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BUSINESS
& POLITICS IN THE WORLD GLOBAL
OPINION REPORT NO. 815-816 Week: October 02 – October
15, 2023 Presentation: October 21, 2023 Bank
Of Japan Survey Shows Manufacturers Optimistic About Economy Record
Number Of Students Not Attending School, Survey Shows Indonesia’s
Coffee Consumption Trends In 2023 Nigeria
Has Not Achieved Anything Since Independence Mauritians
Call For Greater Government Efforts To Protect The Environment Tanzanians
Say They Enjoy Freedoms, But Support Government Restrictions Two-Thirds
Prefer Britain To Remain A Monarchy Grocery
Inflation Cools Again As Shoppers Seek Value During Sunny September Religion
Among Asian Americans What
Does Friendship Look Like In America INTRODUCTORY NOTE 815-816-43-18/Commentary: 21% Of Parents
Globally Say Their Children Have Gone To
Bed Hungry In The Last Month, A Survey In 16 Countries
Key findings
Six in ten (59%) parents/guardians are very
concerned about child hunger and malnutrition in their family, particularly
those from lower-income countries (73%). Moreover, the problem is perceived to be getting worse compared
to five years ago, both in one’s own community (60%) and in one’s own country
(65%), but, especially, globally (71%). These concerns are informed by the lived experiences of global citizens
who are struggling to put food on the table for themselves and for their
children. Notably, in the last 30 days:
Among those who have had to put a child to bed hungry, the main causes of hunger in their family are
said to be inflation and the cost of living (46%), low household income
(39%), and not enough government focus on ending hunger (25%). Hunger is a global
problem, and isn’t limited to any one country or part of the globe. A life of
plenty for every child is possible, yet every day more children go hungry.
Parents are queuing for food everywhere, and are facing impossible choices. — Andrew Morley
Malnutrition is widespread and not contained to
lower-income countries The problem of malnutrition is widespread and
37% of parents globally say that their children do not receive the proper
nutrients that they need on a daily basis. While this sentiment is felt more
widely in lower-income countries such as Chad (66%), Malawi (64%) and the
Democratic Republic of Congo (63%), roughly two in ten parents or guardians
in Germany (24%), the United States (20%), Australia (19%), Canada (18%) and
South Korea (17%) say their children also don’t receive the nutrients they
need on a daily basis.
“There is enough food in the world for everyone” Morley adds. Yet much of it is
thrown away, while millions of children continue to endure the pain of hunger
and malnutrition. The findings from this latest research show the alarming
reality facing millions of children around the globe. They have had enough; we
have had enough. It is time now for robust action. We must unite to end
hunger malnutrition for every girl and boys, everywhere. Only then can
children truly reach their God-given potential in life.” “Too many parents do not get to make the choices that would keep their
children healthy and growing. They must do whatever they can - including
selling things the family needs to produce food and marrying off their
daughters. Around the world, from Bangladesh to America, some have a surplus
of food while many others have too little.” Global citizens underestimate the impact of hunger
and malnutrition A staggering 45%[1] of global deaths among children under age five are
caused by poor nutrition but
when asked to guess what proportion of global deaths among children under age
five are caused by poor nutrition, nearly half (44%) of those who ventured a
guess grossly underestimated the
prevalence, estimating this to be below 30%. Moreover, nearly
half (46%) of poll respondents could not venture a guess, demonstrating
that the extent of the problem is a
blind spot for most citizens around the world.
Globally, inflation and increased cost of living
named main cause of hunger at country level, government intervention seen as
solution Inflation and the increased cost of living (55%)
and not enough government focus (37%)
are seen as the main causes of hunger
at the country level. These are problems which governments
could choose to address through interventions, and the public supports
policies to address these challenges.
For example, it is unanimously believed (97%) that it is important for
children to have something to eat during the school day, and therefore 85%
support governments funding school meals. Yet, only 40% of parents/guardians
say that the children in their household have been provided a school meal in
the past 30 days. The importance of this is undeniable: those whose children
have received a school meal are more likely to say their children receive the
proper nutrients they need on a daily basis. Only 33% believe un sustainable development goal of
eliminating global hunger by 2030 will be achieved, despite having enough
food to do so Global citizens are not seeing enough progress on
the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals[2], and
most (74%) say that too many children in their country are going hungry.
Moreover, only 37% believe that child hunger will be eliminated by 2030 in
their own country, and even fewer (33%) believe that it will be eliminated
globally by 2030. Australians (17%), Canadians (17%), Germans (16%) and the
Japanese (9%) are particularly pessimistic. “In 2015, global government leaders joined together to establish
nutrition targets but failed to invest in them. Today, hundreds of millions
of children suffer from curable diseases, are underweight, stunted, wasted,
anemic and overweight. As world crises push up hunger, the number of children
facing malnutrition is also skyrocketing.”, continues Morley.
Three quarters (75%) believe that their government isn’t doing enough to support families struggling in
their own country, and seven in ten believe their government isn’t doing enough to end child malnutrition (71%) or to solve the global hunger crisis (69%). And yet, global citizens believe
we have the recipe to end child hunger, with most (84%)
maintaining that we have enough food in the world for everyone if we share
and that having enough food to eat is a basic human right (91%). Citizens call on governments to step up, but many
playing their own part too Global citizens say that government (68%) has the
greatest responsibility for solving child hunger. But the responsibility is also shared by
parents/guardians (48%) and organizations/agencies (34%). Thankfully,
those with the responsibility also have the trust, with government (40%),
parents/guardians (37%) and organizations (including NGOs and charities)
(29%) cited as the entities they most trust to solve child hunger.
Individuals are also doing their own part: in
the past 12 months many have given food to someone in need (43%), supported a
hungry family locally (26%), or donated to a charity or faith-based community
organization which provides food for the hungry (21%), among other actions. Ultimately, most (89%) global
citizens firmly believe that we all have a responsibility to end world
hunger. We’ve had enough, and if governments, citizens,
businesses, and NGOs work together, we can work more quickly towards ending
hunger and malnutrition among children. We have enough. About World Vision’s Enough Campaign World Vision is
working in 100 countries to provide millions of hungry people with food or
the means to buy food and other life-saving services in response to
disasters, conflict and famines. Local faith communities partner with us to
identify vulnerable families, share meals and advocate for more just,
nutritious and sustainable food systems. Our Global Hunger Response is
the largest emergency hunger response we have ever undertaken, spending more
than $1 billion dollars to help 22 million people in 28 countries. It is the
biggest any NGO has ever attempted. But it’s not ENOUGH. That’s why this World Food Day World Vision is launching a new
campaign to make children visible in global and
national statistics around hunger and nutrition, drive real change in the
places where children are receiving food support—emergency food assistance
programmes, school meals and community health services—and lead global
efforts to get more and better aid invested in ending child hunger and
malnutrition. (Ipsos Global) 10 October 2023 SUMMARY OF POLLS ASIA (Japan) Bank Of Japan Survey Shows Manufacturers
Optimistic About Economy The Bank of Japan’s “tankan” quarterly survey measured business
sentiment among major manufacturers at plus 9, up from plus 5 in June. Sentiment
among major non-manufacturers rose four points to plus 27, in the sixth
consecutive quarter of improvement and the most positive result in about
three decades. For the tankan’s projection of business sentiment three months
from now, large manufacturers are expecting an improvement of 1 point at plus
10. (Asahi Shimbun) 02 October 2023 Record
Number Of Students Not Attending School, Survey
Shows Nearly 300,000 elementary and junior high school students refused to go
to school in fiscal 2022, according to an education ministry survey. The
record figure was a 22.1 percent increase from the previous fiscal year. By
identifying common factors leading to serious bullying, which can cause
students to skip out on school, the ministry also aims to ramp up measures
through revised guidelines. According to the survey results that the ministry
will release later this month, the number of non-attending students in fiscal
2022 totaled 299,049. (Asahi Shimbun) 04 October 2023 (Pakistan) The Proportion Of
Children Reported Starting School At The Age Of 4 Increased By 21% While
Those Starting At 5 Years Of Age Decreased By 6% Between 2005-2019 In a Pakistan Social and
Living Standards Measurement (PSLM) Survey conducted in the year 2005-06 and
subsequently in years 2007-08, 2011-12, 2013-14, and 2018-19, a
representative sample of Pakistanis over the age of 10 years from across the
country were asked regarding the age at which they started school. In
response to this question, 17% said at 4 years of age, 46% said at 5 years of
age, and 37% said at the of 6 years or above. (Gallup Pakistan) 10 October 2023 (Indonesia) Indonesia’s Coffee Consumption
Trends In 2023 As one of the most popular beverages in many countries, including in
Indonesia, new innovations are always discovered for coffee, which create new
coffee consumption trends from time to time. In this survey, most of
them confessed that their coffee consumption behavior is similar with the
time while Covid-19 pandemic was occuring. Many respondents said that they
drink this beverage once (especially in the morning) every day. And
apparently, different generations have similar drinking habit, as you can see
on the infographic above. (Snapcart) 02 October 2023 AFRICA (Nigeria) Nigeria Has Not Achieved Anything Since
Independence The annual Independence Day Poll result released by NOIPolls Limited
has revealed that 31 percent of adult Nigerians opined that Nigeria as a
nation has not achieved anything since it attained the status of Independence
in 1960. Furthermore, 23 percent of Nigerians cited insecurity as one of the
greatest challenges Nigeria as a nation has faced since independence. Other
challenges mentioned are economy (20 percent), corruption (20 percent), bad
leadership (17 percent), and ethnicity/tribalism (8 percent) amongst other
challenges. (NOI Polls) 02 October 2023 (Mauritius) Mauritians Call For
Greater Government Efforts To Protect The Environment The government of Mauritius has dedicated considerable attention to
consolidating legislation to ensure environmental protection, embracing
important sectoral reforms and implementing budgetary measures. For instance,
in 2021/2022, it elevated green energy to the status of a new economic pillar
for the country, targeting an energy mix with 60% renewables by 2030 and
commissioning major wind and solar farms. The government has earmarked
significant resources for the National Environment and Climate Change Fund
(NECCF) and for beach rehabilitation and coral-reef and preservation and has
committed to launch a 1 million tree-planting programme. (Afrobarometer) 05 October 2023 (Tanzania) Tanzanians Say They Enjoy Freedoms, But Support
Government Restrictions Majorities of Tanzanians say they enjoy basic freedoms of speech,
association, and the media, though they have to be careful when discussing
politics. o Six in 10 citizens (61%) report that they feel “completely free”
to say what they think, a proportion that has rebounded from a low of 46% in
2017. Another 26% say they feel “somewhat free” to speak their minds. o But a
majority (58%) say people “often” or “always”
have to be careful about what they say about politics. (Afrobarometer) 06 October 2023 WEST EUROPE (UK) Clear Majorities Of The
Public Think Rishi Sunak’s Government Doing A Bad Job At Delivering On Key
Pledges The latest Ipsos Political Pulse, conducted online between September
22nd – 26th asked favourability towards the parties and various senior
politicians, whether things are heading in the right or wrong direction and
whether Rishi Sunak’s government has done a good job delivering on the 5 key
pledges he made earlier this year. We also asked which of the different
component parts of these pledges were most important to the public. (Ipsos MORI) 04 October 2023 Two-Thirds Prefer Britain To
Remain A Monarchy The latest Ipsos Political Monitor, taken 6th to 12th September 2023,
explored public attitudes to the Royal Family and King Charles in particular.
