six-in-ten
Americans (59%) – including similar shares of Republicans and Democrats – say
they follow news about the invasion at least somewhat closely. How much of a threat to the U.S. is
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?
Roughly a third of Americans (32%)
say Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a major threat to U.S. interests. An
identical share say it is a minor threat, while 11% say it is not a threat. These views have changed only
modestly since January. But in March 2022, half of Americans said Russia’s
invasion posed a major threat to U.S. interests. Democrats are more likely than
Republicans to say Russia’s invasion is a major threat (38% vs. 28%), but
this view has declined among members of both parties since March of last year. Views of the Biden administration’s
response to Russia’s invasion Around four-in-ten U.S. adults
(39%) say they approve of the Biden administration’s response to Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine, while about a third (35%) disapprove, according to the
new survey. A quarter say they are not sure.
A majority of Democrats (59%)
approve of the administration’s response, while just 16% disapprove. In
contrast, 57% of Republicans disapprove of the administration’s response,
while 23% approve. Views of the Biden administration’s
response have changed little since January, the last time this question was
asked. (PEW) JUNE 15, 2023
799-801-43-16/Polls As
Ai Spreads, Experts
Predict The Best And Worst Changes In Digital Life By 2035
Spurred by the splashy emergence of
generative artificial
intelligence and an array of other AI applications, experts
participating in a new Pew Research Center canvassing have great expectations
for digital advances across many aspects of life by 2035. They anticipate
striking improvements in health care and
education. They foresee a world in which wonder drugs are
conceived and enabled in digital spaces; where personalized medical care
gives patients precisely what they need when they need it; where people wear smart eyewear and
earbuds that keep them connected to the people, things and
information around them; where AI systems can nudge discourse into productive
and fact-based conversations; and where progress will be made in environmental sustainability,
climate action and pollution prevention. At the same time, the experts in
the new canvassing worry about the darker sides of many of the developments
they celebrate. Key examples: ■ Some expressed fears that align with the statement
recently released by technology leaders and AI specialists arguing that AI
poses the “risk of extinction”
for humans that should be treated with the same urgency as pandemics and
nuclear war. ■ Some point to clear problems that have been
identified with generative AI systems, which produce erroneous and unexplainable things
and are already being used to foment misinformation and trick
people. ■ Some are anxious about the seemingly unstoppable speed and
scope of digital tech that they fear could enable blanket surveillance of
vast populations and could destroy the information
environment, undermining democratic systems
with deepfakes, misinformation and harassment. ■ They fear massive unemployment, the spread
of global crime, and further concentration of global wealth
and power in the hands of the founders and leaders of a few large companies. ■ They also speak about how the weaponization of social media
platforms might create population-level stress, anxiety, depression and
feelings of isolation. In sum, the experts in this
canvassing noted that humans’ choices to use technologies for good or ill
will change the world significantly. These predictions emerged from a
canvassing of technology innovators, developers, business and policy leaders,
researchers and academics by Pew Research Center and Elon University’s
Imagining the Internet Center. Some 305 responded to this query: As you look ahead to the year 2035,
what are the BEST AND MOST BENEFICIAL changes that are likely to occur by
then in digital technology and humans’ use of digital systems? … What are the
MOST HARMFUL OR MENACING changes likely to occur? Many of these experts wrote long,
detailed assessments describing potential opportunities and threats they see
to be most likely. The full question prompt specifically encouraged them to
share their thoughts about both kinds of impacts – positive and negative. And
our question invited them to think about the benefits and costs of five
specific domains of life:
They were also asked to indicate
how they feel about the changes they foresee. ■ 42% of these experts said they are equally excited and
concerned about the changes in the “humans-plus-tech” evolution they expect
to see by 2035. ■ 37% said they are more concerned than excited about the
changes they expect. ■ 18% said they are more excited than concerned about expected
change. ■ 2% said they are neither excited nor concerned. ■ 2% said they don’t think there will be much real change by
2035. The most harmful or menacing
changes in digital life that are likely by 2035 Some 79% of the canvassed experts
said they are more concerned than excited about coming technological change
or equally concerned and excited. These respondents spoke of their fears in
the following categories: The future harms to human-centered
development of digital tools and systems The experts who addressed this fear
wrote about their concern that digital systems will continue to be driven by
profit incentives in economics and power incentives in politics. They said
this is likely to lead to data collection aimed at controlling people rather
than empowering them to act freely, share ideas and protest injuries and
injustices. These experts worry that ethical design will continue to be an
afterthought and digital systems will continue to be released before being
thoroughly tested. They believe the impact of all of this is likely to
increase inequality and compromise democratic systems. The future harms to human rights These experts fear new threats to
rights will arise as privacy becomes harder, if not impossible, to maintain.
They cite surveillance advances, sophisticated bots embedded in civic spaces,
the spread of deepfakes and disinformation, advanced facial recognition
systems, and widening social and digital divides as looming threats. They
foresee crimes and harassment spreading more widely, and the rise of new
challenges to humans’ agency and security. A topmost concern is the
expectation that increasingly sophisticated AI is likely to lead to the loss
of jobs, resulting in a rise in poverty and the diminishment of human
dignity. The future harms to human knowledge They fear that the best of
knowledge will be lost or neglected in a sea of mis- and disinformation, that
the institutions previously dedicated to informing the public will be further
decimated, that basic facts will be drowned out in a sea of entertaining
distractions, bald-faced lies and targeted manipulation. They worry that
people’s cognitive skills will decline. In addition, they argued that
“reality itself is under siege” as emerging digital tools convincingly create
deceptive or alternate realities. They worry that a class of “doubters” will
hold back progress. The future harms to human health
and well-being A share of these experts said
humanity’s embrace of digital systems has already spurred high levels of
anxiety and depression and predicted things could worsen as technology embeds
itself further in people’s lives and social arrangements. Some of the mental
and physical problems could stem from tech-abetted loneliness and social
isolation; some could come from people substituting tech-based “experiences”
for real-life encounters; some could come from job displacements and related
social strife; and some could come directly from tech-based attacks. The future harms to human
connections, governance and institutions The experts who addressed these
issues fear that norms, standards and regulation around technology will not
evolve quickly enough to improve the social and political interactions of
individuals and organizations. Two overarching concerns: a trend toward
autonomous weapons and cyberwarfare, and the prospect of runaway digital
systems. They also said things could worsen as the pace of tech change
accelerates. They expect that people’s distrust in each other may grow and
their faith in institutions may deteriorate. This, in turn, could deepen
already undesirable levels of polarization, cognitive dissonance and public
withdrawal from vital discourse. They fear, too, that digital systems will be
too big and important to avoid, and all users will be captives. The best and most beneficial
changes in digital life likely by 2035 Some 18% of the canvassed experts
said they are more excited than concerned about coming technological change
and 42% said they are equally excited and concerned. They shared their hopes
related to the following themes: The future benefits to
human-centered development of digital tools and systems These experts covered a wide range
of likely digital enhancements in medicine, health, fitness and nutrition;
access to information and expert recommendations; education in both formal
and informal settings; entertainment; transportation and energy; and other
spaces. They believe that digital and physical systems will continue to
integrate, bringing “smartness” to all manner of objects and organizations,
and expect that individuals will have personal digital assistants that ease
their daily lives. The future benefits to human rights These experts believe digital tools
can be shaped in ways that allow people to freely speak up for their rights
and join others to mobilize for the change they seek. They hope ongoing
advances in digital tools and systems will improve people’s access to
resources, help them communicate and learn more effectively, and give them
access to data in ways that will help them live better, safer lives. They
urged that human rights must be supported and upheld as the internet spreads
to the farthest corners of the world. The future benefits to human
knowledge These respondents hope for
innovations in business models; in local, national and global standards and
regulation; and in societal norms. They wish for improved digital literacy
that will revive and elevate trusted news and information sources in ways
that attract attention and gain the public’s interest. And they hope that new
digital tools and human and technological systems will be designed to assure
that factual information will be appropriately verified, highly findable,
well-updated and archived. The future benefits to human health
and well-being These experts expect that the many
positives of digital evolution will bring a health care revolution that
enhances every aspect of human health and well-being. They emphasize that
full health equality in the future should direct equal attention to the needs
of all people while also prioritizing their individual agency, safety, mental
health and privacy and data rights. The future benefits to human
connections, governance and institutions Hopeful experts said society is
capable of adopting new digital standards and regulations that will promote
pro-social digital activities and minimize antisocial activities. They
predict that people will develop new norms for digital life and foresee them
becoming more digitally literate in social and political interactions. They
said in the best-case scenario, these changes could influence digital life
toward promoting human agency, security, privacy and data protection. Experts’ overall expectations for
the best and worst in digital change by 2035, in their own words Many of the respondents quite
succinctly outlined their expectations for the best and worst in digital
change by 2035. Here are some of those comments. (The remarks made by the
respondents to this canvassing reflect their personal positions and are not
the positions of their employers. The descriptions of their leadership roles
help identify their background and the locus of their expertise. Some
responses are lightly edited for style and readability.) Aymar Jean Christian, associate
professor of communication studies at Northwestern University and adviser to
the Center for Critical Race Digital Studies: “Decentralization is a promising
trend in platform distribution. Web 2.0 companies grew powerful by creating
centralized platforms and amassing large amounts of social data. The next
phase of the web promises more user ownership and control over how our data,
social interactions and cultural productions are distributed. The
decentralization of intellectual property and its distribution could provide
opportunities for communities that have historically lacked access to
capitalizing on their ideas. Already, users and grassroots organizations are
experimenting with new decentralized governance models, innovating in the
long-standing hierarchical corporate structure. “However, the automation of story
creation and distribution through artificial intelligence poses pronounced
labor equality issues as corporations seek cost-benefits for creative content
and content moderation on platforms. These AI systems have been trained on
the un- or under-compensated labor of artists, journalists and everyday
people, many of them underpaid labor outsourced by U.S.-based companies.
These sources may not be representative of global culture or hold the ideals
of equality and justice. Their automation poses severe risks for U.S. and
global culture and politics. As the web evolves, there remain big questions
as to whether equity is possible or if venture capital and the wealthy will
buy up all digital intellectual property. Conglomeration among firms often
leads to market manipulation, labor inequality and cultural representations
that do not reflect changing demographics and attitudes. And there are also
climate implications for many new technological developments, particularly
concerning the use of energy and other material natural resources.” Mary Chayko, sociologist, author of
“Superconnected”
and professor of communication and information at Rutgers University: “As communication technology
advances into 2035 it will allow people to learn from one another in ever
more diverse, multifaceted, widely distributed social networks. We will be
able to grow healthier, happier, more knowledgeable and more connected as we
create and traverse these networked pathways together. The development of
digital systems that are credible, secure, low-cost and user-friendly will
inspire all kinds of innovations and job opportunities. If we have these
types of networks and use them to their fullest advantage, we will have the
means and the tools to shape the kind of society we want to live in.
Unfortunately, the commodification of human thought and experience online will
accelerate as we approach 2035. Technology is already used not only to
harvest, appropriate and sell our data, but also to manufacture and market
data that simulates the human experience, as with applications of artificial
intelligence. This has the potential to degrade and diminish the specialness
of being human, even as it makes some humans very rich. The extent and
verisimilitude of these practices will certainly increase as technology
permits the replication of human thought and likeness in ever more realistic
ways. But it is human beings who design, develop, unleash, interpret and use
these technological tools and systems. We can choose to center the humanity
of these systems and to support those who do so, and we must.” Sean McGregor, founder of the
Responsible AI Collaborative: “By 2035, technology will have
developed a window into many inequities of life, thereby empowering
individuals to advocate for greater access to and authority over
decision-making currently entrusted to people with inscrutable agendas and
biases. The power of the individual will expand with communication, artistic
and educational capacities not known throughout previous human history.
However, if trends remain as they are now, people, organizations and
governments interested in accumulating power and wealth over the broader
public interest will apply these technologies toward increasingly repressive
and extractive aims. It is vital that there be a concerted, coordinated and
calm effort to globally empower humans in the governance of artificial
intelligence systems. This is required to avoid the worst possibilities of
complex socio-technical systems. At present, we are woefully unprepared and
show no signs of beginning collaborative efforts of the scale required to
sufficiently address the problem.” David Clark, Internet Hall of Fame
member and senior research scientist at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial
Intelligence Laboratory: “To have an optimistic view of the
future you must imagine several potential positives come to fruition to
overcome big issues: ■ “The currently rapid rate of change slows, helping us to catch
up. ■ “The Internet becomes much more accessible and inclusive, and
the numbers of the unserved or poorly served become a much smaller fraction
of the population. ■ “Over the next 10 years the character of critical applications
such as social media mature and stabilize, and users become more
sophisticated about navigating the risks and negatives. ■ “Increasing digital literacy helps all users to better avoid
the worst perils of the Internet experience. ■ “A new generation of social media emerges, with less focus on
user profiling to sell ads, less emphasis on unrestrained virality and more
of a focus on user-driven exploration and interconnection. ■ “And the best thing that could happen is that application
providers move away from the advertising-based revenue model and establish an
expectation that users actually pay. This would remove many of the distorting
incentives that plague the ‘free’ Internet experience today. Consumers today
already pay for content (movies, sports and games, in-game purchases and the
like). It is not necessary that the troublesome advertising-based financial
model should dominate.” Laurie L. Putnam, educator and
communications consultant: “There is great potential for
digital technologies to improve health and medical care. Out of necessity,
digital health care will become a norm. Remote diagnostics and monitoring
will be especially valuable for aging and rural populations that find it
difficult to travel. Connected technologies will make it easier for
specialized medical personnel to work together from across the country and
around the world. Medical researchers will benefit from advances in digital
data, tools and connections, collaborating in ways never before possible. “However, many digital technologies
are taking more than they give. And what we are giving up is difficult, if
not impossible, to get back. Today’s digital spaces, populated by the
personal data of people in the real world, is lightly regulated and freely
exploited. Technologies like generative AI and cryptocurrency are costing us
more in raw energy than they are returning in human benefit. Our digital
lives are generating profit and power for people at the top of the pyramid without
careful consideration of the shadows they cast below, shadows that could
darken our collective future. If we want to see different outcomes in the
coming years, we will need to rethink our ROI [return on investment]
calculations and apply broader, longer-term definitions of ‘return.’ We are
beginning to see more companies heading in this direction, led by people who
aren’t prepared to sacrifice entire societies for shareholders’ profits, but
these are not yet the most-powerful forces. Power must shift and priorities
must change.” Experts’ views of potential harmful
changes Here is a small selection of
responses that touch on the themes related to menaces and harms that could
happen between now and 2035. Herb Lin, senior research scholar
for cyber policy and security at Stanford University’s Center for
International Security and Cooperation: “My best hope is that human wisdom
and willingness to act will not lag so much that they are unable to respond
effectively to the worst of the new challenges accompanying innovation in
digital life. The worst likely outcome is that humans will develop too much
trust and faith in the utility of the applications of digital life and become
ever more confused between what they want and what they need. The result will
be that societal actors with greater power than others will use the new applications
to increase these power differentials for their own advantage. The most
beneficial change in digital life might simply be that things don’t get much
worse than they are now with respect to pollution in and corruption of the
information environment. Applications such as ChatGPT will get better without
question, but the ability of humans to use such applications wisely will
lag.” A computer and data scientist at a
major U.S. university whose work involves artificial neural networks: “The following potential harmful
outcomes are possible if trendlines continue as they have been to this point: ■ “We accidentally incentivize powerful general-purpose AI
systems to seek resources and influence without first making sufficient
progress on alignment, eventually leading to the permanent disempowerment of
human institutions. ■ “Short of that, misuse of similarly powerful general-purpose
technologies leads to extremely effective political surveillance and
substantially improved political persuasion, allowing wealthy totalitarian
states to end any meaningful internal pressure toward change. ■ “The continued automation of software engineering leads large
capital-rich tech companies to take on an even more extreme ratio of money
and power to number of employees, making it easier for them to move across
borders and making it even harder to meaningfully regulate them.” Erhardt Graeff, a researcher at
Olin College of Engineering who is expert in the design and use of technology
for civic and political engagement: “I worry that humanity will largely
accept the hyper-individualism and social and moral distance made possible by
digital technology and assume that this is how society should function. I
worry that our social and political divisions will grow wider if we continue
to invest ourselves personally and institutionally in the false efficiencies
and false democracies of Twitter-like social media.” Ayden Férdeline, Landecker
Democracy Fellow at Humanity in Action: “There are organizations today that
profit from being perceived as ‘merchants of truth.’ The judicial system is
based on the idea that the truth can be established through an impartial and
fair hearing of evidence and arguments. Historically, we have trusted those
actors and their expertise in verifying information. As we transition to
building trust into digital media files through techniques like
authentication-at-source and blockchain ledgers that provide an audit trail
of how a file has been altered over time, there may be attempts to use
regulation to limit how we can cryptographically establish the authenticity
and provenance of digital media. More online regulation is inevitable given
the importance of the Internet economically and socially and the likelihood
that digital media will increasingly be used as evidence in legal
proceedings. But will we get the regulation right? Will we regulate digital
media in a way that builds trust, or will we create convoluted, expensive
authentication techniques that increase the cost of justice?” Henning Schulzrinne, Internet Hall
of Fame member and co-chair of the Internet Technical Committee of the IEEE: “The concentration of ad revenue
and the lack of a viable alternative source of income will further diminish
the reach and capabilities of local news media in many countries, degrading
the information ecosystem. This will increase polarization, facilitate
government corruption and reduce citizen engagement.” Robin Raskin, author, publisher and
founder of the Virtual Events Group: “Synthetic humans and robot friends
may increase our social isolation. The demise of the office or a school
campus as a gathering place will leave us hungry for human companionship and
may cause us to lose our most-human skills: empathy and compassion. We become
‘man and his machine’ rather than ‘man and his society.’ The consumerization
of AI will augment, if not replace, most of the white-collar jobs, including
in traditional office work, advertising and marketing, writing and
programming. Since work won’t be ‘a thing’ anymore, we’ll need to find some means
of compensation for our contribution to humanity. How much we contribute to
the web? A Universal Basic Income because we were the ones who taught AI to
do our jobs? It remains to be seen, but the AI Revolution will be as huge as
the Industrial Revolution. “Higher education will face a
crisis like never before. Exorbitant pricing and lack of parity with the real
world makes college seem quite antiquated. I’m wagering that 50% of higher
education in the United States will be forced to close down. We will devise
other systems of degrees and badges to prove competency. The most critical
metaverse will be a digital twin of everything – cities, schools and
factories, for example. These twins coupled with IoT [Internet of Things]
devices will make it possible to create simulations, inferences and
prototypes for knowing how to optimize for efficiency before ever building a
single thing.” Jim Fenton, a veteran leader in the
Internet Engineering Task Force who has worked over the past 35 years at
Altmode Networks, Neustar and Cisco Systems: “I am particularly concerned about
the increasing surveillance associated with digital content and tools.
Unfortunately, there seems to be a counterincentive for governments to
legislate for privacy, since they are often either the ones doing the
surveilling, or they consume the information collected by others. As the
public realizes more and more about the ways they are watched, it is likely
to affect their behavior and mental state.” A longtime director of research for
a global futures project: “Human rights will become an
oxymoron. Censorship, social credit and around-the-clock surveillance will
become ubiquitous worldwide; there is nowhere to hide from global
dictatorship. Human governance will fall into the hands of a few unelected
dictators. Human knowledge will wane and there will be a growing idiocracy
due to the public’s digital brainwashing and the snowballing of unreliable,
misleading, false information. Science will be hijacked and only serve the
interests of the dictator class. In this setting, human health and well-being
is reserved for the privileged few; for the majority, it is completely
unconsidered. Implanted chips constantly track the health of the general
public, and when they become a social burden, their lives are terminated.” Experts’ views of potential
beneficial changes Several main themes also emerged
among these experts’ expectations for the best and most beneficial changes in
digital life between 2023 and 2035. Here is a small selection of responses
that touch on those themes. Ben Shneiderman, widely respected
human-computer interaction pioneer and author of “Human-Centered AI”: “A human-centered approach to
technology development is driven by deep understanding of human needs, which
leads to design-thinking strategies that bring successful products and
services. Human-centered user interface design guidelines, principles and
theories will enable future designers to create astonishing applications that
facilitate communication, improve well-being, promote business activities and
much more. Building tools that give users superpowers is what brought users
email, the web, search engines, digital cameras and mobile devices. Future
superpowers could enable reduction of disinformation, greater
security/privacy and improved social connectedness. This could be the Golden
Age of Collaboration, with remarkable global projects such as developing
COVID-19 vaccine in 42 days. The future could be made brighter if similar
efforts were devoted to fighting climate change, restoring the environment,
reducing inequality and supporting the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Equitable and universal access to technology could improve the lives of many,
including those users with disabilities. The challenge will be to ensure
human control, while increasing the level of automation.” Rich Salz, principal engineer at
Akamai Technologies: “We will see a proliferation of AI
systems to help with medical diagnosis and research. This may cover a wide
range of applications, such as: expert systems to detect breast cancer or
other X-ray/imaging analysis; protein folding, etc., and discovery of new
drugs; better analytics on drug and other testing; limited initial
consultation for doing diagnosis at medical visits. Similar improvements will
be seen in many other fields, for instance, astronomical data-analysis
tools.” Deanna Zandt, writer, artist and
award-winning technologist: “I continue to be hopeful that new
platforms and tech will find ways around the totalitarian capitalist systems
we live in, allowing us to connect with each other on fundamentally human
levels. My own first love of the internet was finding out that I wasn’t alone
in how I felt or in the things I liked and finding community in those things.
Even though many of those protocols and platforms have been co-opted in
service of profit-making, developers continue to find brilliant paths of
opening up human connection in surprising ways. I’m also hopeful the current
trend of hyper-capitalistic tech driving people back to more fundamental
forms of internet communication will continue. Email as a protocol has been
around for how long? And it’s still, as much as we complain about its
limitations, a main way we connect.” Jonathan Stray, senior scientist at
the Berkeley Center for Human-Compatible AI, which studies algorithms that
select and rank content: “Among the developments we’ll see
come along well are self-driving cars, which will reduce congestion, carbon
emissions and road accidents. Automated drug discovery will revolutionize the
use of pharmaceuticals. This will be particularly beneficial where speed or
diversity of development is crucial, as in cancer, rare diseases and
antibiotic resistance. We will start to see platforms for political news,
debate and decision-making that are designed to bring out the best of us,
through sophisticated combinations of human and automated moderation. AI
assistants will be able to write sophisticated, well-cited research briefs on
any topic. Essentially, most people will have access to instant-specialist
literature reviews.” Kay Stanney, CEO and founder of
Design Interactive: “Human-centered development of
digital tools can profoundly impact the way we work and learn. Specifically,
by coupling digital phenotypes (i.e., real-time, moment-by-moment
quantification of the individual-level human phenotype, in situ, using data
from personal digital devices, in particular smartphones) with digital twins
(i.e., digital representation of an intended or actual real-world physical
product, system or process), it will be possible to optimize both human and
system performance and well-being. Through this symbiosis, interactions between
humans and systems can be adapted in real-time to ensure the system gets what
it needs (e.g., predicted maintenance) and the human can get what it needs
(e.g., guided stress-reducing mechanisms), thereby realizing truly
transformational gains in the enterprise.” Juan Carlos Mora Montero,
coordinator of postgraduate studies in planning at the Universidad Nacional
de Costa Rica: “The greatest benefit related to
the digital world is that technology will allow people to have access to
equal opportunities both in the world of work and in culture, allowing them
to discover other places, travel, study, share and enjoy spending time in
real-life experiences.” Gus Hosein, executive director of
Privacy International: “Direct human connections will
continue to grow over the next decade-plus, with more local
community-building and not as many global or regional or national divisions.
People will have more time and a more sophisticated appreciation for the
benefits and limits of technology. While increased electrification will
result in ubiquity of digital technology, people will use it more seamlessly,
not being ‘online’ or ‘offline.’ Having been through a dark period of
transition, a sensibility around human rights will emerge in places where
human rights are currently protected and will find itself under greater
protection in many more places, not necessarily under the umbrella term of
‘human rights.’” Isaac Mao, Chinese technologist,
data scientist and entrepreneur: “Artificial Intelligence is poised
to greatly improve human well-being by providing assistance in processing
information and enhancing daily life. From digital assistants for the elderly
to productivity tools for content creation and disinformation detection, to
health and hygiene innovations such as AI-powered gadgets, AI technology is
set to bring about unprecedented advancements in various aspects of our
lives. These advances will not only improve our daily routines but also bring
about a new level of convenience and efficiency that has not been seen for centuries.