Overall, when presented with a choice, 66% of Britons would prefer Britain to
remain a Monarchy and 25% would favour a Republic (9% don’t know). Support
for the Monarchy has increased 4 points from May and is now back at March
levels. However, support is weaker amongst younger age groups with
around half (49%) of 18-34s preferring a Monarchy, 36% favouring a Republic
and 14% saying they don’t know. (Ipsos MORI) 05 October 2023 Grocery Inflation Cools Again As
Shoppers Seek Value During Sunny September Grocery price inflation is still very high, but shoppers will be
relieved to see the rate continuing to fall. For the first time since
last year, the prices of some staple foods are now dropping and that’s
helping to bring down the wider inflation rate. Dairy was one of the
categories where costs really shot up last autumn, but the average price paid
for a 250g pack of butter is now 16 pence less than 12 months ago. (Kantar) 10 October 2023 NORTH AMERICA (USA) Religion Among Asian Americans Like the U.S.
public as a whole, a
growing percentage of Asian Americans are not affiliated with any religion,
and the share who identify as Christian has declined, according to a new Pew
Research Center survey exploring religion among Asian American adults. But
the survey also shows that 40% of Asian Americans say they feel close to some
religious tradition for reasons aside
from religion. For example, just 11% of Asian American adults say
their religion is Buddhism, but 21% feel close to Buddhism for other reasons,
such as family background or culture. (PEW) 11 October 2023 What Does Friendship Look Like In America Americans place a lot of importance on friendship. In fact, 61% of U.S.
adults say having close friends is extremely or very important for people to
live a fulfilling life, according to a recent
Pew Research Center survey.
This is far higher than the shares who say the same about being married
(23%), having children (26%) or having a lot of money (24%). A narrow
majority of adults (53%) say they have between one and four close friends,
while a significant share (38%) say they have five or more. Some 8% say they
have no close friends. (PEW) 12 October 2023 (Canada) Canada And The Culture
Wars: Majority Say Legacy Of Colonialism Still A Problem, Two-In-Five
Disagree Canada was officially proclaimed a dominion by the British in 1867, but
this land’s history extends thousands
of years prior. For most in this country, the
legacy of first contact between Indigenous Peoples and early settlers
continues to be real problem for modern society to solve, but approach to and
resolution of this issue remain a source of strife. One-in-five (19%) say
this legacy is a huge problem to be dealt with, while one-in-three (35%) say
that this is a problem among many others. A significant minority see less of
an issue (40%). (Angus Reid Institute) 05 October 2023 AUSTRALIA ‘Real’ Unemployment Drops To 10.2% In September
– Now 2.9 Million Are Unemployed (1.6 Million) Or
Under-Employed (1.3 Million) There were however more people looking for full-time jobs (up 60,000 to
720,000) but many fewer people looking for part-time jobs (down 182,000 to
844,000) compared to a month ago. In addition, there were a further 1,329,000
Australians (down 68,000) who are now under-employed. The drops in part-time
unemployment and underemployment came as political parties hired tens of
thousands of people to campaign for ‘The Voice’ by
handing out leaflets, making phone calls and manning polling booths; and the
Australian Electoral Commission hired tens of thousands of people to conduct
the elections and count the votes. (Roy Morgan) 09 October 2023 ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Up 1.9pts To 80.1 – First Time Above 80 For Eight Months Since
Mid-February ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence was up 1.9pts to 80.1 this week, the
first week the index has been above 80 since the week of February 13-19, 2023
– almost eight months ago to the day. This marks the end of a record 31
straight weeks (equivalent to just over seven months) below the mark of 80.
Consumer Confidence is now a 4.5pts below the same week a year ago, October
3-9, 2022 (84.6) and is now clearly above the 2023 weekly average of 78.2. (Roy Morgan) 10 October 2023 MULTICOUNTRY STUDIES World Mental Health Day: 39% Say They Have Had To Take Time Off Work Due To Stress In The Past Year, A 31
Country Survey 78% globally say their mental health is equally as important as their
physical health but only a third (34%) say their country’s healthcare
system treat them equally. This sentiment is highest in LATAM with Argentina
(88%), Colombia (87%) and Peru (also 87%) the three countries most likely to
say this is the case. However, many people think this is not reflected
in their country’s healthcare system. LATAM is the region with the
lowest proportion of people who think they are treated equally, with Mexico
(38%), Argentina (37%) and Colombia (35%) saying physical health is treated
as more important. (Ipsos Global) 09 October 2023 Source:
https://www.ipsos.com/en/world-mental-health-day-2023 21% Of Parents Globally Say Their Children Have
Gone To Bed Hungry In The Last Month, A Survey In 16
Countries Six in ten (59%) parents/guardians are very concerned about child
hunger and malnutrition in their family, particularly those from
lower-income countries (73%). Moreover, the problem is perceived to be
getting worse compared to five years ago, both in one’s own community
(60%) and in one’s own country (65%), but, especially, globally (71%). These
concerns are informed by the lived experiences of global citizens who are
struggling to put food on the table for themselves and for their children. (Ipsos Global) 10 October 2023 ASIA
815-816-43-01/Polls Bank Of Japan Survey Shows
Manufacturers Optimistic About Economy
Business sentiment among big Japanese manufacturers improved in
July-September for the second straight quarter, according to a central bank
survey released Monday. The tankan survey, conducted every three months, measures corporate
sentiment by subtracting the number of companies saying business conditions
are negative from those replying they are positive. Tourism, which has lifted the world’s third largest economy in recent
years, was hit by the pandemic. But incoming travelers have gradually
returned to near pre-pandemic levels. The negative effects of COVID-19 on supplies of computer chips and
other key parts for manufacturers have also gradually eased, with production
recovering, according to analysts. “The recent cheap yen that came on top of the gradually improving
supply chain is believed to have worked as a factor to brighten sentiments
among big manufacturers,” said Toshihiro Nagahama, chief economist at
Dai-ichi Life Group. For non-manufacturers, the return of foreign tourists and healthy
domestic tourism during the summer holidays likely boosted sentiments, he
said. For the past decade, the Japanese economy has stagnated overall, with
slow wage increases. Another negative has been soaring energy prices due to
Russia’s war in Ukraine. That’s tough for Japan, which imports almost all its
oil, at a time when the Japanese yen is weakening. But the weak yen has worked as a positive, too, boosting the value of
overseas earnings by exporters like Toyota and Nintendo. The dollar has been
trading recently at about 149 yen, up from below 130 yen in January. What the Bank of Japan will do to interest rates in coming months is
being closely watched. The central bank has kept interest rates at zero or in
minus territory for years to wrest Japan out of its economic doldrums. The
BOJ is targeting stable price rises of 2%. 02 October 2023 Source:
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15019050
815-816-43-02/Polls Record Number Of Students Not Attending School, Survey
Shows
The record figure was a
22.1 percent increase from the previous fiscal year. “Economic uncertainties due to the (COVID-19) pandemic perhaps caused
stress in children, possibly leading to an increase in school absences,” said
Noriko Yamano, a professor of child and family welfare at Osaka Metropolitan
University. In response, the ministry has formulated an “urgent acceleration plan”
in cooperation with the Children and Families Agency to counter truancy and
bullying. Part of the plan will be put into place this fiscal year. The plan will, for example, expedite efforts such as strengthening
community-based initiatives to support children who have not been attending
school and feel disconnected from learning. The results also show 3.2 percent of all enrolled students in the
nation were truants. Around 40 percent of these students, or 114,217, did not consult with
professionals inside or outside of their schools, an all-time high. The number of bullying cases confirmed at elementary, junior high and
high schools in fiscal 2022 increased by 10 percent from the previous fiscal
year to 681,948. This increase is believed to be influenced by club activities and
school events resuming, which were scaled back due to the pandemic, leading
to more interactions among students. Along with stress amid the pandemic, one contributing factor to so many
students not attending school is the wider recognition of incidents that were
not previously considered as bullying. At the end of the fiscal 2022, bullying had been resolved in nearly 80
percent of the cases, or 525,773. The number of serious cases, in which students were forced to be absent
for a long time or apparently suffered severe physical or mental harm, was
923, up 217 from the previous fiscal year. Of these, 357 cases were not
recognized as bullying before severe harm was identified. The number of suicides among elementary, junior high and high school
students in fiscal 2022 was 411, up 43 from the previous fiscal year. The
figure was the second highest. The most common circumstance faced by those who took their lives was
“unknown,” accounting for 60 percent, or 225 students. Violent acts involving elementary, junior high and high school students
reached a record high 95,426 cases. “There is a severe manpower shortage to support students not attending
school,” Yamano said. “There’s an urgent need to place professionals, such as school
counselors, as regular staff in each school and ensure both students and
teachers can comfortably seek advice and quickly connect with such support
services,” she added. 04 October 2023 Source:
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15020878
815-816-43-03/Polls The Proportion Of Children Reported Starting School At The
Age Of 4 Increased By 21% While Those Starting At 5 Years Of Age Decreased By
6% Between 2005-2019
In a Pakistan Social and Living Standards
Measurement (PSLM) Survey conducted in the year 2005-06 and subsequently in
years 2007-08, 2011-12, 2013-14, and 2018-19, a representative sample of
Pakistanis over the age of 10 years from across the country were asked
regarding the age at which they started school. In response to this question,
17% said at 4 years of age, 46% said at 5 years of age, and 37% said at the
of 6 years or above. Comparative Picture: In
2018-19, 38% said at 4 years of age, 40% said at 5 years of age, and 22% said
at the of 6 years or above. Trend Analysis: The proportion of people who
report starting school/institution at the age of 4 increased by 21%, while
those starting at 5 years of age decreased by 6%, and those starting at the
age of 6 or above decreased by 15% in the 13 years between the two surveys.