With the help of AI, even the most mundane tasks such as brushing teeth or
cutting hair can be done with little to no effort and concern, dramatically
changing the way we have struggled for centuries.” Michael Muller, a researcher for a
top global technology company who is focused on human aspects of data science
and ethics and values in applications of artificial intelligence: “We will learn new ways in which
humans and AIs can collaborate. Humans will remain the center of the
situation. That doesn’t mean that they will always be in control, but they
will always control when and how they delegate selected activities to one or
more AIs.” Terri Horton, work futurist at
FuturePath: “Digital and immersive technologies
and artificial intelligence will continue to exponentially transform human
connections and knowledge across the domains of work, entertainment and
social engagement. By 2035, the transition of talent acquisition, onboarding,
learning and development, performance management and immersive remote work
experiences into the metaverse – enabled by Web3 technologies – will be
normalized and optimized. Work, as we know it, will be absolutely
transformed. If crafted and executed ethically, responsibly and through a
human-centered lens, transitioning work into the metaverse can be beneficial
to workers by virtue of increased flexibility, creativity and inclusion.
Additionally, by 2035, generative artificial intelligence (GAI) will be fully
integrated across the employee experience to enhance and direct knowledge
acquisition, decision-making, personalized learning, performance development,
engagement and retention.” Daniel Pimienta, leader of the
Observatory of Linguistic and Cultural Diversity on the Internet: “I hope to see the rise of the
systematic organization of citizen education on digital literacy with a
strong focus on information literacy. This should start in the earliest years
and carry forward through life. I hope to see the prioritization of the
ethics component (including bias evaluation) in the assessment of any digital
system. I hope to see the emergence of innovative business models for digital
systems that are NOT based on advertising revenue, and I hope that we will
find a way to give credit to the real value of information.” Guide to the Report ■ Overarching views on digital change: In Chapter 1, we
highlight the remarks of experts who gave some of the most wide-ranging yet
incisive responses to our request for them to discuss human agency in digital
systems in 2035. ■ Expert essays on the impact of digital change: Following that
in Chapter 2, we
offer a set of longer, broader essays written by leading expert participants. ■ Key themes: That is followed with additional sections covering
respondents’ comments organized under the sets of themes about harms and benefits. ■ Closing thoughts on ChatGPT: And a final chapter
covers some summary statements about ChatGPT and other trends in digital
life. (PEW) JUNE 21, 2023
799-801-43-17/Polls Americans
Remain Critical Of Government’s Handling Of Situation At U.S.-Mexico
Border
While the number of migrants
illegally crossing into the United States at the U.S.-Mexico border has declined sharply in recent
weeks, Americans continue to give the U.S. government low ratings
for its handling of the situation at the border, according to a new Pew
Research Center survey.
Just 23% of Americans say the
government is doing a good job dealing with the large number of people
seeking asylum at the border, while more than three times as many (73%) say
it’s doing a bad job. The new survey also finds: ■
Nearly half
of Americans (47%) rate illegal immigration as a very big problem in the
country, up from 38% last year. ■
The
public’s views of possible actions to deal with the situation at the border
have not changed much in recent years. About half (52%) say it is very
important to require people seeking asylum in the U.S. to apply before they
travel to the border. And 49% say it is very important to increase staffing
and resources for patrolling and policing the border. How Republicans, Democrats view the
government’s handling of the border situation
Americans have expressed negative
views of the government’s handling of the border situation for the past few
years. Only 29% gave the government
positive ratings in April 2021, during Joe Biden’s first year in office. And
in 2019, when Donald Trump was president, just a third said the government
was doing a good job at the border. Both of those surveys asked about
the “increased number” of people seeking asylum, while the question in the
Center’s latest survey asks about the “large number” of asylum seekers. Just 35% of Democrats and
Democratic-leaning independents and 11% of Republicans and Republican leaners
currently rate the government’s performance positively. Views of illegal immigration as a
national problem
Public perceptions of illegal
immigration as a major national problem, which declined somewhat last year,
have rebounded to 2021 levels. Republicans continue to be far more
likely than Democrats (70% vs. 25%) to rate illegal immigration as a very big
national problem. In both parties, somewhat larger shares now say illegal
immigration is a major problem than did so last year. When asked generally which party
they agree with more on immigration policy, more Americans say they agree
with policies from the Republican Party (41%) than the Democratic Party
(31%). About a quarter (26%) say they don’t agree with either party on this
issue. [For more on Americans’ agreements with the parties on issues, see our accompanying report.] About half of Americans (51%) say
they have been at least somewhat closely following news about the number of
people seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. Republicans are more likely
than Democrats (60% vs. 46%) to say this. Public priorities for dealing with
situation at the U.S.-Mexico border
When asked about some possible
government actions the U.S. should consider to address the large number of
asylum seekers at the border, about half of Americans (52%) say it is very
important for the U.S. to require people to apply for asylum before they
travel to the U.S.-Mexico border. Other priorities include increasing
staffing and resources available to patrol and police the border (49% say
this is very important); reducing the number of asylum seekers (45%); and
providing safe and sanitary conditions for asylum seekers once they arrive
(43%). Fewer Americans say it is very
important to make it more difficult for asylum seekers to be granted legal
status in the U.S., to boost aid to Central America, or to prevent people
from seeking asylum in this country. Partisan priorities for the
U.S.-Mexico border
There are both common ground and
disagreement when it comes to partisans’ views on what the U.S. should
prioritize to deal with the number of asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico
border. Large majorities of both
Republicans and Democrats agree that several immigration goals are at least
somewhat important. For example, 92% of Republicans and
73% of Democrats say it is very or somewhat important to increase staffing at
the border, though far more Republicans view this as very important. Majorities in both parties also say
it is important to require people to apply for asylum before traveling to the
border and to reduce the number of asylum seekers. However, Democrats are far more likely
than Republicans to say it is important to increase aid to the Central
American countries where many asylum seekers are coming from. And Republicans
are twice as likely as Democrats to say it is important not to allow people
to seek asylum in the United States. (PEW) JUNE 21, 2023
799-801-43-18/Polls Majorities
Of Americans Prioritize Renewable Energy, Back Steps To Address Climate
Change
A new Pew Research Center survey
finds large shares of Americans support the United States taking steps to
address global climate change and back an energy landscape that prioritizes
renewable sources like wind and solar. At the same time, the findings
illustrate ongoing public reluctance to make sweeping changes to American
life to cut carbon emissions. Most Americans oppose ending the production of
gas-powered vehicles by 2035 and there’s limited support for steps like
eliminating gas lines from new buildings. This report comes about a year after
the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act introduced policies and incentives meant to
dramatically reduce the country’s reliance on fossil fuels, a signature part
of the Biden administration’s efforts on climate change. The survey takes
stock of how Americans feel about related questions on climate, energy and
environmental policy, including proposed changes to how Americans power their
homes and cars and what to do about the impacts communities face from extreme
weather. The Pew Research Center survey of
10,329 U.S. adults conducted May 30 to June 4, 2023, finds: ■ 74% of Americans say they support the country’s participation
in international efforts to reduce the effects of climate change. ■ 67% of U.S. adults prioritize the development of alternative
energy sources such as wind, solar and hydrogen power over increasing the
production of fossil fuel energy sources. By sizable margins, Americans
support a number of specific policy proposals aimed at reducing the effects
of climate change through targeting greenhouse gas emissions and carbon in
the atmosphere: ■ Overwhelming majorities support planting about a trillion
trees around the world to absorb carbon emissions (89%) and requiring oil and
gas companies to seal methane gas leaks from oil wells (85%). ■ 76% favor providing a tax credit to businesses that develop
carbon capture technologies and 70% support taxing corporations based on
their carbon emissions. ■ 61% favor requiring power plants to eliminate all carbon
emissions by the year 2040.
Still, there are limits to public
support for major changes to the way homes, cars and the electrical grid are
powered. Only 31% of Americans currently
support phasing out the use of fossil fuel energy sources altogether. Another
32% say the U.S. should eventually stop using fossil fuels, but don’t believe
the country is ready now. And 35% think the U.S. should never stop using
fossil fuels to meet its energy needs. Less than half of the public (40%)
favors phasing out the production of gas-powered cars and trucks. Support for
this policy is 7 percentage points lower than it was two years ago. And
underscoring the strong feelings big changes to American life can engender,
45% say they would feel upset if gas-powered cars were phased out; fewer than
half as many (21%) would feel excited. When it comes to the construction
of new buildings, slightly more Americans oppose (51%) than favor (46%)
requiring most new buildings to run only on electricity, with no gas lines, a
recent flashpoint in state legislatures
and national climate conversations. Republicans and Democrats continue
to offer competing visions on climate and energy issues. Deep Republican
skepticism toward a renewable energy transition is a major factor behind much
of the overall public’s reluctance to make a sharp break from fossil fuels. But views within both party
coalitions defy simple categorization. And some of the most far-reaching
policies aimed at addressing climate change and carbon emissions garner a
less-than-enthusiastic response from Democrats, as well as outright
opposition from Republicans. A closer look at the two major
party coalitions on climate and energy issues Key views among Republicans ● 73% say they would be upset if gas-powered vehicles were
phased out. ● 58% say expanding oil, coal and natural gas production should
be the country’s energy priority. And yet … ● 67% favor a business tax credit for developing carbon capture
technologies. ● 70% support more solar panel farms and 60% favor more wind
farms. Within the GOP … ● There are sizable differences in views on climate and energy
between moderates and conservatives. ● Those under 30 express the least support for fossil fuel
energy sources. Republicans and Republican-leaning
independents prioritize oil, coal and natural gas development over renewable
energy sources and have deep concerns (especially around prices) about what a
transition to renewable energy would mean for the country. Some proposed changes, like phasing
out new gas-power vehicles provoke a strong negative response: 73% of
Republicans say they would be upset by this. And stacked up against other
national issues, climate change consistently ranks as a low priority for
Republicans. But these attitudes do not preclude
Republican support for climate policies and renewable energy altogether.
Two-thirds favor a business tax credit for the development of carbon capture
technologies and majorities support more solar panel and wind farms, when
these energy sources are not placed in competition with fossil fuel
development. Within the GOP, moderates and young
Republicans often offer the most support for action on
climate change and a shift toward renewable energy, though
they make up a relatively smaller share of all Republicans and GOP leaners compared
with conservatives and older Republicans. Democrats and Democratic-leaning
independents overwhelmingly back the U.S. participating in international
efforts to address global climate change. By a 90% to 10% margin, Democrats
say renewable energy sources should be given priority over the development of
oil, coal and natural gas. Key views among Democrats ● 94% support U.S. participation in international efforts to
reduce the effects of climate change. ● 90% say renewable energy sources should be given priority over
the production of fossil fuels. ● 80% expect a major transition to renewable energy would
improve air and water quality. Even so … ● 51% oppose phasing out fossil fuels completely. Within the Democratic coalition … ● 61% of liberals are ready to phase out the use of fossil fuels
altogether and 76% support ending gas-vehicle production. ● By contrast, 62% of moderates and conservatives think fossil
fuels should be part of the energy mix and 53% support ending production of
gas vehicles. Democrats, by and large, foresee
benefits from an energy transition in the U.S., including better air and
water quality, job opportunities in the energy sector and greater energy
independence. Despite this favorable stance
toward climate action and renewable energy, 51% of Democrats oppose phasing
out fossil fuels altogether, saying instead, that oil, coal and natural gas
should continue to be part of the mix of energy sources the country relies
on. Within the Democratic Party, large
majorities across age and ideological groups are generally supportive of
shifting toward renewable energy and policies to address climate change. Still, important differences do
emerge, especially regarding the pace of an energy transition: 61% of
liberals are ready to phase out the use of fossil fuels altogether, while 62%
of moderates and conservatives say they should be part of a mix of sources
for now, along with renewables. And while a large share of liberals (76%)
back ending the production of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035, support among
moderates and conservative is more limited (53%). What role should government play in
communities at high risk of extreme weather? As communities across the country
confront the risks posed by extreme weather, such as wildfires, severe storms
and coastal erosion, Americans express an openness to some policy proposals
for communities at high risk from these events. ■ More say it’s a good idea than a bad idea for the federal
government to limit new construction in communities at high risk of extreme
weather (54% to 19%). Another 27% say they are not sure of their views on
this. ■ 53% of Americans think it’s a good idea for the federal
government to provide financial assistance to help communities rebuild after
extreme weather events. Far fewer (24%) call this a bad idea and 23% say
they’re not sure. ■ By a 47% to 24% margin, more say it’s a good idea than a bad
idea for the federal government to provide financial assistance for
communities to relocate from areas at high risk of extreme weather. ■ But there’s less public support for the federal government
requiring communities to relocate from high-risk areas: 29% call this a good
idea, compared with 33% who say it is a bad idea and 38% who say they’re not
sure. When it comes to firsthand
experiences with extreme weather and its connection with climate change: ■ 69% of Americans say they’ve experienced at least one of five
types of extreme weather in the past year: Long periods of unusually hot
weather (45%), severe weather such as floods or intense storms (44%), droughts
or water shortages (33%), major wildfires (18%) and rising sea levels that
erode beaches and shorelines (16%). ■ Majorities of Americans who say they’ve experienced extreme
weather in the last year believe that climate change has contributed a lot or
a little to these events. How do Americans see Biden’s
climate agenda today? Overall, 45% of Americans say the
Biden administration’s policies on climate change are taking the country in
the right direction, while slightly more (50%) say they have the country
headed in the wrong direction. This overall rating reflects a sharp partisan
divide: 76% of Democrats see President Joe Biden’s climate policies as
heading in the right direction; by contrast, 82% of Republicans say they’re
taking the country in the wrong direction. Within Biden’s own party, there are
signs that Democrats aren’t completely satisfied with the administration’s
actions on climate. Among the majority of Democrats who think Biden’s climate
policies are pointed in the right direction: ■ 59% say that Biden could be doing a lot more on climate
change, compared with a smaller share (39%) who say he’s done as much as can
be expected. ■ And while 51% of Democrats who agree with Biden’s overall
direction on climate say he’s taken about the right approach toward
compromise, 34% say he has compromised too much on climate policy. The recently approved Willow oil
drilling project in Alaska garnered wide attention in energy and climate
circles, but the Biden administration’s decision did not register widely with
the public: 68% of Americans say they’ve heard nothing at all about this
issue; 32% say they’ve heard at least a little about it. The Biden administration’s decision
to approve the Willow project is unpopular with Democrats who are aware of
it: By 61% to 23%, more Democrats who have heard of the project oppose than
favor it. Liberal Democrats aware of the issue are especially critical (74%
oppose the decision). Do Americans support government
efforts to address environmental disparities across communities? Most Americans support the federal
government playing a major (46%) or minor (29%) role addressing differences
across communities in their health risks from pollution and other
environmental problems. A small share (8%) say the federal government should
play no role in this, while 16% say they’re not sure. The issue of environmental health
disparities across communities is fairly well known to the public: 77% of
Americans say they’ve heard a lot or a little about this issue, while 22% say
they haven’t heard about it. Large majorities of Democrats (68%)
and those most familiar with the issue (73%) support the federal government
playing a major role addressing community differences in health risks from
pollution and environmental problems. (PEW) JUNE 28, 2023
799-801-43-19/Polls Self-Employed
People In The U.S. Are More Likely Than Other Workers To Be Highly Satisfied
With Their Jobs
Self-employed workers view their
jobs more favorably than those who are not self-employed, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey
of employed Americans.