The trend shows that gradually a greater proportion of children are being
sent to school at a younger age.
10 October 2023 Source:
https://gallup.com.pk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/10.10.23-History-poll-1.pdf
815-816-43-04/Polls Indonesia’s Coffee
Consumption Trends In 2023
Hence, from 12-15 September 2023, Snapcart conducted
research to find out the newest coffee trends among Indonesian consumers;
starting from their favorite types of coffee, drinking coffee habit, daily
coffee purchases, to their favorite brands and coffee shops/cafes. With a
sample size of 4.538 respondents, here are the results.
In sync with the info in our previous article that stated Indonesia is
a country with a large number of coffee enthusiast [1],
this study also revealed that 79% of Indonesian people are coffee consumers. However, unlike in many movies, even though many Indonesians consume
coffee in the morning, but only less than 20% of them who drink it during
breakfast or on their way to work/school/college.
People’s Coffee Purchasing Behavior If we think that rich people often consuming premium/expensive coffee
for their best drinking experience, this survey would change this stereotype. Majority of our respondents from SES Lower to Upper confessed that they
usually spend their money on coffee with affordable prices (around IDR 6.000
– IDR 20.000), and they often buy a simple coffee in ground/powder form in a
small/sachet package at small shops (warung)/minimarkets/supermarkets. On the other hand, 63% of those who like go to cafes/coffee shops said
that they buy coffee there more often on weekdays rather than on weekends.
You can check the details of these data below and on the infographic above.
The Most Lovable Coffee People have different taste. And among many various coffee types in
2023, we figured out that in general, most Indonesians (40%) usually consume
ready-to-drink 3in1 coffee/white coffee in bottles/cans/boxes in their daily
life. According to the infographic above, if we take a look based on gender,
majority of females often drink ready-to-drink coffee with flavors
(mochacino, vanilla latte, etc), meanwhile ground black coffee (brewed with
sugar) is the one that often consumed by men. In addition, this study also found out that among many kinds of modern
coffee, cappuccino is still become the most favorited coffee for almost all
women & men in Indonesia. Indonesians’ Brands of Choice As one of the most consumed products, of course many companies/brands
are competing to produce coffee in various forms/categories. This study discovered that Good Day is the most consumed coffee brand
by Indonesian people for ready-to-drink and ground coffee categories.
Meanwhile Janji Jiwa is on the top position for the most favorite brand in
ground & ready-to-drink coffee that are produced by coffee shop/café
category. (Snapcart) 02 October 2023 Source:
https://snapcart.global/indonesias-coffee-consumption-trends-in-2023/ AFRICA
815-816-43-05/Polls Nigeria Has Not Achieved
Anything Since Independence
Despite the challenges, Nigerians still pinpoint some achievements the
country has made since her Independence. The top three achievements include
democracy (14 percent), national unity (9 percent), and telecommunication (7
percent). Other mentions include large population (3 percent), electricity,
(3 percent), education (3 percent), security (3 percent), and social cohesion
(3 percent) amongst others.
When asked about the single most important issue Nigeria as a nation
should address in the next year, 28 percent of Nigerians mentioned the
economy, which is closely followed by insecurity (21 percent). Other issues
mentioned are poverty alleviation (13 percent), job creation (9 percent),
corruption (8 percent), bad governance (3 percent), electricity (3 percent),
and education (3 percent). Also, when respondents were asked which country has been positively
impactful to Nigeria’s political and economic development since her
Independence, interestingly, the United States of America (27 percent), China
(24 percent) and the United Kingdom (17 percent) came top. Other countries
mentioned are Israel, Ghana, France, Saudi Arabia, Niger, and Russia (2
percent each) amongst other countries mentioned. However, it is worth noting
that 22 percent of Nigeria stated that no country has had any positive impact
on the political and economic development of Nigeria since independence.
Survey Background Independence Day is an official national holiday in Nigeria, celebrated
on the 1st of October. It marks Nigeria's proclamation of her Independence
from British rule on 1 October 1960. The holiday is commemorated annually by
the government and the people of Nigeria with pomp and pageantry.
However, in the last decade, activities to commemorate the anniversary
have continued to decline. This is a clear reflection of the state of the
nation. This year, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr.
George Akume stated in a Press Conference in Abuja, that Nigeria will mark
its 63rd Independence Anniversary with a low-key celebration. The decision to
scale back the festivities was taken considering the country’s economic
challenges. He added that no world leaders have been invited, “The celebration
is low-key as due to the realities on the ground.” But the anniversary will
be celebrated under the theme “Nigeria @ 63, Renewed Hope for Unity and
Prosperity”[1].
With unmet expectations for Nigerians, this year's Independence Day
Anniversary is a time for Nigerians to reflect on their gains and challenges
while mapping out feasible ways of improving on the gains.
Against this backdrop of the occasion of Nigeria’s Independence,
NOIPolls conducted a survey to gauge the pulse of Nigerians regarding our
progress post-Independence.
Survey Findings The first survey question sought to know the opinion of adult Nigerians
on what they consider to be the country's greatest achievement in the past 63
years. Thus, it poses the question ‘’ In 63 years, what do you consider to be
the greatest achievement of Nigeria?’. Findings revealed that a larger
proportion of respondents (31 percent) revealed that Nigeria has not achieved
anything. Conversely, some respondents believe the country has recorded some
great achievements around democracy (14 percent), national unity (9), and
telecommunication (7 percent). Other achievements mentioned include large
population (3 percent), electricity (3 percent), education (3 percent),
security (3 percent), and social cohesion (3 percent). More findings show
that 8 percent of respondents interviewed adduced independence, fuel subsidy,
the entertainment industry, hunger and poverty, and no unity as some
achievements. Survey findings also revealed that 16 percent of Nigerians
interviewed do not know/refused to disclose their stance.
Nigeria's Achievement 63 years of Independence Furthermore, the survey sought to gauge the opinion of Nigerians on the
single most important issue the country needs to address in the next one (1)
year. Analysis shows that a larger proportion of Nigerians (28 percent)
mentioned the economy. This is followed by insecurity (21 percent), poverty
alleviation (13 percent), job creation (9 percent), and corruption (8
percent). Other issues mentioned include; bad governance (3 percent),
electricity (3 percent), education (3 percent), dollar exchange rate, inflation,
fuel issue/refinery, and infrastructure (2 percent each). However, few
Nigerians mentioned attitudinal change, electoral reforms, healthcare, and
the constitution (4 percent) as the greatest issues that should be addressed
in the next one year.
Area's Nigeria should focus in one year When asked what has been our greatest challenge as a nation since
Independence, analysis shows that the majority of respondents (23 percent)
cited insecurity. More analysis reveals economy (20 percent), corruption (20
percent), bad leadership ( 17 percent), and ethnicity/tribalism (8 percent)
as the greatest challenges specified. Other challenges named are;
over-dependence on fuel/crude oil,(3 percent), high poverty level (3
percent), electricity(3 percent ), education(1 percent), border security (1
percent), and agitations (1 percent)
Nigeria's Greatest Challenge Additionally, the survey sought to measure the opinion of Nigerians on
their level of trust in key institutions of the country such as INEC, the
Judiciary, the President and his cabinet, and the law enforcement agencies
using a scale of 1-5. Thus, it poses the question “On a scale of 1-5, where 1
is no trust at all, and 5 is complete trust, how much do you trust the
following institutions? Findings reveal that most Nigerians do not trust INEC
(57 percent), the judiciary (56 percent), the President and his cabinet
members (50 percent), and law enforcement agencies (47 percent). Similarly,
analysis shows that 25 percent of Nigerians who answered in the affirmative,
when asked if they trust INEC, and 24 percent affirmed for the Judiciary.
Nigerians who have confidence in the president and his cabinet are 26 percent
while law enforcement agencies are 32 percent. However, more analysis shows
that just a handful of respondents (21 percent) either do not know or refuse
to answer the survey question.
Nigerians' trust in Institutions The survey also measures the opinion of Nigerians on the country(s)
they think have been impactful to Nigeria’s political and economic
development in the past 63 years. Findings show a larger proportion of
Nigerians (27 Percent) interviewed mentioned the U.S. (27 percent), followed
by China (24 percent), and the U.K. (18). Other countries mentioned are
Israel (2 percent), Ghana (2 percent), France (2 percent), Saudi- Arabia (2
percent), Niger (2 percent) and Russia (2 percent). Similarly, India, Canada,
and Germany have 3 percent. Respondents who don’t know are 7 percent.
However, 22 percent stated that no country in the world has impacted Nigeria
in this regard.
Countries that have impacted Nigeria Conclusion In conclusion, findings have shown that majority of Nigerians 28
percent) reveal that the single most important issue that the country needs
to address in the next one (1) year is economy, followed by insecurity (21
percent). Survey findings also revealed that more Nigerians (31 percent)
disclosed that the country has not achieved anything in the past 63 years
since we got independence. However, the findings reveal that Nigerians
indicated that some countries have impacted our economic and political development
since independence, among the top mentions are the U.S. (27 percent), China
(24 percent), and the U.K. (18 percent). Others include Israel (2 percent),
Ghana (2 percent), France (2 percent), Saudi- Arabia (2 percent), Niger (2
percent), and Russia (2 percent) respectively. Similarly, India, Canada, and
Germany have 3 percent. Respondents who do not know are 7 percent.