Most self-employed workers (62%)
say they are extremely or very satisfied with their job, compared with 51% of
those who are not self-employed. They also express higher levels of enjoyment
and fulfillment with their job. In turn, those who are not
self-employed are more likely than self-employed workers to say they find
their job stressful and overwhelming. Some 48% of self-employed workers
say their contributions at work are valued a great deal, compared with a
quarter of those who are not self-employed. There are also important
differences in when and where self-employed workers do their jobs: ■
47% of
self-employed workers say their job can mostly be done from home, compared
with 38% of those who are not self-employed. ■
60% of
self-employed workers with jobs that can be done from home say they work from
home all of the time, compared with 32% of those who are not self-employed. ■
A larger
share of self-employed workers (52%) than those who are not self-employed
(28%) say they respond to emails or other messages from work outside of
normal work hours. How the self-employed workforce
differs from the U.S. workforce overall
About 15 million U.S. workers are
self-employed, making up about 10% of the U.S. workforce, based on a Pew
Research Center analysis of government data. Roughly three-quarters of
self-employed workers (76%) work full time, and 24% work part time. Among all
workers, 84% work full time while 16% work part time. Self-employed workers are more
likely than U.S. workers overall to be male, White and foreign born: ■
Men make up
64% of the self-employed workforce, compared with 53% of workers overall. ■
White
workers make up 68% of self-employed Americans, compared with 61% of workers
overall. ■
Foreign-born
workers make up 22% of the self-employed workforce, a slightly higher share
than among all U.S. workers (18%). (PEW) JUNE 30, 2023
799-801-43-20/Polls Majority
(60%) Of Canadians Not Familiar With Private Investments
A majority (60%) of Canadians say they are
not familiar with private investments, according to a new Ipsos poll
conducted on behalf of Harbourfront Wealth Management. Nearly two in ten
(17%) have never heard of these types of investments, which include
privately-held businesses, private equity, private credit, venture capital
and private real-estate trusts, while another 43% say they’re not very
familiar and that they’ve only heard the term but have a limited
understanding of the specifics. Conversely, just four in ten (40%) are
familiar (10% very/30% somewhat). Given this blind spot for many
Canadians, it is interesting to note that one in four (27%) disagrees (10% strongly/17%
somewhat) that their current financial institution gives them access to every
type of investment product they want, with those aged 18-34 (34%) and men
(29%) being most likely to disagree that they have access to all desired
options. Moreover, one in four (24%) disagree (7% strongly/17% somewhat) that
they have access to all types of investment products through their current
financial institutions. Many appear to be open to moving
financial institutions or advisors in order to gain access to more types of
investment products. In fact, four in ten (42%) agree (12% strongly/31%
somewhat) that they are open to using another financial institution if they
give them more access to investment products. A similar proportion (43%)
agrees (14% strongly/29% somewhat) that they are open to using another
investment advisor or financial planner if they gave them more access to
investment products. (Ipsos Canada) 27 June 2023 Source:https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/majority-60-canadians-not-familiar-private-investments
799-801-43-21/Polls Federal
Politics: Trudeau’s
Approval Slides Among Ndp, Liberal Voters
The Liberal-NDP
confidence-and-supply agreement has been successful in keeping the Liberal
minority government in power – and Canadians away from ballot boxes for now – but
the reviews are mixed if it is helping the government get things done. New data from the non-profit Angus
Reid Institute finds Canadians lean slightly towards believing the government
is operating poorly (46%) under the agreement than well (41%). Discontent with what the government
is getting accomplished under the NDP-Liberal agreement is higher among past
Conservative voters (85%), but past Liberal (73%) and NDP supporters (59%)
are both satisfied at majority levels. Meantime, Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau sees his approval dip to a low since the 2021 election – 36 per cent.
Sliding approval from past Liberal (74%) and NDP voters (46%) is pulling down
appraisal of the prime minister after an end-of-2022 bump that pushed the
Liberal leader to 43 per cent. Trudeau’s rival, Conservative
leader Pierre Poilievre, is in no better shape when it comes to evaluation by
Canadians. Half (50%) view Poilievre unfavourably, while his favourability
matches Trudeau’s approval at 36 per cent. However, there are more Canadians
– 59 per cent – who say they have a negative view of the prime minister than
Poilievre. Perhaps no measure better shows the
current division between the two leading parties than the fact that, overall,
just three per cent of Canadians hold a positive view of the parties’ two
leaders. More – one-in-five (19%) – view both men in a negative light.
More Key Findings: ●
Comparing
these Trudeau-Poilievre views further, one-in-three (33%) Canadians view
Trudeau negatively and Poilievre positively, while close to the same number
view Trudeau positively and Poilievre negatively (29%). ●
Men are
more likely to view Poilievre positively (47%) than Trudeau (29%) or Singh
(38%). Women have higher appraisal of Singh (53%) and Trudeau (43%) than
Poilievre (26%). ●
Canadians
aged 18- to 34-years-old are three times as likely (6%) as other age groups
to view both Poilievre and Trudeau favourably. ●
There is a
large sentiment that the government isn’t getting done what it needs to under
the NDP-Liberal agreement from those under economic duress. Half (47%) of the
“Struggling” according to the Angus Reid Institute’s Economic Stress Index
believe the government is operating “terribly” since the NDP and Liberals
signed the confidence-and-supply agreement. 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. INDEX Part One: Assessing the leaders ●
Trudeau
approval ●
Poilievre
and Singh favourability ●
Perceptions
across party lines ●
Men and
women offer differing views ●
The
economically stressed prefer Poilievre Part Two: Does anyone have a
positive view of both Poilievre and Trudeau? Part Three: Views of
confidence-and-supply agreement ●
Liberals,
New Democrats largely satisfied Part One: Assessing the leaders Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and
the Liberal minority government have had a rocky first half of 2023. They’ve
been dogged by a scandal involving potential Chinese government interference
in Canadian elections, with much dissatisfaction with how
they have responded. The latest twist in the saga saw the
Trudeau-appointed special rapporteur on foreign interference, former governor
general David Johnston, step down after
the House of Commons passed a motion asking for him to resign. Though Canada has stepped up to
support Ukraine in its fight against Russia, its commitment to defence
spending has come under scrutiny after leaks revealed Trudeau privately told
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) officials that Canada would never reach the NATO
goal of spending two per cent of its GDP on nation defence. Canadians, already offering mixed reviews of
federal government services, had to endure longer waits for
passports and potential delays during tax season as a public sector strike
swept the nation for 12 days. The resulting agreement, though not as much as
the union had demanded, boosted wages for public sector employees, as half of
Canadian workers themselves had not seen a raise in the past 12 months. Meanwhile, inflation continues to
squeeze Canadians’ finances. The federal government has responded with measures offering relief in
its budget, but faced roadblocks from a Conservative opposition which
argued that it needed to do more to rein in the rising cost
of living. Trudeau approval In the face of a half-year of
challenges, approaching three-in-five (59%) of Canadians disapprove of the
work of Trudeau, including more than two-in-five (42%) who strongly do so.
One-third (36%) are more positive in their appraisal:
After a slight bump at the end of
2022 in the wake of his testimony at
the public inquiry into the invocation of the Emergencies Act,
Trudeau’s approval has declined to the lowest level since his party was
re-elected to a minority government in the fall of 2021:
The confidence-and-supply agreement
between the NDP and the Liberals has offered Trudeau’s minority government
some measure of stability. Those who voted NDP in 2021 are split on their
assessment of Trudeau – 46 per cent approve while half (49%) disapprove. Past Liberal voters offer the most
positive assessments (74% approve) while past CPC voters are overwhelmingly
negative (93% disapprove):
Across each group of political
party supporters, Trudeau’s approval has taken a considerable hit in 2023.
Comparing these data with his two-year high mark at the end of last year, he
is down nine points among past NDP voters and 13 points among past BQ
supporters. This, while also enduring a drop in approval among his own
supporters from 83 to 74 per cent:
Poilievre and Singh favourability Trudeau and the Liberals are
currently facing a vote intention deficit
to the Conservatives and leader Pierre Poilievre. While eight points may
separate the two men’s parties, there is no separation between the two when
it comes to praise from Canadians. One-third (36%) say they have a favourable
view of Poilievre, while half (50%) do not. The leader of the New Democratic
Party, Trudeau’s partner in the confidence-and-supply agreement, is the most
favourably viewed of the leaders of the three largest national parties. As
many have positive views of Jagmeet Singh (45%) as do negative ones (45%). Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François
Blanchet – evaluated by Quebecers only – is viewed more positively than
Poilievre, Trudeau or Singh, with half (49%) saying they have a positive
impression:
Perceptions across party lines Comparatively, Poilievre is viewed
more favourably by his own party (39% very favourable, 40% favourable) than
Trudeau is by his (17% strongly approve, 57% moderately approve). But Poilievre does not find much
favour elsewhere on the political spectrum. Past Liberal and NDP voters’
assessments are overwhelmingly negative. At most, 15 per cent of past Bloc
voters say they have a positive impression of Poilievre:
Men and women offer differing views There are clear differences between
men and women in assessments of the three major party leaders. Half of men
(47%) say they view Poilievre favourably but are less positive towards Singh
(38%) and Trudeau (29%). Women are negative in their assessment of Poilievre
(26%), but more generous when it comes to Trudeau (43%) and Singh (53%):
The economically stressed prefer
Poilievre The Angus Reid Institute’s Economic
Stress Index assesses factors such as household costs, debt and
self-financial appraisals to provide a measure of the financial pressure
facing Canadians (read more about the index here). Those found to be “Struggling”
financially by the index offer a more positive assessment of Poilievre than
those under less economic stress. Poilievre has been hammering the Trudeau
and the Liberals on the issue of inflation, blaming government spending and
pointing his finger at the carbon tax as another measure
putting undue pressure on Canadian households. Poilievre’s favourability gap
over Singh and Trudeau among those in dire financial straits suggest that
perhaps his message is resonating. At the other end of the index,
Trudeau and Singh find more positive appraisal:
Part Two: Does anyone have a
positive view of both Poilievre and Trudeau? There is a lot of negativity in the
current political environment in Canada. The leaders of the two largest
political parties in the country – and the two men most likely to contest for
the job of prime minister whenever the next election occurs – each currently
face an electorate where at least half say they view them unfavourably. While the assessments of both
leaders are highly polarized, with political affiliation significantly
affecting evaluations of the leaders as noted above, there is some overlap on
both positive and negative sides of the spectrum. However, only a handful –
three per cent – of Canadians offer a positive assessment of both leaders.
Negative impressions of both are much more common at one-in-five (19%). The proportion holding twin
negative views of Poilievre and Trudeau is similar across demographics.
Meanwhile, 18- to 34-year-old Canadians are the most likely to say they have
positive impressions of both leaders:
Past CPC voters (78%) are more
likely to offer high assessment of their own leader and low assessment of
their rival than past Liberal voters (64%). This, as the CPC outpace the Liberal party in
vote retention from the 2021 federal election. Notably, 10
per cent of those who voted Conservative in 2021 and one-in-seven (14%) of
those who voted Liberal say they view both Trudeau and Poilievre negatively. Though a plurality of NDP voters
(41%) offer a positive view of Trudeau and a negative one of Poilievre,
one-third view both unfavourably. They are joined by half (50%) of those who
voted Bloc Québécois in 2021:
Part Three: Views of
confidence-and-supply agreement It has been 15 months of
Liberal minority governance under a confidence-and-supply agreement. The
arrangement, which sees the NDP support the Liberals on the budget and
confidence votes, has provided stability for a minority government which
otherwise could have potentially fell at any point due to a failed vote of confidence.
Though there have been some disagreements between the NDP and the Liberals –
most recently on the government’s handling of the
investigation into foreign interference in Canadian
elections – it has not been enough to dissolve the deal. Canadians are split as to how they
feel the agreement is working. Two-in-five (41%) believe it is going “well”
or “great”, while slightly more (46%) instead believe it is going “poorly” or
“terribly”:
Liberals, New Democrats largely
satisfied Supporters of the official
opposition Conservative party, sitting on the outside of the agreement, are
the most likely to believe things are going terribly – two-thirds (64%) say
this. Among supporters of parties inside the agreement, past Liberal voters
are more likely to believe the agreement is going well or great (73%) than
past NDP voters (59%). Past Bloc voters are split (great or well 36%, poorly
or terribly 41%):
Those who are struggling
financially are less likely to believe the confidence-and-supply agreement is
working “well” or “great”. Instead, approaching half (47%) believe it is
working “terribly”. Half (50%) of the Comfortable and a majority (56%) of the
Thriving say the government is operating at least well under the arrangement:
(Angus Reid Institute) 19 June 2023 Source:https://angusreid.org/trudeau-poilievre-singh-approval-favourability-confidence-and-supply/
799-801-43-22/Polls Plurality
Of Canadian Golf Viewers Oppose Saudi-Funded Merger; Most Say Commissioner
Should Resign
A deal that would see the PGA Tour
come together under one umbrella with the upstart, Saudi-backed LIV Golf has
major hurdles to pass – including an antitrust review
within the American Department of Justice. And even if the deal does go
through, the PGA may have more issues to contend with, including backlash
from fans. New data from the non-profit Angus
Reid Institute finds Canadian golf fans viewing the merger, which would bring
the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and Europe’s DP World Tour together, as sub-par. Indeed, among those who follow the
PGA, 43 per cent oppose the deal, significantly outpacing those who support
it (25%). Notably, one-in-three (32%) are unsure how to feel about the
recently-announced agreement, which caught many, including players,
off guard. The most avid golf fans – those who follow the PGA “very closely”
– are divided about the LIV-PGA merger. Two-in-five support it, and
two-in-five oppose it. Asked whether this would affect
their viewership going forward – assuming the deal is passed – most Canadian
golf fans (59%) say they would watch the same amount with or without the
merger. That said, a significant portion of the game’s fanbase is turned off
by this proposed merger. One-quarter (23%) say they’ll be less likely to tune
in, while 14 per cent say they won’t watch at all. One-in-eight (13%) among
the most avid group of fans say they’ll be more likely to tune out, alongside
three-in-ten who follow the PGA closely (30%). With the PGA already commanding a
more niche audience than major sports in Canada, this remonstrance from core
fans could prove injurious, at least in the short term.
More Key Findings: ●
Three-in-five
PGA fans (62%) say commissioner Jay Monahan should resign, after repeatedly
criticizing LIV Golf publicly over the past year, for the Saudi connections to
human rights abuses and 9/11, before negotiating a deal
with the Saudi group behind closed doors. Those who follow the PGA Tour most
closely are most likely to hold this view (70%). ●
Just
one-in-five PGA fans (20%) say they have followed the LIV tour since it began
operating tournaments in June 2022. ●
Looking
more broadly at golf in Canada, one-in-five Canadians (22%) say they golf
regularly, at least one to three times a year. This includes 32 per cent of
men and 13 per cent of women. 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. INDEX Part One: Golf in Canada Part Two: The PGA and LIV Golf ●
Two-thirds
of PGA watchers following LIV-merger ●
One-quarter
support the deal, two-in-five oppose it ●
Most say
Monahan should step down as PGA commissioner ●
Viewership
more likely to be hurt than helped by merger Part One: Golf in Canada Golf is a much more niche sport in
Canada than the traditional “big four” of hockey, football, baseball, and
basketball. Gone are the days of the “Tiger Boom”,
but the PGA does maintain a significant audience in the country, with
one-in-eight adults (12%) saying the follow the tour closely, and another
one-quarter (24%) keeping up to date with the big tournaments and news. Generation and gender are both key
factors in understanding the PGA’s demographic landscape. Men of all ages are
more likely than women to follow the Tour, while those over the age of 54 are
most engaged:
While 12 per cent say they follow
the PGA closely even more Canadians have a relationship with golf through
playing the game. One-in-five (22%) Canadian adults say they golf at least a
few times a year, while three-in-five have done so at least once:
As one might anticipate, interest
in the PGA is correlated heavily with the activity of golf, but it is not
entirely a necessary variable. Many Canadians golf or have golfed in the past
and say they pay little or no attention to the professional tour. For
example, three-in-ten (31%) of those who golf one to three times a year say
they pay no attention at all to the PGA (see detailed tables). Part Two: The PGA and LIV Golf The merger announcement between the
PGA Tour and LIV Golf, a new league funded by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund
that first teed off last June to take on the PGA’s dominance of professional
golf, caught many by surprise. That includes PGA Tour members,
many of whom had forgone lucrative offers to leave the Tour for LIV events.
The coming together followed a year of acrimony,
including player bans, legal challenges, and much verbal sparring. Two-third of PGA watchers following
LIV-merger Only one-in-ten (10%) Canadian PGA
followers say they have heard nothing of the merger, including one-in-seven
(14%) among casual followers. A majority of casual fans (58%) say they have
had conversations about the LIV-PGA merger, while the tour’s biggest
supporters (63%) say they’ve been following the merger very closely:
One-quarter support the deal,
two-in-five oppose it While the PGA Tour will continue as
a non-profit organization, the announced merger
will see its commercial and business rights owned by a new for-profit entity
alongside LIV and the commercial rights of the DP World Tour. For now, the
PGA Tour and LIV will continue to operate separate
events, but that might change in the future. The deal has some legal hurdles to
clear. The U.S. Department of Justice antitrust division has said it will review the deal
after several senators requested that the DOJ to look into it. This is an
extension of an investigation that began
when LIV sued the PGA Tour on antitrust grounds. One-quarter (25%) of Canadian PGA
fans support the merger. More than two-in-five (43%) oppose it. Though
support is higher among more tuned-in PGA fans, it tops out at two-in-five
among the closest watchers, among whom a similar number remain opposed:
Most say Monahan should step down as
PGA commissioner PGA Tour pros who forwent the
opportunity to join LIV for massive payouts are perhaps the most aggrieved
party in all this. Prior to the merger, the PGA Tour and commissioner Jay
Monahan took a hardline against LIV, calling attention to the poor human
rights record of Saudi Arabia as well as insinuating
that players who left PGA for LIV were supporting people who were connected
to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York. PGA Tour
golfers have said they felt betrayed after
Monahan and the PGA took such a moral stand against LIV, going as far as saying
he didn’t believe LIV and the PGA Tour could coexist and “it’s not in the
cards” for the two to come together. A majority (62%) of PGA Tour fans
want Monahan to resign after what transpired, while 12 per cent disagree and
felt he did the best he could with the situation:
Viewership more likely to be hurt
than helped by merger A deal largely about dollars and
cents will ultimately be proven successful when measured in eyeballs. The PGA
seeks financial stability while the Saudi regime seeks diversification and
validation. Both of which are dependent upon continuing attention to the
game. The Canadian market, though smaller than global powerhouses in Europe
and the United States, is valuable to both the PGA and to the golf
marketplace more broadly in this country. Canada is home to myriad world
class golf courses and an industry worth a reported $4 billion. Overall, three-in-five (59%)
Canadian golf fans say that this merger will have no real impact on their
engagement with the PGA. That said, one-quarter say they’ll watch less (23%)
while 14 per cent say they won’t watch at all if it goes through:
(Angus Reid Institute) 20 June 2023 Source:https://angusreid.org/canada-pga-fans-liv-pga-merger-golf/ AUSTRALIA
799-801-43-23/Polls Over
Half A Million Australians Plan To Buy A New Electric Vehicle In The Next
Four Years
New data from Roy Morgan shows
548,000 Australians plan on buying an electric vehicle in the next four years
– equal to 12.5% of all those intending to purchase a new vehicle in this
period – a stunning increase of over 1,230% compared to four years ago. Concerns about climate change and
reducing carbon dioxide emissions have been present for decades. However, the
attraction of electric vehicles only really started to take-off during 2019
as a greater range of electric vehicles, including more affordable models,
came to market. In the year to March 2019 only 41,000 Australians intended to
purchase an electric vehicle within the next four years. This figure
increased by over 60% to 66,000 within one year and has increased rapidly
ever since. The driver of this increase is the
leading electric vehicle maker, Tesla – with intention to purchase a Tesla soaring
during the last few years. Five years ago, only 37,000 Australians intended
to purchase a Tesla in the next four years, and this has now increased by
almost 900% to 369,000 today. As electric vehicles have become
more familiar on our roads, and intention to purchase has rapidly increased,
a gap has opened up in the market. Now far more people intend to purchase an
electric vehicle (548,000) than a Tesla (369,000) – a gap of 179,000
intending to buy another make of electric vehicle. In the year to March 2020 the two
were virtually identical with 66,000 intending to purchase an electric
vehicle compared to 60,000 intending to purchase a Tesla – a gap of only
6,000. Australians intending to purchase
an electric vehicle, including Tesla, in the next four years
Who is ‘Tesla man’? Australia’s quintessential Tesla
owner is a Sydney dwelling male in the top ‘AB’ socio-economic quintile with
a high income of over $100,000 per year. ‘Tesla man’ is Australian-born and
highly educated with a degree, or diploma, and working in a full-time
professional or managerial occupation. He’s a married man in his 50s, or
early 60s, has a partner and children, and lives in a detached house – which
he owns, and is more likely to vote for the ALP than any other party. Our well-off ‘Tesla man’ is a big
spender on discretionary items and is part of the ‘Leading Lifestyles’
Helix Personas community and when it
comes to Values Segments
equally likely to be within either the ‘Socially Aware’
or ‘Visible Achievement’
segments. However, as Tesla and electric
vehicles in general move into mainstream there have been steady increases
across a diverse range of demographic groups in terms of who is planning to
buy an electric vehicle in the next four years. The latest figures show 61% of
those planning to buy an electric vehicle are men (39% are women) – however
this is a vast change from 2020 when the split was 76% men cf. 24% women. Intention to buy an electric
vehicle has more than doubled across all age groups – and more than tripled
for all age groups aged 35+. Now 51% of intending electric vehicle buyers are
aged 50+ (up 4% points since 2020). The fastest growth in intention to
purchase has been for Australians aged 65+ increasing more than threefold
(340%) in only two years. In a time of rising interest rates,
home ownership status is a key demographic to watch. The intention to
purchase an electric vehicle is split evenly between homeowners (41%) and
those paying off their home (39%) with a further 20% split between renters
and those in other housing arrangements. Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan,
says the intention to purchase an electric vehicle has accelerated rapidly as
brands like Tesla have become increasingly visible on our roads: “Electric vehicles have come a long
way in a short time with the intention to buy electric vehicles in the next
four years increasing by a stunning 1,232% compared to four years ago. In the
year to March 2019 only 41,000 Australians said they intended to purchase an
electric vehicle in the next four years – and this has now increased rapidly