Interestingly,22 percent stated that no country in the world has impacted
Nigeria politically and economically. 02 October 2023 Source:
https://www.noi-polls.com/post/independence-day-nigeria-has-achieved-nothing-sine-independence
815-816-43-06/Polls Mauritians Call For Greater Government Efforts To Protect The
Environment
Nestled in the southwestern Indian Ocean, Mauritius is a global
biodiversity hotspot, ecologically unique and rich in species (Sujeeun &
Thomas, 2022). As a small island developing state, it is also highly
vulnerable to environmental shocks due to climate change, which imperil food
security, livelihoods, and health; accelerate coral bleaching, marine
ecosystem degradation, and biodiversity loss; and jeopardise the tourism
sector (Kelman et al., 2021; Sultan, 2021; World Health Organization, 2021;
Pillay, 2011; Dhoomun, Hytten, & Perry, 2022). Although natural resource extraction is not a major economic activity
in Mauritius, the government’s 2021 Offshore Petroleum Bill has laid the
foundation for seabed exploration, raising serious concerns among
environmental activists (Deena, 2021). Commercial fishing more than
quadrupled between 2010 and 2020 (Statistics Mauritius, 2021). Mauritius
claims an exclusive economic zone of 2.3 million square kilometres of ocean,
representing opportunities to venture into marine-based natural products such
as nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals. Planners look to the “blue economy” to
emerge as a pillar for a more diversified and resilient economic trajectory –
but one requiring careful environmental conservation policies to be
sustainable (Ministry of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and
Shipping, 2020; Beejadhur et al., 2017). This dispatch reports on special survey modules included in the
Afrobarometer Round 9 questionnaire to explore Mauritians’ experiences and
perceptions of pollution, environmental governance, and natural resource
extraction. Findings show that almost half of Mauritians consider pollution a
serious problem in their community. Trash disposal tops the list of citizens’
most urgent local environmental problems, and most citizens say plastic bags
are a major source of pollution in the country. Mauritians are most likely to look to one another to reduce pollution
and keep their communities clean, with the government following in second
place. But most citizens agree that the government should do more to protect
the environment, including ensuring tighter regulation of natural resource
extraction. Key findings
05 October 2023
815-816-43-07/Polls Tanzanians Say They Enjoy
Freedoms, But Support Government Restrictions
Tanzania’s Constitution guarantees its citizens the rights to freedom
of expression and association. Since the country transitioned from a
one-party state under the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party to multiparty
democracy in 1992, Tanzanians have been able to create and join opposition
parties that contest elections, although the CCM has won every national
election (Paget, 2021). Particularly during the administration of former President John
Magufuli (2015-2021), domestic and international observers raised concerns
about legislation and government actions that posed threats to Tanzanians’
rights to freedom of expression and freedom of association. In 2015, at least
seven people were charged with spreading misinformation on the social media
apps Facebook and WhatsApp under the Tanzania Cybercrimes Act, which had been
signed into law earlier that year by Magufuli’s predecessor, Jakaya Kikwete
(Macha, 2016). The following year, at least five Tanzanians were
charged with cybercrimes under the same act for criticising Magufuli on
Facebook and WhatsApp (Brooks, 2016). Independent media and political opposition likewise became targets of
legal action. Between 2016 and 2020, Tanzania’s information ministry
banned the independent newspapers Mseto, Mawio, Mwanahalisi, and Tanzania
Daima under the Media Services Act of 2016, alleging that they had spread
misinformation in their reporting on government corruption (Nyeko, 2022).
Over the same period, Tanzania’s global ranking in Reporters Without Borders’
World Press Freedom Index fell from 71st to 124th (Aboud, Shomari,
& Gusenberg, 2022). In 2016, the government banned politicians from
holding political rallies outside their own constituencies, and subsequent
years saw opposition party leaders and activists face harassment, arrest,
abduction, and assassination (Human Rights Watch, 2019). Under President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who took office in March 2021, the
government in 2022 lifted its bans on the four newspapers (Nyeko, 2022) and
in early 2023 announced an end to its ban on politicians holding rallies
outside of their constituencies (Dausen, 2023). This dispatch examines Tanzanians’ views on freedom of expression and
association, incorporating results from the Afrobarometer Round 9 survey
conducted in 2022 and from previous surveys conducted since 2012. While a
majority of Tanzanians report feeling free to say what they think and to join
political organisations of their choice, and most consider their country’s
media to be largely free, they also say that people have to be careful about
what they say about politics. A majority of Tanzanians express support for the government’s right to
ban organisations that go against its policies and to restrict the sharing of
information that it disapproves of. Key findings
06 October 2023 WEST
EUROPE
815-816-43-08/Polls Clear Majorities Of The Public Think Rishi Sunak’s Government
Doing A Bad Job At Delivering On Key Pledges
Rishi Sunak's pledges On three occasions this year, Ipsos have asked which parts of Rishi
Sunak’s 5 key pledges are most important to the public, how his government is
performing at delivering them and whether Keir Starmer’s Labour Party would
have done better if they were in office. 1) Which pledges are most
important? The most important pledges for the public overall remain easing the
cost of living and dealing with NHS waiting times.
However, amongst 2019 Conservative voters ‘making sure that people who
come to Britain illegally are detained and swiftly removed’ effectively ranks
in joint 1st place (52%), behind reducing NHS waiting times (53%), level with
easing the cost of living (52%) and just ahead of ensuring people get the NHS
care they need more quickly (50%). 2) How is Sunak’s government
performing on these pledges? The public continue to think Rishi Sunak’s government is doing a poor
job overall at delivering on his key pledges. They are most likely to think
his government is doing a bad job reducing NHS waiting times (71%) and
ensuring people get the NHS care they need more quickly (70%) but clear
majorities think his government is doing a bad job across all measures.
When we look at net good / bad job since the start of the year we
can see that perceptions of Sunak’s government’s performance have worsened
across his key pledges since January.
To illustrate further on the top three pledges more important to the
public:
3) Would a Labour government under
Starmer do any better? When asked if Starmer’s Labour would have done a better job delivering
on these pledges, the public are often divided / pessimistic. This means in
net ‘good job’ terms Labour outperforms the Conservatives but in real terms
the public lack confidence in Labour as well.
Favourability towards parties In terms of the latest monthly Ipsos Political Pulse tracking questions
on party favourability ratings, there is little change:
In terms of the other parties:
Direction of the country/impact of Brexit
Ipsos Director of Politics, Keiran Pedley, said
of the findings: These numbers reflect the scale of the challenge
Rishi Sunak faces to turn the Conservatives' fortunes around. Earlier this
year he made 5 key pledges and invited the public to judge him on his
success. However, right now, not only do the public not think his government
is delivering but they tend to think it is doing worst on the issuers of most
importance to them. 04 October 2023
815-816-43-09/Polls Two-Thirds Prefer Britain To Remain A Monarchy
Future of the Monarchy
King Charles and Prince William 63% are satisfied with the job King Charles is doing as Monarch and 19%
are dissatisfied. Satisfaction is unchanged from May but 6 points up from
April (since April, ‘don’t knows’ have fallen by 11 points, while
dissatisfaction is up by 4 points). Again those aged 18-34 are less
satisfied than the overall population, although more are satisfied (43%) than
dissatisfied (32%). Overall, 7 in 10 think the King is performing his
role as Monarch as expected (71%), with 14% saying he is doing better and
just 5% saying he is doing worse than expected. Prince William commands even higher satisfaction ratings with the
general public (74%) and those aged 18-34 (58%). Just 10% are dissatisfied
overall, rising to 18% amongst 18-34s. Again views are little changed
since May, though satisfaction is up 12 points since April, with ‘don’t
knows’ down by 12. Keiran Pedley, Director of Political Research at
Ipsos, said: King Charles and Prince William enjoy satisfaction
ratings Britain’s politicians could only dream of, with support for the
Monarchy overall continuing to be strong in the country. However, with one in
four supporting a Republic, such sentiment can hardly be considered a fringe
view, especially amongst younger Britons, so this will be a trend to keep an
eye on in future. 05 October 2023 Source:
https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/two-thirds-prefer-britain-remain-monarchy
815-816-43-10/Polls Grocery Inflation Cools
Again As
Shoppers Seek Value During Sunny September
Grocery price inflation fell for the seventh month in a row to 11% for
the four weeks to 1 October 2023, the lowest rate since July 2022, according
to our latest data. Take-home grocery sales over the same period rose
by 9.1% compared with last year. Promotional sales highest since June 2022 A jump in the amount of money spent on offers is also helping to lower
inflation. Supermarkets are looking at all the different ways they can
deliver value at the tills and while the emphasis for some time has been on
everyday low prices, the retailers are starting to get the deal stickers out
again. Spending on promotions made up over a quarter of all sales in
the latest 12-week period at 26.5%, the highest level since June 2022. Tesco, in particular, has been driving the increase, with some positive
results. The nation’s biggest supermarket saw sales rise by 9.2% over
the latest 12 weeks, with its market share edging up by 0.4 percentage points
to 27.4%. Brands have also done well. Branded promotion sales hit
their highest rate since January this year, helping the category grow sales
by 7.3% across the 12-week period and narrow the gap with own-label lines,
which grew by 10.1%. Warmer weather prolongs sales for summer staples The joint warmest September on record meant people got to enjoy some of
their summer favourites for a little longer this year. Sunnier weather
last month meant the barbecues stayed out of sheds for another few
weeks. Shoppers made the most of the higher than average temperatures,
with volume sales of ice cream, burgers and dips shooting up by 27%, 19% and
10% respectively. And as they basked outside in the autumn heat, people
opted to be sensible which saw sun care product sales more than doubling
across the month. Christmas seemed further away for many with fewer
people buying Christmas puddings and seasonal biscuits as volume sales were
down by 14% and 29% versus this time last year. Lidl was the fastest growing retailer this month with sales up
15.2%. This is the first time that Lidl has led the pack since April
2023 and the growth means it now has a market share of 7.6%, up 0.5
percentage points year on year. Fellow discounter Aldi’s sales were up
by 14.9%, with its total share of the market now at 9.9% up by 0.6 percentage
points compared with a year ago. Sainsbury’s share grew to 14.8% as its sales increased by 9.1% compared
with last year. Asda and Morrisons now hold 13.7% and 8.6% of the
market. Amid reports that Waitrose could become the latest retailer to partner
with Amazon for grocery delivery services, total online trips increased
year-on-year for the first time this month since December 2021 by 3.1%.