to well over half-a-million Australians today. “The largest driver of this
increase is the growing popularity of the Tesla brand. Tesla is synonymous
with electric vehicles and has experienced a similar surge in interest as a
wider variety of models have become available. Now 369,000 Australians say
they intend to purchase a Tesla in the next four years compared to only
37,000 in the year to March 2018 – an increase of almost 900%. “The surge in interest has led to a
similar surge in sales. The official VFACTS sales data so far in 2023 shows
Tesla is now the sixth highest selling brand in Australia behind five
well-established Asian vehicle manufacturers – Toyota, Mazda, Mitsubishi,
Hyundai, and Kia. This is a sharp rise for Tesla which was only the 16th
largest selling brand of car as recently as 2022. “Tesla is clearly the dominant
force in the electric vehicle market but as the intention to purchase data
shows – there is an increasing gap opening up between those who want to buy
an electric vehicle and those who intend to purchase a Tesla. “This gap, which didn’t exist three
years ago, shows that as other manufacturers such as BMW, Mercedes, Volvo,
BYD and MG launch competing electric vehicle brands there is an increasing
market for these vehicles to tap into. Although Tesla is clearly the market
leader, there are now around 180,000 Australians who want to buy an electric
vehicle – but not a Tesla. “Men have been the early adopters
when it comes to electric vehicles but in the last two years the fastest
growth for intention to purchase electric vehicles has come from women – up
over 480%. The key age demographics remain those aged 35+ who comprise over
three-quarters (79%) of electric vehicle intenders – but there is rapid
growth across all age groups. “To delve underneath the headline
demographics and understand the psychographic and attitudinal drivers of this
sentiment change requires a far more forensic analysis of the data than
provided here. “Roy Morgan’s extensive Single
Source data allows for a ‘deep-dive’ into the motivations of Australians in
the market for a new car – who they are, what they believe in, what media
they consume, where they spend their money, and what factors will drive their
decision to purchase one brand of new car over another. “Contact Roy Morgan to learn more.” (Roy Morgan) June 20, 2023 Source:https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/9258-electric-vehicle-intention-soars-june-2023
799-801-43-24/Polls Close
To Four Million
Australians Now Downloading Podcasts
New data from Roy Morgan shows
podcasts are increasingly popular in Australia with over 3.9 million
Australians now downloading audio or video podcasts in an average four weeks,
up by a massive 456,000 (+13.1%) from a year ago. This equates to almost one-in-five
Australians (18.3%), up by 1.9% points from a year ago. Mobile phones and
tablets are clearly the leading way to download podcasts used by 3.2 million
Australians (15.2%) while around 1.1 million (5.2%) download podcasts via
their computer – (2.1% use both). An analysis by gender shows little
difference with 1,983,000 men (18.8% of men) downloading podcasts compared to
1,952,000 women (17.9% of women) – both up more than 200,000 on a year ago. Millennials and Generation Z
dominate podcast downloads Over the last year Generation Z
(born from 1991-2005) has overtaken the slightly older Millennials (born from
1976-1990) as the largest downloaders of podcasts. Overall, these two
generations comprise around 70% of all those who download podcasts. Now
1,377,000 (up 217,000 on a year ago) people in Generation Z download podcasts
compared to 1,374,000 (up 110,000) Millennials. There are 691,000 (up 33,000 on a
year ago) in Generation X (born from 1961-1975), 304,000 (up 29,000) Baby
Boomers (born from 1946-1960) and 142,000 (up 75,000) in Generation Alpha
(born from 2006-2009) who download podcasts. These are the latest results from
Roy Morgan Single Source derived from in-depth online and telephone
interviews with around 5,000 Australians each month, and over 60,000 each
year. Australians downloading audio or
video podcasts in an average four weeks
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source:
April 2021 – March 2022, n=65,365 and April 2022 – March 2023, n=65,863. Michele Levine, CEO, Roy Morgan,
says podcasts are growing rapidly in popularity and nearly one-in-five
Australians now download podcasts in an average month – almost four million
people: “A decade ago, podcasts were
unfamiliar to many Australians, but this new form of digital media has made
steady in-roads and continues to increase penetration across the population. “The latest Roy Morgan data shows
3,935,000 Australians (18.3% of the population) now download podcasts in an
average four weeks – up a large 456,000 (+13.1%) on a year ago. “Clearly the ability to listen to
your favourite podcast while commuting to and from work and tuning out from
the hustle and bustle on crowded public transport, or just relaxing in your
spare time to catch up on what’s been happening in an area of personal
interest is appealing to a growing number of Australians. “This flexibility explains why
mobile phones and tablets are the preferred channel for downloading podcasts
and used by 3,270,000 Australians (15.2%), almost three times as many as the
1,118,000 Australians (5.2%) who download podcasts to their computers.
Overall, 11.6 million Australians (54.1%) now use their mobile phone to
listen to music, radio or podcasts. “Interestingly, there is little
gender difference when it comes to podcasts, with similar numbers of men
(1,983,000) and women (1,952,000) now downloading podcasts. The audiences of
both women and men have grown by over 200,000 compared to a year ago. “Analysing podcast downloaders by
socio-economic quintile shows the sought-after members of the AB
socio-economic quintile (25% do so) are the most likely to download a podcast
(25%) and the top two quintiles comprise 52% of podcast downloaders. “By generation Australia’s most
avid podcasters are Generation Z and Millennials who comprise about 35% of
the podcast market each – 70% in total (2.75 million people). However, the
fastest growth is within the growing Generation Alpha – those born from 2006
onwards – with listeners to podcast from that generation more than doubling
to 142,000 compared to a year ago. “These results are produced from
the Roy Morgan Single Source survey derived from in-depth interviews
conducted with around 5,000 Australians each month, and over 60,000 per year.
Research conducted directly with real people is qualitatively and
quantitatively more valuable than information drawn only through automated
processes from web browsers and complicated algorithms. It’s the only way to
learn how many real people – not bots, devices, clicks, or impressions –
listen to podcasts.” (Roy Morgan) June 27, 2023 Source:https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/9266-podcast-listeners-australia-march-2023
799-801-43-25/Polls Australian
Unemployment Jumped To 10.3% In June – The Highest Since January 2023 (10.7%)
In June unemployment jumped 1.9% to
10.3%, according to the latest Roy Morgan employment series data. However, there
was a decline in under-employment in June, down 0.5% points to 9.3%. Movements in under-employment are
highly correlated to movements in the level of part-time employment – which
fell in June for the first time since January. ●
Employment
was down in June for a second straight month, although full-time employment
rose: Australian employment was down
72,000 to 13,635,000 in June. The drop was due to a fall in part-time
employment, down 167,000 to 4,697,000, while full-time employment was up
94,000 to 8,937,000. ●
Unemployment
(full-time and part-time workers) increased in June with more people looking
for full-time and part-time work: 1,572,000 Australians were
unemployed (10.3% of the workforce) in June, an increase of 314,000 from May
with more people looking for full-time work, up 94,000 to 608,000 and more
people looking for part-time work, up a large 220,000 to 964,000. ●
The
workforce increased to a new record high in June, up over 700,000 from a year
ago: The workforce in June was
15,206,000 (up 241,000 from May) – comprised of 13,635,000 employed
Australians (down 72,000) and 1,572,000 unemployed Australians looking for
work (up 314,000). ●
Overall
unemployment and under-employment up 1.4% points in June to 19.6%: In addition to the unemployed, 1.42
million Australians (9.3% of the workforce, down 0.5% points) were
under-employed – working part-time but looking for more work, down 50,000
from May. In total 2.99 million Australians
(19.6% of the workforce) were either unemployed or under-employed in May, up
by 264,000 from May. Compared to early March 2020,
before the nation-wide lockdown, in June 2023 there were more than 800,000
more Australians either unemployed or under-employed (+4% points) even though
overall employment (13,634,000) is almost 800,000 higher than it was
pre-COVID-19 (12,872,000). Roy Morgan’s unemployment figure of
10.3% is almost triple the ABS estimate of 3.6% for May
and is closer to the combined ABS unemployment and under-employment figure of
10.0%. The latest monthly figures from the
ABS indicate that the people working fewer hours in May 2023 (595,900) due to
illness, injury or sick leave was around 135,000 higher than the pre-pandemic
average of the five years to May 2019 (460,710) – a difference of 135,190. If this higher than pre-pandemic
average of workers (135,190) are added to the combined ABS unemployment and
under-employment figure of 1,453,000 we find a total of 1,588,190 people
could be considered unemployed or under-employed equivalent to 10.9% of the
workforce. Roy Morgan Unemployment &
Under-employment (2019-2023)
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source
January 2019 – June 2023. Average monthly interviews 5,000. Michele Levine, CEO Roy Morgan,
says unemployment jumped 1.9% to 10.3% in June as a significant fall in
part-time employment and more people joining the workforce led to the first
increase in the unemployment rate since January: “The latest Roy Morgan employment
estimates for June show unemployment increasing rapidly, up 314,000 to 1,572,000
(10.3%, up 1.9%). There were far more people looking for both full-time jobs
(up 94,000 to 608,000) and part-time jobs (up 220,000 to 964,000) in June. “There are a further 1,415,000
Australians now under-employed – 9.3% of the workforce. Overall unemployment
and under-employment in June is 2.99 million (19.6% of the workforce) – just
below the recent peak above 3 million (20.2%) reached earlier this year in
January. “We have highlighted for months now
that there’s been a rapid increase in the Australian workforce over the past
year. This trend has continued in June with the workforce increasing by a
massive 715,000 compared to a year ago – the second biggest increase on
record. “Although there have been new jobs
created compared to a year ago, the workforce growth has outpaced the
economy’s job creation as we deal with high inflation and rising interest
rates. Overall employment is up 268,000 compared to a year ago while
unemployment has increased by 447,000. “In addition to the surge in
immigration the key factor influencing the Australian economy at the moment
is inflation and the increases in interest rates designed to reduce it. The
RBA has increased interest rates on 12 occasions since May 2022 to 4.1% – the
highest interest rates since May 2012 – and many economists are predicting
further interest rate increases to come as soon as next week. “The latest ABS monthly inflation figures for
May 2023 show inflation is still present in the Australian
economy – with prices rising 5.6% from a year ago. Despite this representing
a decline from a month earlier this is still far higher than the RBA’s
preferred target range of 2-3% over the course of the cycle. This is likely
to keep pressure on the RBA to continue to increase interest rates. “A big factor set to influence the
Australian employment market over the next few months will be the Fair Work
Commission’s (FWC) decision to increase the minimum wage from July 1. The FWC
increased the minimum wage by 8.6 per cent to $883 per week while over 2.5
million workers on an award rate will receive a wage increase of 5.75 per
cent. “The increase to the award wage
impacts over a fifth of Australian workers while less than 1% of workers are
on the minimum wage. The increase to the award wage will be a challenge for
those employers most impacted by rising inflation and interest rates and is
slightly higher than the latest ABS CPI figure of 5.6% in the year to April
2023. “The Australian economy is finely
balanced at the moment with a surge in employment accompanied by high
inflation, and interest rates still rising as they work their way through the
economy. Looking forward Australians will be hoping the Federal Government
and the RBA are able to ensure the economy continues to grow despite these
pressures having an increasing impact on many.” Roy Morgan Unemployed and
‘Under-employed’* Estimates
*Workforce includes those employed
and those looking for work – the unemployed. This Roy Morgan survey on
Australia’s unemployment and ‘under-employed’* is based on weekly interviews
of 911,743 Australians aged 14 and over between January 2007 and June 2023
and includes 5,955 telephone and online interviews in June 2023. *The
‘under-employed’ are those people who are in part-time work or freelancers
who are looking for more work. Contact Roy Morgan to learn more
about Australia’s unemployed and under-employed;
who and where they are, and the challenges they face as they search for
employment opportunities. Visit the Roy Morgan Online Store
to purchase employment profiles, including for Australians who are employed, unemployed, under-employed,
employed part-time,
employed full-time,
retired, studying and
many more. For further information:
Roy Morgan Research cf. ABS
Unemployment Estimates
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source
October 2006 – June 2023. Average monthly interviews 4,000. Roy Morgan Research cf. ABS
Unemployment Estimates
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source
January 2000 – June 2023. Average monthly interviews 4,000.