Waitrose has a 4.6% share with sales growth at 5.3% for the latest
period. Co-op’s market share sits at 6.1% with sales up 3.3%. Iceland’s
sales rose by 2.8%, and Ocado grew sales by 9.6% to take 1.7% of the
market.
10 October 2023 NORTH
AMERICA
815-816-43-11/Polls Religion Among Asian
Americans
Like the U.S. public as a whole, a growing percentage of Asian Americans are
not affiliated with any religion, and the share who identify as Christian has
declined, according to a new Pew Research Center survey exploring religion
among Asian American adults.
Religious profile of Asian Americans
Jump to chapters on …
The survey also asked Asian Americans how important religion is in
their lives (31% say it is very important), how often they attend religious
services (29% report that they go at least monthly), and whether they have an
altar, shrine or religious symbol that they use for home worship (36% say
they do). Of the major Asian American religious groups, Protestants and Muslims
are the most likely to report that they attend
religious services at least once a month. By
contrast, Buddhists and Hindus are especially likely to say they worship
at shrines or altars in their homes. Differences in religious affiliation among Asian
origin groups There are large differences in religious affiliation among Asian
Americans depending on their ethnic origin group. For example:
These six Asian origin groups – Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Japanese,
Korean and Vietnamese Americans – account for 81% of all
Asian Americans.1 The survey did not include enough interviews with respondents in other
Asian origin groups to be able to report on them separately. However, the
members of less populous Asian origin groups were included in the study, and
it is possible to analyze them when they are grouped together by region.
Doing this reveals some additional patterns. For example:
These are among the key findings of a nationally representative,
multilingual survey of 7,006 Asian American adults conducted by Pew Research
Center from July 5, 2022, to Jan. 27, 2023. The Center previously has
published other findings from this survey. 2 Importance of religion
While nearly a third of Asian Americans say religion is very important
in their lives, Asian American Muslims (60%) and Christians (54%) are much
more likely than Asian American Hindus (33%) and Buddhists (31%) to feel that
way. Looking at Asian Americans by their ethnic origin group, Japanese and
Chinese Americans are notably less likely than members of other Asian origin
groups to say religion is very important in their lives, reflecting the large
number of “nones” (those who describe their religion as atheist, agnostic or
“nothing in particular”) in these two groups. As a whole, Asian Americans born in the U.S. are somewhat less likely
than Asian Americans born elsewhere to say religion is very important in
their lives. And Asian Americans overall are
somewhat less likely than the general U.S. population to say religion is very
important in their lives (31% vs. 41%). Attending religious services
About three-in-ten Asian Americans (29%) say they attend religious
services or go to a temple, shrine or other religious space at least once a
month, including 21% who say they do so weekly or more often. Asian American Christians and Muslims are more likely than Asian
American Buddhists, Hindus or “nones” to say they attend religious services
at least monthly. Regular religious attendance is more common among Korean and Filipino
Americans than among Vietnamese, Japanese or Chinese Americans. (As
previously noted, Korean and Filipino Americans are also more likely to be Christian.) Overall, foreign-born Asian Americans are more likely than those born
in the U.S. to attend religious services at least monthly (32% vs. 21%). On this question, Asian Americans closely resemble U.S. adults as a
whole, 31% of whom say they attend religious services at least once a month,
including 25% who say they do so weekly or more often, according to an August
2021 survey. Home worship: Shrines, altars and religious symbols
In some Asian religious traditions, religious practice is centered in
the home rather than in a communal setting. About one-third of Asian
Americans (36%) say their home contains an altar, shrine or religious symbol
that they use for worship. Using an altar, shrine or other religious symbol for worship in the
home is most common among Vietnamese and Indian Americans, in part because
this is a relatively common practice among Buddhists (who make up 37% of the
Vietnamese American population) and Hindus (who make up 48% of the Indian
American population). Worshipping at home is also fairly common among Filipino Americans,
owing to the large share of Catholics within the Filipino American population
– 66% of Filipino Catholics in the U.S. say they have an altar, shrine or
religious symbol used for worship in their home, compared with just 9% of
other Filipino Americans.
While 36% of Asian Americans say they use a shrine, altar or religious
symbol to worship at home, and 29% say they regularly attend religious
services, only 15% say they do both of
these things. This pattern reflects the varying worship practices of
different religious groups. For example, about half of Asian American Protestants (53%) say they
attend religious services monthly but don’t worship at a home altar. About
half of Buddhists (51%) and Hindus (52%) say the opposite: They do not attend
religious services monthly, but they do worship at a home altar. Sizable numbers of Asian American Catholics (29%) and Hindus (27%)
engage in both practices,
attending religious services monthly and worshipping at a home altar or
shrine. Feeling ‘close to’ a religion for reasons such as
family background or culture
In the U.S., being Christian is often perceived as an exclusive
religious identity with a clear set of associated beliefs (such as a creed)
and normative practices (such as attending religious services). In many Asian
countries, however, religion and religious identity are often understood
differently.3 For example, the practices and beliefs associated with Buddhism,
Hinduism, Daoism (or Taoism), Shintoism and Confucianism are often so infused
in daily life in Asian countries that even people who do not identify with
those religious groups may accept some of their beliefs and engage in some of
their rituals. The lines between members and nonmembers, as well as between the
religious groups themselves, can be fuzzy. In China and Japan, for example,
many individual temples and shrines are associated with multiple traditions.
(Read the sidebar
about the words for “religion” in Asian languages.)
Asian Americans are at the intersection of these two ways of being
religious. Many identify with a specific religion, such as Christianity or
Islam. However, many who do not identify with a specific religion still say
they consider themselves close to the religious or philosophical traditions
that are common in their country of ancestry. In addition, some Asian
Americans say they feel close to multiple faith
traditions. The survey measured these ways of being religious with two questions.
The first asked: “What is your present religion, if any?”4 The
second question asked: “Aside from religion, do you consider yourself close
to any of the following traditions for other reasons (such as your family
background or culture)?”5 In total, 40% of Asian American adults express a connection to one or
more groups that they do not claim as a religious identity.
For example, 21% of Asian American adults do not identify religiously
as Buddhist but say they feel close to Buddhism “aside from religion,” while
18% do not identify religiously as Christian, yet say they feel close to
Christianity aside from religion. And 10% express a similar connection to
Confucianism. About two-thirds of religiously unaffiliated Asian Americans (63%) say
they are close to at least one of these religious traditions. (Jump to
the chapter
on religiously unaffiliated Asian Americans for
more on this.) The meaning of ‘religion’ in East Asia In many East Asian languages, there is no single, literal equivalent of
the English word “religion.” The modern Chinese, Japanese and Korean terms
for religion – zongjiao, shūkyō and jonggyo –
were all created in the early 20th century by Asian scholars working with
Western texts who wanted to translate “religion” from Western languages and
needed to invent a word. Their definitions of religion were influenced by Christian religious
norms, rather than developing organically from Buddhist, Confucian, Shinto,
Daoist or other religious traditions that are more common in those countries,
as we noted in our 2023 report, “Measuring
Religion in China.” To this day, the words for “religion” in many East Asian countries and
some parts of Southeast Asia refer primarily to organized forms of religion,
particularly those with professional clergy and institutional oversight. The
Chinese term zongjiao and its Japanese and Korean equivalents do not typically refer to some
traditional religious beliefs and practices that are common in these
countries. These differences might lead Americans of East Asian origin to say they
do not identify with any religion or that religion is not very important in
their lives, because they do not consider their traditional spiritual
practices – or cultural customs that have a spiritual underpinning – to be
“religious” in nature. In a series
of small group conversations, some focus group participants made this
point. And the survey data supports it: More Asian Americans say they
are close
to Buddhism for reasons such as ancestry or culture than
say Buddhism is their religion. A similar dynamic exists in Asian countries. In China, for example, the
share of adults who consider Buddhism to be their formal religion (zongjiao)
is 4%, according to the 2018 Chinese General Social Survey data. But the
share who believe in Buddha and/or bodhisattvas is
33%, according to the 2018 China Family Panel Studies survey. Findings from our focus groups After conducting the survey, the Center arranged small group
conversations (focus groups) and one-on-one interviews with a total of more
than 100 Asian Americans to gain an understanding of what religion means to
them in their own words.6 In
the conversations, participants were asked to discuss the nature of their
connections to religions they may not claim as their own.7 These are some of the most common themes that emerged on this topic: Many people we talked to, including those who are
religiously unaffiliated, expressed a cultural connection to the dominant
religious tradition in their country of origin. This
sentiment was also apparent in the survey results, which show, for example,
that Indian Americans who are religiously unaffiliated say they feel close to
Hinduism aside from religion at
much higher rates than do religious “nones” of other Asian origin groups. For some non-Christians we talked to in these
conversations, feeling close to Christianity is an unavoidable result of
living in the United States. One
Indian American focus group participant who grew up in the U.S. and is not
Christian, but who said she considers herself close to Christianity,
explained: “My whole life I was exposed to Christmas and all this stuff. Even
though I don’t believe in it, we had to give gifts … so it was always part of
our culture, even though we don’t believe in it.” In the survey, 34% of religiously unaffiliated U.S. Asian
adults (representing 18% of Asian Americans overall) said they feel close to
Christianity even though they do not identify as Christians. Some participants in these conversations said there
is a natural affinity or closeness between certain pairs of religions that
have shared beliefs, values or practices. For
example, a Hindu participant expressed a personal connection to Buddhism
“because some of the practices of Buddhists, they are very much similar to
[Hindu practices].” And a Muslim participant drew parallels between Islam and