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source
April 1995 – June 2023. Average monthly interviews 4,000. ROY MORGAN MEASURES REAL
UNEMPLOYMENT IN AUSTRALIA NOT THE ‘PERCEPTION’ OF
UNEMPLOYMENT – JUNE 8, 2012 The Roy Morgan Unemployment
estimate is obtained by surveying an Australia-wide cross section of people
aged 14+. A person is classified as unemployed if they are looking for work,
no matter when. The results are not seasonally adjusted and provide an
accurate measure of monthly unemployment estimates in Australia. Households selected for the ABS
Survey are interviewed each month for eight months, with one-eighth of the
sample being replaced each month. The first interview is conducted
face-to-face. Subsequent interviews are then conducted by telephone. The ABS classifies a person as
unemployed if, when surveyed, they have been actively looking for work in the
four weeks up to the end of the reference week and if they were available for
work in the reference week. The ABS classifies a person as
employed if, when surveyed, a person worked for one hour or more during the
reference week for pay, profit, commission or payment in kind, or even if a
person worked for one hour or more without pay in a family business or on a
farm. The Australian Bureau of Statistics
Unemployment estimates are also seasonally adjusted. For these reasons the Australian
Bureau of Statistics Unemployment estimates are different from the Roy Morgan
Unemployment estimate. Gary Morgan's concerns regarding the ABS Unemployment estimate
is clearly outlined in a 2012 letter to the Australian Financial Review,
which was not published. (Roy Morgan) June 30, 2023 Source:https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/9266-australian-unemployment-estimates-june-2023
799-801-43-26/Polls Australians
Are Wealthier Than Before Covid, But Half The Population Holds Over 95% Of
The Wealth
After inflation, Australia’s wealth
increased by 7.0% between March 2020 (pre-COVID) and March 2023 driven
largely by the soaring value of owner-occupied homes – up 43.2% from $4.16
trillion to $5.95 trillion. The value of debt increased more
quickly than the value of assets (53.0% vs. 22.2%), but not enough to stop
the growth in overall wealth – the value of assets is now six times higher
than the value of debt. Half the population now accounts
for 95.4% of the nation’s net wealth, and the other half accounts for only
4.6% of net wealth. However, the wealth held by the
richest 10% of the population fell from 47.6% to 42.1% of the nation’s
wealth. The share of wealth held by the next wealthiest 40% increased the
most, from 48.9% to 53.3%. The poorest half of the population, dominated by renters,
saw their share of wealth increase – but only from 3.6% to 4.6%. The lowest 10% of the population
has had the toughest period during the pandemic with net wealth for this
decile going backwards at a rapid rate. The average amount of net wealth held
by this decile is in negative territory and going backwards – down by over
400% from March 2020. The lowest 10% of the population is the only decile to
lose wealth over the last three years. The importance of home ownership in
generating wealth is illustrated by the fact that the wealthiest 10% of
Australians is dominated by those who have paid off, or are paying off, their
home loans. Only 1% of the wealthiest decile are renters. The Sixth Edition of the Roy Morgan
Wealth Report 2023, released today, provides the full
picture of individual Australians' wealth and how that has changed during
COVID. The report offers fully detailed data on Australians’ Net Wealth by
calculating total personal assets (owner/ occupier home, superannuation/
pensions & annuities, deposit & transaction accounts, property
investments, other direct investments & managed funds) and subtracting
total personal debt (owner occupied mortgages, mortgage or investment
property, personal loans, other loans & total cards). Roy Morgan is able to deliver this
information thanks to Australia’s most extensive and longest-running study of
consumer financial behaviour. The study, which has been running continuously
for more than 20 years, involves over 50,000 in-depth, multi-mode interviews
each year. This provides privileged access to every aspect of Australians’
lives, including fully detailed financial positions, providing data of
unmatched depth and breadth. It enables analysis of genuine
gross wealth by age, location, home ownership status and more, showing
precisely what form that wealth takes, how evenly or otherwise it is
distributed, how it has grown, and what further shifts are likely in coming
years. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says:
“As a country, we have done pretty
well since March 2020, and remember that’s not just since COVID, over that
period we’ve also had 13 interest rate increases, crushing cost-of-living
pressures and alarming inflation. “So to find ourselves 7.0%
wealthier now than back then, even after accounting for inflation, is a very
good result. “The other exceptional finding in
the latest Wealth Report
is that so much wealth is in the hands of the top half of the population. To
see that the bottom half holds less than 5% of the wealth speaks to a wealth
divide in Australia. And the finding that the poorest 10% of our nation has
gone backwards, and is further in debt, is extremely worrying. This is the
kind of critical insight that is only available through deep data that begins
with a holistic view of individual Australians. “There are well-established links
connecting overall wealth and wealth distribution to national wellbeing in
the broadest sense, and we are committed to continuing to provide this kind
of crucial data. “The Roy Morgan Wealth Report
is part of our long history of mapping the trends and changes in Australian
society. It provides political and business leaders and those heading vital
NGOs with solid evidence-based data to optimise the decisions they make for
the benefit of all Australians.” The Roy Morgan Wealth Report The sixth edition of the 'Roy Morgan Wealth Report'
provides financial institutions, government and other organisations with
unique insights into Australians’ personal wealth by measuring both debt and
assets. It uses information derived from the most extensive and long-running
study of consumer financial behaviour in Australia to fill the knowledge gaps
around individual wealth across the whole population. With the onset of COVID, the state
of wealth worldwide was severely impacted. This report takes the start of the
pandemic (March 2020) as the initial point of focus and measures the impact
on Australia of this global upheaval and tracks the changes in wealth up
until March 2023. To provide historical context, the time-series charts in
this report show data back to 2007, although commentary is focused on the
differences between March 2020 and March 2023. It details the makeup of both
assets and debt and the wealth breakdown across a range of variables
including age, state location, wealth deciles and employment type. Each edition also includes a
special spotlight. For the sixth edition, this is the change and difference
in wealth outcomes based on home ownership status: those owing their home
outright, those paying off their home and those renting. In this report, you’ll gain a
better understanding of Australians’: • Personal Wealth • Personal Debts • Net Wealth You’ll be able to view: • Detailed Asset Analysis • Demographic and Geographic Trends • Long-term National Trends You can use this report to: • See how demographic shifts are
altering assets and debt in Australia, and the impact this is having on Net
Wealth • Scope your own client/customer
data against the bigger picture of personal wealth in Australia • Inform policy decisions (for
Banks, Financial Institutions, Government and more) on vital issues including
retirement funding for an ageing population. • Maximise advertising spend to
reach the most receptive audience (for Corporations, Government and NGOs). • Ensure organisational strategic
plans account for changing wealth trends across the population. Additional Information Roy Morgan has a uniquely large and
detailed source of financial data, compiled from more than 50,000 interviews
annually over more than two decades. This report explores personal
wealth and debt, providing crucial information with detailed segment
analysis, including wealth deciles, demographics, geographic breakdowns, and
psychographics. It provides users with an evidence-based
understanding of the state of Australians’ personal wealth and debt: its
composition, where it is held, who holds it and how that is changing. (Roy Morgan) June 30, 2023 Source:https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/9267-roy-morgan-wealth-report-june-2023
799-801-43-27/Polls Australians
Say They Would Support Taiwan If China Attacked, With Limits--Poll
Australians would support
responding to a Chinese attack on Taiwan with economic sanctions, arms
supplies or using the navy to prevent a blockade, but don't support sending
troops, an opinion poll to be released Wednesday finds. Canberra says it is opposed to any
unilateral attempt to change the status quo in Taiwan, while the United
States has long stuck to a policy of “strategic ambiguity” over whether it
would respond militarily to an attack on the island, which Beijing has
refused to rule out. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
told Asia's top security meeting in June that Australia supports dialogue
between the United States and China because a conflict in the Taiwan Strait
would be “devastating for the world.” The annual Lowy Institute poll of
public attitudes to the world found 82% of those surveyed supported the
security alliance with the U.S., although three-quarters also think that
means Australia would be drawn into war in Asia. The prospect of a military conflict
between the United States and China over Taiwan was seen as a “critical
threat” by 64% of Australians surveyed, worrying twice as many people as two
years ago. The top threat cited, by 68% percent of respondents, was
cyber-attacks from other countries. Ryan Neelam, director of public
opinion at the foreign policy think tank, said the poll showed Australians
are “cautious about conflict”, but willing to support Taiwan without becoming
a ground combatant. “When it comes to a specific
scenario where Taiwan is under military threat and the U.S. is engaged,
Australians feel quite forward leaning about taking action to support Taiwan
when it comes to accepting refugees, imposing sanctions on Beijing, sending
arms and supplies, even getting the navy involved, but that doesn't extend as
far as putting boots on the ground,” he said. Eighty percent support accepting
Taiwanese refugees, 76% support “imposing economic and diplomatic sanctions
on China”, 64% support “Australia sending arms and military supplies to the
Taiwanese government”, and 61% support “using the Australian Navy to help
prevent China from imposing a blockade around Taiwan.” Only 42% supported sending
“Australian military personnel to Taiwan to help defend it from China.” Eighty-seven percent said they were
concerned that China could open a military base in the Pacific islands. The poll also reflects stabilizing
ties between Australia and China, who are major trading partners; 56% said
resuming diplomatic contact was in the national interest. Lowy Institute executive director
Michael Fullilove said Australian trust levels in China remain “strikingly
low,” with 15% saying they trusted China to act responsibly in the world,
compared with half five years ago. (Asahi Shimbun) June 21, 2023 Source:https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14937905 MULTICOUNTRY STUDIES
799-801-43-28/Polls One
In Three Globally Report Rising Crime, Violence In Their Neighborhood In 29
Nations
The latest global Ipsos survey on perceptions
on crime and law enforcement across 29 countries finds that many around the
world report a range of crimes in their neighborhood, from vehicle theft and
people using illegal drugs to assault and gangs. Other findings include:
On average
among the 29 countries polled, vehicle thefts (50%) and illegal drug
consumption (50%) were the most reported crimes occurring in people’s
neighborhoods out of the 10 crimes polled. Under half reported violence
against women in their neighborhood (40%), followed by violence against
children (36%) and violence against men (34%).
When it
comes to the government prioritizing issues, three times more people on
average globally (57%) want to see their government prioritize the economy
over stopping crime (20%). Countries that are more likely to report a rise in
crime in the last 12 months are more likely to want their governments to
prioritize fighting crime.
On average
across 29 countries, only half are confident that law enforcement can stop
violent or non-violent crimes.
Similar
shares are confident in law enforcement arresting the correct person after a
crime and treating all citizens with the same level of respect. The survey was conducted by Ipsos
on its Global Advisor online platform between March 24 and April 7, 2023,
among 23,039 adults under the age of 75.[1]
Perceived Incidence of Crimes In the 29 countries polled, around
half of all respondents report seeing or hearing of crimes like vehicle
thefts (50%), illegal drug use (50%), vandalism (49%) and burglaries (45%) in
their neighborhood. Just over a third reported violence against women (40%),
men (34%), or children (36%). On average, 39% say they have seen or heard
about groups or people linked to drug trafficking in their neighborhood,
while 32% say they have seen or heard about the presence of gangs in their
communities. Respondents in every country are
more likely to report that crime was increasing rather than decreasing in
their neighborhood in the past 12 months, though in 21 out of the 29
countries, more respondents say that crime levels stayed the same. Perceived levels of violent crimes
are notably higher across some of the countries polled. Reported violence
against women is most prevalent in South Africa (68%), Turkey (65%), and Peru
(63%). Indonesia stood out among all 29 countries in terms of violence
against minors, with 66% of people reporting violence against minors taking
place in their communities. Violence against men is most reported in South
Africa (55%), Brazil (55%), and Thailand (54%). Countries with the highest levels
of reported violence in their communities tended to be in South or Latin
America, while countries with lower rates of perceived violence tended to be
in Europe. In most of the 29 counties,
reported violence against women is more likely to be reported by women, while
perceptions of violence against men is more likely to be reported by men.
Violence against children is more likely to be reported by women. Japan stood out as an outlier for
its lack of perceived criminal activity. In all the categories of crime
asked, respondents in Japan are among the least likely, if not the least
likely, to say that the crime occurred in their neighborhood. Confidence in law enforcement On average across all 29 countries,
around half are confident that law enforcement in their neighborhood can stop
violent (50%) or non-violent (48%) crimes from happening and find and arrest
the correct criminal after a crime (53%). Respondents in Singapore are by far
the most confident in their law enforcement, ranking first in respondents’
stated confidence in their law enforcement’s ability to stop violent crimes
(76%), non-violent crimes (78%), finding and arresting the correct criminal
(78%), and treating all citizens with respect (80%). In contrast, South
Africa ranks last among all 29 countries in respondents’ confidence in their
law enforcement to stop violent (30%) or non-violent crimes (30%), find the correct
criminal after a crime (32%), and treat all citizens with the same level of
respect (35%). Most would rather prioritize
creating jobs, boosting the economy than fighting crime Most respondents across the 29
countries preferred that their governments prioritized creating jobs and
boosting the economy (57%) or protecting local citizens’ health and
environment (23%) rather than stopping or reducing crime (20%). The same was
true in every other country, with the exception of Chile. Countries that reported an increase
in the levels of crime tended to be more likely to demand government action
on stopping crime. Respondents in countries such as Turkey and South Africa
have perceived an increase in crime in the past 12 months but aren’t
prioritizing government action on the issue. These tend to be countries with
ongoing economic crises, such as rampant inflation in Turkey and unemployment
in South Africa. European and Asian nations are less
likely to feel that crime increased recently and have a weak appetite for
government action on the issue. Meanwhile, the Americas register higher crime
perception and signal a need for the government to prioritize the issue.