Christianity, saying “in Islam and in Christianity there’s a lot common.” Finally, some people we talked to questioned whether
Confucianism or Daoism should be seen as religions. In
the words of one Vietnamese Buddhist, “Confucianism and Daoism is part of my
culture. However, for me, it’s a school of philosophy. I do not identify
myself as being a Daoist or Confucian.” Another participant said of
Confucianism, “There’s no deity there. So it’s only … a philosophy.” This
view aligns with the survey’s findings on Asian Americans’ views on
Confucianism and Daoism. (Jump to the chapter
on Confucianism and Daoism.) Other key findings In addition to the overall religious profiles of Asian American ethnic
groups, other key findings from the survey include:
The remainder of this report details the survey’s findings about Asian
American adults who identify with – or feel close to – six religions or
philosophical traditions. Click the links below to jump to each chapter. 11 October 2023 Source:
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2023/10/11/religion-among-asian-americans/
815-816-43-12/Polls What Does Friendship Look
Like In
America
Americans place a lot of
importance on friendship. In fact, 61% of U.S. adults say having close
friends is extremely or very important for people to live a fulfilling life,
according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. This is far higher than the shares who say
the same about being married (23%), having children (26%) or having a lot of
money (24%). How we did this We decided to ask a few more questions to better understand how
Americans are experiencing friendship today. Here’s what we found: Number of close friends
There’s an age divide in the number of close friends people have. About
half of adults 65 and older (49%) say they have five or more close friends,
compared with 40% of those 50 to 64, 34% of those 30 to 49 and 32% of those
younger than 30. In turn, adults under 50 are more likely than their older
counterparts to say they have between one and four close friends. There are only modest differences in the number of close friendships
men and women have. Half of men and 55% of women say they have between one
and four close friends. And 40% of men and 36% of women say they have five or
more close friends. Gender of friends Most adults (66%) say all or most of their close friends are the same
gender as them. Women are more likely to say this than men (71% vs. 61%). Among adults ages 50 and older, 74% of women – compared with 59% of men
– say all or most of their close friends are the same gender as them. Among
adults younger than 50, the difference is much smaller: 67% of women in this
age group say this, as do 63% of men. Race and ethnicity of friends
A majority of adults (63%) say all or most of their close friends are
the same race or ethnicity as them – though this varies across racial and
ethnic groups. White adults (70%) are more likely than Black (62%), Hispanic (47%) and
Asian adults (52%) to say this. This also differs by age. Adults 65 and older are the most likely (70%)
to say all or most of their close friends share their race or ethnicity,
compared with 53% of adults under 30 – the lowest share among any age group. Satisfaction with friendships The majority of Americans with at least one close friend (72%) say they
are either completely or very satisfied with the quality of their
friendships. Those 50 and older are more likely than their younger
counterparts to be highly satisfied with their friendships (77% vs. 67%). The survey also finds that having more friends is linked to being more
satisfied with those friendships. Some 81% of those with five or more close
friends say they are completely or very satisfied with their friendships. By
comparison, 65% of those with one to four close friends say the same. The survey didn’t ask adults who reported having no close friends about
their level of satisfaction with their friendships. What do friends talk about? Of the conversation topics asked about, the most common are work and
family life. Among those with at least one close friend, 58% say work comes
up in conversation extremely often or often, while 57% say family comes up
this often. About half say the same about current events (48%).
There are differences by gender and age in the subjects that Americans
discuss with their close friends: Differences by gender Women are much more likely than men to say they talk to their close
friends about their family extremely often or often (67% vs. 47%). Women also report talking about their physical health (41% vs. 31%) and
mental health (31% vs. 15%) more often than men do with close friends. The
gender gap on mental health is particularly wide among adults younger than
50: 43% of women in this age group, compared with 20% of men, say they often
discuss this topic with close friends. By smaller but still significant margins, women are also more likely
than men to talk often about their work (61% vs. 54%) and pop culture (37%
vs. 32%) with their close friends. Men, in turn, are more likely than women to say they talk with their
close friends about sports (37% vs. 13%) and current events (53% vs. 44%). Differences by age Those ages 65 and older (45%) are more likely than younger Americans to
say they often talk with their close friends about their physical health. There are two topics where young adults – those under 30 – stand out
from other age groups. About half of these young adults (52%) say they often talk with their
friends about pop culture. This compares with about a third or fewer among
older age groups. And young adults are more likely to say they often talk
about their mental health with close friends: 37% say this, compared with 29%
of those 30 to 49 and 14% of those 50 and older. 12 October 2023 Source:
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/10/12/what-does-friendship-look-like-in-america/
815-816-43-13/Polls Canada And The Culture Wars: Majority Say Legacy Of
Colonialism Still A Problem, Two-In-Five Disagree
Canada was officially
proclaimed a dominion by the British in 1867, but this land’s history
extends thousands of years prior. For most in this country, the
legacy of first contact between Indigenous Peoples and early settlers
continues to be real problem for modern society to solve, but approach to and
resolution of this issue remain a source of strife. Take
the Cultural Mindset Quiz Here The non-profit Angus Reid Institute explores Canadians’ views on the
legacy of colonialism, the harm of residential schools and the status of
Indigenous Peoples in Canada in the fourth part in the Canada
and the Culture Wars series. These data find a majority of
residents recognize colonialism has left unresolved discord in the
relationship between Canada and First Nations. One-in-five
(19%) say this legacy is a huge problem to be dealt with, while one-in-three
(35%) say that this is a problem among many others. A significant minority
see less of an issue (40%). Indigenous respondents are more likely to say
this is a problem (61%), but are far from unanimous, with one-in-three (34%)
disagreeing. In the week following the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation,
many Canadians are likely more aware of these discussions. Overall, 55 per
cent of Canadians say Indigenous Peoples should have an inherently unique
status due to their presence in these lands before colonizers. This group is
led by young women (74%), those with a university education (65%) and those
who voted for the Liberals (64%) and New Democrats (75%) in the previous
federal election. On the other side of this, 45 per cent say that Indigenous
Peoples should have no special status. This group is more likely to be
comprised of older men (59%) and 2021 Conservative voters (68%). Notably, those who identify as Indigenous are more likely than the
general population to feel that special status is warranted, with 62 per cent
saying so. Other contentious issues divide Canadians along Angus Reid
Institute’s Culture
Mindsets spectrum (take the Canadian
Culture Mindsets Quiz here to see where you fit). Whether it’s
removing names of those who helped to build the residential schools from
public buildings or giving more attention and resources to addressing the
legacy of the schools, Canadians are widely divided, with Zealous Activists
in support of action and assistance, Defiant Objectors largely in opposition.
More Key Findings:
INDEX Part One: The legacy of colonialism in Canada
Part Two: Contentious questions
Part One: The legacy of colonialism in Canada Canadian society has been reckoning with the legacy of colonialism in
Canada for much of the 21st century. In 2008, the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was
founded as part of the agreement reached between the government of Canada and
the 86,000 Indigenous Peoples in the country who were at some time enrolled
in the residential school system. The commission explored the tragic legacy
of the residential schools, but also brought attention to the legacy of other
colonial systems in the country. For many, the
ripple effects of colonialism are still
being felt, or at the very least, more subtly embodied by
people in the country. Still others feel that if there is, indeed, a legacy
of colonialism in Canada, there
are as many things to celebrate from it as
there are to repudiate. For many Canadians, awareness of Indigenous issues
is simply
non-existent. More than half of Canadians (54%) feel the legacy of colonialism is a
problem for the country today, including one-in-five (19%) who describe it as
a huge problem. Two-in-five (40%) disagree:
Perspectives vary widely by generation, cultural
mindset Women and younger Canadians are much more likely to believe the
ramifications of colonialism are a modern problem. Meanwhile, half of men
older than 34 believe the legacy of colonialism is not an issue today:
A majority (60%) of respondents who identify as Indigenous believe
colonialism is a problem in Canada today, including more than one-quarter
(27%) who say it is a huge problem. Half (51%) of Caucasian agree the legacy
of colonialism continues to be a problem, but they are more likely to
disagree (43%) than Indigenous respondents (34%):
Canadians at opposite ends of the Canadian
Culture Mindsets are also in opposition on the
implications of colonialism for modern Canada. Nearly all (94%) Zealous
Activists believe the legacy of colonialism is a problem today, while 84 per
cent of Defiant Objectors disagree. The Conflicted Middle lean towards
believing the lasting effects of colonialism are still an issue, but only
one-in-eight (13%) say it is a huge problem:
Optimism about improvements in lives of Indigenous
Peoples living in Canada At the release of the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission, Chair Justice
Murray Sinclair said he was “hopeful that we are at a
threshold of a new era in this country.” “A period of change is beginning,” Sinclair
continued, “that if sustained by the will of the
people, will forever realign the shared history of Indigenous and
non-Indigenous peoples in Canada.” However, he cautioned that change would likely not be instantaneous,
“It will take years, perhaps generations.” It has been more than eight years since the release of that report, and
15 years since the founding of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In
that time span, half (49%) of Canadians believe the situation for Indigenous
Peoples in their own province has improved. One-quarter (27%) feel there has
been no improvement, but the situation has not worsened. One-in-ten (11%)
believe Indigenous Peoples’ circumstances have deteriorated:
A plurality in every region across the country believe the situation of
Indigenous Peoples in their province has improved. However that sentiment is
lowest in Manitoba (39%) and Saskatchewan (39%), the provinces with the largest
and second-largest proportion of Indigenous Peoples in the country.