(Ipsos Global) 13 June 2023 Source:https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/one-three-globally-report-rising-crime-violence-their-neighborhood
799-801-43-29/Polls On
A Global Scale, 45% Of Respondents Say They Are Scared About Sharing Their Personal
Information In 39 Countries
The annual WIN World Survey,
carried out internationally by WIN and BVA Doxa for Italy, shows how concern
about data privacy has decreased. On a global scale, 45% of
respondents say they are scared about sharing their personal information
compared to 48% in the previous survey. Positive impact with technological
innovation. Increase awareness about the use of your data once it is spread
on the web. 39 countries around the world, for
a total of 28,702 respondents, were the protagonists of the annual study
conducted by WIN – Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research of which
BVA Doxa is a founding member – on the theme of the daily use of technology. The data that emerged analyzes the
opinions of about 29 thousand people about the use of social media,
demonstrating, in particular, how in the last year the fear related to the
violation of data privacy has decreased. In Italy, 35% of respondents say
they are worried about sharing their digital information, 10% are not worried
at all. 22% of respondents globally agreed
completely with the statement that "social media is completely turning
our lives upside down", especially Croatia (80%), Slovenia (75%) and
Serbia (47.1%) are the countries that feel most impacted by the change. While
other European countries such as France (53%) and Germany (51%) confirm this
feeling, Italy (30%) does not seem particularly concerned about how much
social networks are affecting our daily lives. Despite the fact that people have
mixed feelings about the subject, the use of technology in everyday life is
undeniable. 45.3% of respondents globally (Italy on average with 45%) agree
that new technologies help to be more organized in everyday life and
especially young people between 18 and 24 years declare, for 51.5% totally
agree (mainly men for 47.4% vs. 43% of women). Compared to the previous survey,
35% of those who consider themselves aware of the use that is made of
personal information once shared. Italians, with a 44% that stands out in the
global ranking, are particularly informed about the use that service
providers, advertisers, retailers, insurers, public bodies, to name a few,
make of their data once received. There has also been a global
decline in those who said they were concerned about sharing their
information: if a year ago it was 48% of respondents, in the last survey the
figure fell to 45%. Italy is also following the trend, where concern about
data sharing has risen from 45% in 2019 to 35% in the last survey. (BVA Doxa) 15 June 2023 Source:https://www.bva-doxa.com/tecnologia-e-vita-quotidiana-una-relazione-complessa/
799-801-43-30/Polls Economic
Ratings Are Poor – And Getting Worse – In Most Countries Surveyed Of 24
Countries
As the global economy continues to
weather high inflation, energy prices and interest rates, majorities of
adults in 18 of 24 countries surveyed by Pew Research Center this spring rate
their nation’s economic situation poorly. A median of 70% of adults across
these countries say their nation’s economic situation is bad. Just 29% offer
positive assessments.
At least three-quarters of adults
in Argentina, France, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, South Korea
and the United Kingdom assess their country’s economy negatively. Smaller
majorities say the same in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Greece, Hungary,
Poland, Spain, Sweden and the United States. Only in India, Indonesia, Mexico
and the Netherlands do majorities call their economic situation good. And in
Germany and Israel, views are roughly split. In most of the countries where the
Center also asked this question in 2022, ratings of the economy have
worsened. In Sweden – the only member of the European Union expected to see a
decline in gross domestic product
through 2023 – the share of adults who say the economic situation is good has
dropped 43 percentage points, from 84% last year to 41% this year. This marks
the largest single-year downturn in any country surveyed and the first time
fewer than two-thirds of Swedes have offered positive economic ratings since
the Center first asked this question there in 2007. Double-digit downturns in people’s
economic assessments have also occurred in Australia, France, Germany,
Hungary, Israel, Poland, South Korea and the UK since last year. Greece and
Spain are the only countries to see an increase since 2022 in the share of
adults who say the economic situation is good. But even so, fewer than
three-in-ten adults in either country offer positive economic ratings (28% in
Greece and 27% in Spain).
In five emerging economies that
were last surveyed by the Center in 2019 – India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria
and South Africa – people offer lower economic ratings today than they did
then. Across all 24 nations surveyed this
year, Mexico stands out as the only one where a majority of adults (60%) say
their country’s economic situation is good and positive ratings are
significantly higher than they were when last measured (+11 points since
2019). Mexico’s GDP grew 4.5% in the first quarter of 2023 while the peso
gained strength and inflation waned, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
In 20 of the surveyed countries,
those who support the governing party or parties are much more likely than
those who do not to offer a positive assessment of their economy. For example, in Poland, supporters
of the United Right coalition – led by the Law and Justice Party – are 47
points more likely than non-supporters to say current economic conditions in
their country are good. A similar pattern appears in Greece and Israel. Smaller but still significant
differences appear in other countries as well. This list includes the U.S.,
where Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are 23 points more likely
than Republicans and Republican leaners to say the nation’s economic
conditions are good (39% vs. 16%). (PEW) 15 June 2023
799-801-43-31/Polls World
Refugee Day 2023: Support For Providing Shelter Remains Strong, Albeit Down
From 2022, A Survey Across 29 Countries
Key learnings
49% of the
Spanish population distrusts that refugees come for the intentions they
declare, a percentage 9 points higher than in 2022.
Spain (57%)
is the European country where most people believe that refugees make a
positive contribution.
Only 29% of
people support closing borders, the lowest percentage of support in Europe
after Poland (26%).
68% of
citizens believe that refugees are treated well in Spain. At a time when the number of
refugees is the highest in history according to the United Nations, Ipsos has
wanted in its annual report for World Refugee Day to shed light on the
magnitude of this crisis and contribute to a better global understanding of public
support for these people by conducting a study in 29 countries. The integration and positive
contribution of refugees, a key issue for countries Integration is one of the most
important issues when it comes to hosting refugees, since it determines the
success or failure of a society, since the more integration, the greater the
contribution of these people to the development of the countries to which
they arrive. According to the data, globally, on average, 49% of global
citizens believe that successful integration is possible. A statement
supported by half of the people in Spain (50%) and that, although it is a
figure 4 points lower than in 2022, places the country among the most
inclusive Europeans in this regard, only behind Poland (57%), the United
Kingdom (54%) and Italy (52%). Close borders to refugees? Closing borders to refugees is
another of the most controversial issues facing world governments. In this
sense, on average, only 43% of the world's population is in favor of doing
so. In Europe, people in Sweden (50%), Belgium (49%), Germany (48%) and the
Netherlands (46%) are especially more likely to support border closures than
in 2022. In the case of Spain, only 29% support this idea, being the second
European country after Poland (26%) where fewer people support this measure. Global consensus on humanitarian
obligations to refugees The study also looks at the
motivations for hosting refugees, whether for humanitarian reasons or legal
obligations, among others. 6 out of 10 people worldwide
believe refugees are treated well Overall, on average, 60% of the
world's population thinks refugees are well treated. Locally, 68% of the Spanish
population considers that refugees are treated well in their country, thus
placing them among the top three countries on the continent where more people
perceive good treatment, along with Poland (80%) and Germany (74%), while
only 19% of people in Spain consider that the treatment is bad. A figure that
contrasts with that perception in other neighboring countries such as Italy
(38%) and the United Kingdom (35%). (Ipsos Spain) 18 June 2023 799-801-43-32/Polls What
Worries The World – June 2023, Survey Across 29 Nations
Rising prices are a concern for
two-fifths (40%) of people, on average across 29 countries, down 1pp from
last month. Our monthly What Worries the World
survey explores what the public thinks are the most important social and
political issues, drawing on more than ten years of data to place the latest
scores in context. This wave was conducted between May 26th – June 9th, 2023. Key findings
Inflation
is still the highest concern this month. This month sees a slight easing of
1pp to 40%.
Eleven
nations – Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain,
India, Poland, Singapore, the US, and Turkey – have rising prices as their
biggest concern. Colombia has inflation joint first with unemployment.
Across all
countries, worry about inflation is followed by poverty & social
inequality (31%), crime & violence (29%), unemployment (27%), and
financial & political corruption (25%) which together make up the top
five global worries.
In South
Africa, worries about unemployment has reached the highest level for any
nation in our survey during recent years; with seven in ten (70%) South
Africans concerned.
Climate
change is still the seventh biggest concern globally, with 17% worried, up
1pp from last month. Italy has moved up the list of countries after a 5pp
increase in concern; 28% now mention it as one of their top issues.
Coronavirus
worry remains the same since last month, sitting at 17th out of 18, with less
than one in 10 (6%) picking it.
The “Right
vs wrong direction” monitor is unchanged this month. Almost two-fifths (38%),
on a global country average, think their country is heading in the ‘right’
direction.
Inflation Two-fifths (40%) say inflation is
one of the top issues affecting their country, down 1pp. February 2023 was
the highest recorded level of worry at 43%. Since then, it has been
declining, albeit only very gradually. Last month Argentina experienced
the highest inflation concern for any country, ever, in our survey. Worry has
now dropped 5pp to 71%. Chile (40%) also sees a 5pp fall, whereas in Colombia
the level of concern (now 42%) has jumped 5pp since last month. Inflation is the number one concern
in 11 countries – Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Great
Britain, India, Poland, Singapore, the US, and Turkey. This is the same as
last month – Colombia has inflation joint first with unemployment. For more on public attitudes
towards inflation, see our new 29-country Global Inflation Monitor Satisfaction with the economy Across 29 countries, 36% of people
describe the current economic situation in their country as “good”, 1pp
higher than in May 2023. A 9pp increase in Indonesia’s
“good” economy score sees it rise from third to joint-first position in our
country rankings, tying with Singapore and India at 72%. Brazil also sees a 9pp rise from
last month, with 44% of Brazilians now describing the country’s current
economic situation as “good”. Two countries record all-time high
“good economy” scores this month: Spain (34%) and Italy (33%). Meanwhile, the story is less
positive in Israel (-8 from last month), the US, and Singapore (both -7). Unemployment Unemployment is now the fourth
biggest concern in our What Worries the World survey, with 27% picking it as
an issue in their country. This is the result of a decrease in worry about
corruption. South Africa remains the most
concerned country, where it has been since April 2021. Seven in ten (70%) now
pick it as a worry, up 2pp from May 2023. This is the highest we’ve seen on
our survey, for any nation. Among the other more worried countries,
concern has fallen. Colombia (42%) has dipped 7pp, moving from second to
fourth. India (43%) has dropped 3pp and Spain (41%) is unchanged. Concern in Singapore (42%) has
risen sharply by 7pp, putting it third. Coronavirus Coronavirus remains ranked 17th out
of 18 worries between maintaining social programmes and access to credit. One in 20 (6%) across 29 countries
choose the pandemic as an issue in their country. June 2023’s global score is the
same as last month but is 7pp lower than the start of the year and down 6pp
on this time in 2022. Singapore (12%) has declined
significantly by 14pp from May’s score. This is now closer to what it was
back in March (10%). Indonesia (18%) on the other hand
has moved to first after a sharp rise of 9pp, putting it at the top of our
list. The top six countries concerned are
all Asia Pacific nations, something that we’ve seen twice this year. Poverty & social inequality Poverty & social inequality is
second on our list of 18 worries with 31% saying it is an issue in their
country. Last month concern for inequality
fell to its lowest level since February 2022. This month it has risen
slightly, up 1pp. Thailand was the most worried
country about inequality in May. This month the nation’s worry fell 6pp to
39%. Thailand has switched places with Indonesia (44%), who were fourth last
month, after its score rose by 6pp. Brazil (40%), Japan (35%), and the
Netherlands (33%) all have inequality as their top concern. Singapore is the least concerned about
inequality. That said, their worry level has increased 8pp from May to 20%. Crime & violence Almost three in ten (29%) choose
crime & violence as one of the biggest issues affecting their country.
Concern about crime remains the same as last month. In June 2023, Chile (62%) still has
crime as its top concern, but this is 6pp lower than last month. South Africa (56%) is no longer
second, after a 4pp fall. Instead, Peru (60%) has taken second after a 2pp
increase. We’ve also seen Sweden (55%) move up the list from May by climbing
3pp. They, like Chile, have it as their top worry. Israelis (46%) now place it as the
biggest worry for their country, rising 8pp from May 2023. (Ipsos MORI) 28 June 2023 Source:https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/what-worries-world-june-2023 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