Half of those who identify as Indigenous say their situation has
improved in the past decade. However, one-third (32%) see no improvement and
one-in-eight (12%) see their condition worsening:
Note on methodology: *Please note, while the views of self-described
Indigenous people are reported here to provide valuable context, it should be
noted that this sample is not necessarily representative of the Indigenous
population of Canada as a whole. Part Two: Contentious questions As Canada walks the path of reconciliation, there is both understanding
and resistance. The Angus Reid Institute wanted to gauge Canadians’ opinions
on some of the more contentious topics surrounding reconciliation for this
study, as many discussions connected to reconciliation provoke divisive
discourse in Canada’s culture wars. The questions offer some background and
touch on whether Indigenous Peoples should maintain a special status in
Canada, Canadians’ understanding of what happened at residential schools, and
whether enough has been done to address the harm those institutions
perpetuated. To
read the full questionnaire, click here. Division over whether Indigenous Peoples should have
unique status Indigenous Peoples in Canada have
access to social programs, non-insured health
benefits, tax exemptions and other rights and benefits not available to
non-Indigenous Peoples. More than half (55%) of Canadians believe this should
be the case, as Indigenous Peoples “have an inherently unique status because
their ancestors were here first.” Two-in-five (45%) disagree, saying that
there should be no special status conferred to Indigenous Peoples in modern
Canada. On this question, the Conflicted Middle is near evenly split. Nearly
all (94%) Zealous Activists believe Indigenous Peoples should fundamentally
have a unique status, while most (84%) Defiant Objectors argue Indigenous
Peoples and other Canadians should have the same status in modern Canada:
Three-in-five (58%) in Saskatchewan feel Indigenous Peoples should have
no special status, the most in the country. Those in Ontario are more likely
(59%) than those in other regions to believe that because Indigenous Peoples
pre-date Europeans, they should have a unique status in Canada:
Canadians older than 64 are the only age group who believe Indigenous
Peoples should have no special status in Canada at a majority level. That
sentiment is disputed by at least half of all other age groups, including
seven-in-ten (71%) 18- to 24-year-olds:
More than three-in-five (62%) of those who identify as Indigenous
believe Indigenous Peoples should have a unique status in Canada because
their settlement pre-dates the arrival of Europeans. Caucasians are split on
the matter:
Two-in-five believe harm from residential schools
largely resolved; half disagree In a long-awaited move, the Newfoundland and Labrador provincial
government apologized on the day before National Day for Truth and
Reconciliation for its role in residential schools in that province. The
apology had
been promised by former Premier Dwight Ball after
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered one from the federal government in
2017, but Ball never delivered on the promise before leaving office in 2020.
Newfoundland and Labrador was not included in the initial federal government
apology by former Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2008 because the schools
were set-up in the province before it joined Confederation. There have been many apologies over the years, including last year when
Pope Francis made
a “penitential pilgrimage” to Canada to apologize for the Catholic
Church’s role in residential schools. While just one step, at the time, a
majority of Canadians felt it was meaningful progress towards reconciliation
between Canada and Indigenous Peoples. Many, however, argue apologies
are not enough and there is much more work to be done. The
Truth and Reconciliation Commission issued 94 calls to action in 2015 to
address the painful legacy of residential schools. A December 2022 report
found that only
13 calls to action had been completed. Approaching half (48%) of Canadians feel the harm from residential
schools will continue for many generations and will need support from all
levels of government. Two-in-five (41%) disagree and believe the harm has
largely been resolved. Men older than 54 are more likely than other demographics to be of the
latter opinion – half (53%) believe it’s time to focus on other issues
affecting Indigenous Peoples. Women are more likely to believe the harm
caused by residential schools will continue for many generations, especially
those aged 18- to 34-years-old, of whom two-thirds say this:
Caucasians equally likely to believe harm continues
as it has been addressed A majority of respondents who identify as Indigenous believe the harm
from residential schools will continue to require support from all levels of
government. Caucasians are near evenly split between agreeing that more
support is needed (46%) and believing the harm has largely been resolved
(44%):
There is a clear division between Canadian Culture Mindsets on this
matter with nearly all (94%) Zealous Activists believing the hurt of
residential schools will need to be addressed by future governments for
generations and four-in-five (84%) Defiant Objectors saying the harm has
largely been resolved. While Frustrated Skeptics lean towards the latter
opinion, they are nearly twice as likely (17%) as Defiant Objectors to say
they are unsure:
Change the names? Given the reconciliation Canada is undergoing with Indigenous Peoples,
some have suggested that the names of those who were involved in the creation
of residential schools, or oversaw this policy’s enactment, should be removed
from public spaces. Others have argued that those figures are key in
the formation of Canada and our national identity, that it is a step too
far to remove them from our collective history. In recent years, statues of John A. MacDonald, the first prime minister
of Canada, have been toppled or vandalized, and the names of MacDonald,
Egerton Ryerson, and others have been removed from public buildings and
institutions in favour of more inclusive monikers. Asked specifically about
changing these names, Canadians are most likely (45%) to say that context is
important and that communities should look at these on a case-by-case basis.
A similar sized group of two-in-five (39%) say that names should not be
changed, while 16 per cent would change all of them. The latter is a view
primarily held by Zealous Activists, with the former is the majority opinion
of both Frustrated Skeptics and Defiant Objectors:
A plurality (42%) of those who identify as Indigenous feel some names
should change and some should stay the same, depending on the circumstances.
However, respondents who identify as Indigenous are twice (27%) as likely as
Caucasians (14%) to believe all of the streets and schools named after
historical figures associated with the residential school system should
change:
On the deaths at residential schools In recent years, discussion and debate has emerged among some
populations about conditions within residential schools, and the ultimate
aims of their construction. Some have called this
residential school denialism, the idea that schools had positive goals
and that children who died there were just
as likely to have died in other settings. For
their part, Canadians overwhelmingly felt when asked by ARI that these
schools were a form
of cultural genocide, but what do they feel about the causes of
deaths? Deaths in residential schools were much
more common than the general population of children
at the time. A plurality, two-in-five (39%), say that the deaths were a
product of neglect, with poor treatment for diseases and issues like
malnutrition and overcrowding contributing. Three-in-ten (29%) – say that
they simply do not know enough to say what happened. One-in-five Canadians (19%) say that Indigenous children were
purposefully killed, rather than neglected, while the smallest group,
approximately one-in-eight (13%) say that these deaths were from
uncontrollable factors:
Among respondents who identify as Indigenous, there is a diversity of
opinion on this matter. Two-in-five (38%) believe the children in residential
schools died of neglect, while one-third (32%) believe they were purposefully
killed. Caucasians are half as likely (15%) to believe children were killed
on purpose in the residential school system:
This issue, too, is divisive across different mindsets in Canada. Many
in each group are uncertain what happened. Meanwhile, the largest group in
four of the five groups say that neglect was the primary cause of a higher
death rate:
05 October 2023 Source:
https://angusreid.org/canada-colonialism-culture-wars-indigenous-residential-schools/ AUSTRALIA
815-816-43-14/Polls ‘Real’ Unemployment Drops
To 10.2% In September – Now 2.9 Million Are Unemployed (1.6 Million) Or
Under-Employed (1.3 Million)
Overall, a massive 2.89 million Australians were
unemployed or under-employed (18.9% of the workforce) in September. The September drop in ‘real’ part-time unemployment was expected as
analysis of trends in Roy Morgan’s ‘real’ unemployment series in June-July
2016, April-May 2019 and April-May 2022 showed the estimated ‘real’ part-time
unemployment dropped significantly in the lead-up to the past three Federal
Elections. The drop in ‘real’ unemployment in September came in the lead up to
this week’s national referendum on ‘The Voice’ (latest Roy
Morgan results here: ‘Yes’ – 37% cf. ‘No’ – 46% and 17% ‘Undecided’). The September Roy Morgan Unemployment estimates were 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
‘real’ unemployment rate is presented as a percentage of the workforce
(employed & unemployed).
Compared to early March 2020, before the nation-wide
lockdown, in September 2023 there were more than 700,000 more Australians
either unemployed or under-employed (+3.3% points) even though overall
employment (13,755,000) is almost 900,000 higher than it was pre-COVID-19
(12,872,000). ABS Comparison Roy Morgan’s unemployment figure of 10.2% is almost triple the ABS
estimate of 3.7% for August but is almost identical with the combined
ABS unemployment and under-employment figure of 10.3%. The latest monthly figures from the ABS indicate that the people
working fewer hours in August 2023 due to illness, injury or sick leave was
568,100. This is around 50,000 higher than the pre-pandemic average of the
six years to August 2019 (518,930) – a difference of 49,170. If this higher than pre-pandemic average of workers (49,170) is added
to the combined ABS unemployment and under-employment figure of 1,515,000 we
find a total of 1,564,170 people could be considered unemployed or
under-employed, equivalent to 10.7% of the workforce. Roy Morgan Unemployment & Under-employment
(2019-2023) Source: Roy Morgan Single Source January 2019 – September 2023.
Average monthly interviews 5,000. Michele Levine, CEO Roy Morgan, says unemployment
and under-employment were both down in September, but there are still 2.9
million Australians either unemployed or under-employed: “The latest Roy Morgan employment estimates for
September show 1,564,000 Australians were unemployed – equivalent to 10.2% of
the workforce. There were more people looking for full-time jobs (up 60,000
to 720,000) but fewer people looking for part-time jobs (down 182,000 to
844,000) compared to a month ago. “In addition, there are a further 1,329,000
Australians (down 68,000) who are now under-employed – 8.7% of the
workforce. Looking at the overall
figure shows a massive 2.89 million Australians unemployed or under-employed
(18.9% of the workforce) in September is the most important problem facing
the Federal Government. “We have highlighted for months now that there’s
been a rapid increase in the Australian population over the last year, a
record increase of 741,000, and this has flowed through into a rapidly
expanding labour market. The Australian workforce increased by 412,000
compared to September last year. “However, although there have been new jobs created
compared to a year ago, the rapid workforce growth has significantly outpaced
the economy’s job creation as we deal with high inflation and rising interest
rates. Overall employment is up by only 50,000 compared to a year ago while
unemployment has surged by 362,000. “In addition to the record high level of immigration
the key factors influencing the Australian economy are 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 good news is that the RBA appears to have
finished its interest rate hiking cycle after leaving interest rates
unchanged for a fourth month in a row in October– the first time they have
done this since beginning their interest rate increasing cycle just over a
year ago. “However, of concern is that the latest
official monthly inflation figures for the year to August 2023 show
inflation at an annual rate of 5.2%, an increase of 0.3% points from July 2023 (4.9%). “The increase in the latest annual inflation figure
comes as energy prices have surged in recent months. Average retail petrol
prices in Australia have now averaged above $2 per litre for eight straight
weeks since mid-August – the longest ever period at this high level. “If the increase in energy prices and the flow
through to higher inflation persists this will place renewed pressure on the
RBA to raise interest rates again in the months ahead. Higher interest rates
will present a further challenge to an economy which is already struggling to
produce enough jobs to handle the increasing levels of population over the
last year.” 09 October 2023 Source:
https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/9348-australian-unemployment-estimates-september-2023
815-816-43-15/Polls ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer
Confidence Up 1.9pts To
80.1 – First Time Above 80 For Eight Months Since Mid-February
Looking around the States Consumer Confidence was up in New South
Wales, Victoria and Queensland but down slightly in Western Australia and
South Australia. Driving this week’s increase was improving levels of confidence about
personal finances compared to a year ago and over the next year after new RBA
Governor Michele Bullock left official interest rates unchanged for the
fourth straight month. Current financial conditions
Future financial conditions
Current economic conditions
Future economic conditions
Time to buy a major household item
ANZ Senior Economist, Adelaide Timbrell, commented: The ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence
index is trending up and reached its highest level since the last week of
February, though is still in weak territory. Confidence about personal
finances have been key to the recent upward trend. One less encouraging
reason “current finances” confidence is likely trending up may be because the
question asks participants to compare their current finances to a year ago,
and inflation and interest rates were already a central issue for households
in late 2022. It may also reflect wage and employment growth over the last
year, which have offset some effects of inflation and higher rates for many
households. 10 October 2023 Source:
https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/9335-anz-roy-morgan-consumer-confidence-october-10 MULTICOUNTRY
STUDIES
815-816-43-16/Polls World
Mental Health Day: 39% Say They Have Had To Take Time Off Work Due To Stress In The
Past Year, A 31 Country Survey
Drawing on three years of
trend data, the Ipsos World Mental
Health Day survey explores changes in how people feel about
their own mental health, the factors that are impacting their mental
wellbeing, and sets this against the backdrop of the broader healthcare
environment. Key findings:
Mental health
vs. physical health Highlighting the
importance of mental health as an issue, it is now seen as the number one health concern in our
recent Ipsos Global Health
Service Monitor above
illnesses like cancer. Our World Mental Health
Day report finds that 58% say they
think about their mental wellbeing often. South Africans and
Brazilians (both 75%) are the most likely to express this. While South Korea
is the only place where people are more likely to say they don’t think about
their mental wellbeing much – 61% saying they do so ‘not very much/never’.
78% globally say their mental health is equally as
important as their physical health but
only a third (34%) say their country’s healthcare system treat them equally.
This sentiment is highest in LATAM with Argentina (88%), Colombia (87%) and
Peru (also 87%) the three countries most likely to say this is the case. Countries in Asia are
among the most likely to say that mental health is treated equally by their
healthcare system. In five countries (Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, India,
and Singapore) a majority say mental wellbeing is treated with an equal level
of priority as physical health, while Japan and South Korea also record high
levels (49% and 45%, respectively). The impact of
stress Stress has been a growing
issue in recent years, and it is seen as the third biggest health concern in
our Ipsos Global Health
Service Monitor. In
our World Mental Health Day report, we explore the impact that stress is having on people’s lives. Across 31 countries, over three-fifths (62%) say that
they have felt stressed to the point
where it had an impact on how they lived their daily lives at
least once in the past year, with just over a third (34%) saying it has
happened several times. Around the same (31%) number of people also say that,
on several occasions in the last 12 months, they felt so stressed that they
could not cope or deal with things. Thirty-nine per cent say they had to take
time off work due to stress in the last year, with 18% saying they had to do
this on multiple occasions. Women are more
likely to say stress is having an impact on their life. Over a third of women (36%) say in the
past year there have been several times when stress has impacted their daily
life, or they have felt they couldn’t cope, versus 26% of men. Women are also
more likely to say they have felt depressed to the point they felt sad or
hopeless almost every day for a couple of weeks or more (30% vs 24% of men).
However, feeling stressed to the point of not going to work is a bit more
equal among women (20%) and men (17%).
09 October 2023 Source:
https://www.ipsos.com/en/world-mental-health-day-2023 815-816-43-17/Polls 21%
Of Parents Globally Say Their Children Have Gone To Bed Hungry In The Last Month, A Survey In
16 Countries
Key findings
Six in ten (59%) parents/guardians are very
concerned about child hunger and malnutrition in their family, particularly
those from lower-income countries (73%). Moreover, the problem is perceived to be getting worse compared
to five years ago, both in one’s own community (60%) and in one’s own country
(65%), but, especially, globally (71%). Notably, in the last 30
days:
Among those who have had
to put a child to bed hungry, the main
causes of hunger in their family are said to be inflation and
the cost of living (46%), low household income (39%), and not enough
government focus on ending hunger (25%). Hunger is a global problem, and isn’t limited to any one country or
part of the globe. A life of plenty for every child is possible, yet every
day more children go hungry. Parents are queuing for food everywhere, and are
facing impossible choices. — Andrew
Morley
Malnutrition
is widespread and not contained to lower-income countries The problem of
malnutrition is widespread and 37% of parents globally say that their
children do not receive the proper nutrients that they need on a daily basis.
While this sentiment is felt more widely in lower-income countries such as
Chad (66%), Malawi (64%) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (63%), roughly
two in ten parents or guardians in Germany (24%), the United States (20%),
Australia (19%), Canada (18%) and South Korea (17%) say their children also
don’t receive the nutrients they need on a daily basis.
“There is enough food in
the world for everyone” Morley adds. Yet
much of it is thrown away, while millions of children continue to endure the
pain of hunger and malnutrition. The findings from this latest research show
the alarming reality facing millions of children around the globe. They have
had enough; we have had enough. It is time now for robust action. We must
unite to end hunger malnutrition for every girl and boys, everywhere. Only
then can children truly reach their God-given potential in life.” “Too many parents do not
get to make the choices that would keep their children healthy and growing.
They must do whatever they can - including selling things the family needs to
produce food and marrying off their daughters. Around the world, from Bangladesh
to America, some have a surplus of food while many others have too little.” Global
citizens underestimate the impact of hunger and malnutrition A staggering 45%[1] of global deaths among children
under age five are caused by poor nutrition but when asked to
guess what proportion of global deaths among children under age five are
caused by poor nutrition, nearly half (44%) of those who ventured a guess
grossly underestimated the prevalence, estimating
this to be below 30%. Moreover, nearly half (46%) of poll respondents could
not venture a guess, demonstrating that the extent of the problem is a blind spot for most
citizens around the world.
Globally,
inflation and increased cost of living named main cause of hunger at country
level, government intervention seen as solution Inflation and
the increased cost of living (55%) and not enough government focus (37%)
are seen as the main causes of hunger
at the country level. These are problems which governments
could choose to address through interventions, and the public supports
policies to address these challenges.
For example, it is
unanimously believed (97%) that it is important for children to have
something to eat during the school day, and therefore 85% support governments
funding school meals. Yet, only 40% of parents/guardians say that the
children in their household have been provided a school meal in the past 30
days. The importance of this is undeniable: those whose children have
received a school meal are more likely to say their children receive the
proper nutrients they need on a daily basis. Only 33%
believe un sustainable development goal of eliminating global hunger by 2030
will be achieved, despite having enough food to do so Global
citizens are not seeing enough progress on the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals[2], and most (74%) say that too many
children in their country are going hungry. Moreover, only 37% believe that
child hunger will be eliminated by 2030 in their own country, and even fewer
(33%) believe that it will be eliminated globally by 2030. Australians (17%),
Canadians (17%), Germans (16%) and the Japanese (9%) are particularly
pessimistic. “In 2015, global
government leaders joined together to establish nutrition targets but failed
to invest in them. Today, hundreds of millions of children suffer from
curable diseases, are underweight, stunted, wasted, anemic and overweight. As
world crises push up hunger, the number of children facing malnutrition is
also skyrocketing.”, continues Morley.
Three quarters (75%)
believe that their government isn’t
doing enough to support families struggling in their own
country, and seven in ten believe their
government isn’t doing enough to end child malnutrition (71%) or to solve the global hunger crisis (69%). And yet, global citizens believe we have the recipe to end
child hunger, with most (84%) maintaining that we have enough
food in the world for everyone if we share and that having enough food to eat
is a basic human right (91%). Citizens call
on governments to step up, but many playing their own part too Global
citizens say that government (68%) has the greatest responsibility for
solving child hunger. But the responsibility is also
shared by parents/guardians (48%) and organizations/agencies (34%). Thankfully,
those with the responsibility also have the trust, with government (40%),
parents/guardians (37%) and organizations (including NGOs and charities)
(29%) cited as the entities they most trust to solve child hunger.
Individuals
are also doing their own part: in the past 12 months many have given
food to someone in need (43%), supported a hungry family locally (26%), or
donated to a charity or faith-based community organization which provides
food for the hungry (21%), among other actions. Ultimately, most (89%) global citizens firmly believe that we
all have a responsibility to end world hunger. We’ve had
enough, and if governments, citizens, businesses, and NGOs work together, we
can work more quickly towards ending hunger and malnutrition among children.
We have enough. About World
Vision’s Enough Campaign World Vision is working in 100 countries to provide
millions of hungry people with food or the means to buy food and other
life-saving services in response to disasters, conflict and famines. Local
faith communities partner with us to identify vulnerable families, share
meals and advocate for more just, nutritious and sustainable food
systems. Our Global Hunger Response is the largest emergency hunger
response we have ever undertaken, spending more than $1 billion dollars to
help 22 million people in 28 countries. It is the biggest any NGO has ever
attempted. But it’s not ENOUGH. That’s why this World Food
Day World Vision is launching a new campaign to
make children visible in global and national statistics around hunger and
nutrition, drive real change in the places where children are receiving food
support—emergency food assistance programmes, school meals and community
health services—and lead global efforts to get more and better aid invested
in ending child hunger and malnutrition. 10 October 2023 |
