|
BUSINESS & POLITICS IN THE WORLD GLOBAL OPINION REPORT NO. 692 Week:
May 24 –May 30, 2021 Presentation:
June 04, 2021 Eight
In Ten (80%) Singaporeans Have Bought Shopped Online In The Past Three Months 77%
Zambians Are Of The View That The Country Is Going In Wrong Direction Three
In Ten (28%) Britons Say Issue Of Racism And Inequality Has Been Discussed
Too Much Two-Fifths
(42%) Of The GB Population Has Investable Assets Among
The Football Clubs In UK Leicester City Is At Peak With 28.7 Points In May Two
In Five (39%) Britons Say They Do Not Intend To Switch An Insurance
Policy In The Next 12 Months One
In Four Germans Can Imagine Buying A Self-Driving Car A
Majority Of French Students Say They Have Little Confidence In The
Future (54%) Nearly
All Canadians (93%) Agree Everyone Must Do Their Part To Make Roads Safe Overall
Satisfaction With ‘Big 4’ Banks Is Higher Than A Year Ago With CBA & NAB
The Top Two New
Zealand Labour-Led Government Leads Opposition By 17% In May: 56% cf. 39% Is
Covid-19 Compelling Arab Citizens To Surrender Freedoms To Their Governments Globally
(54%) Still Prefer In-Store Shopping To Online
Purchases (38%) INTRODUCTORY NOTE
692-43-24/Commentary:
Eight
In Ten (80%) Singaporeans Have Bought Shopped Online In The Past Three Months
COVID-19 has had a profound impact on
shopping attitudes and behaviours globally. While shopping has shifted online
during the pandemic, consumer preference for brick-and-mortar remains high.
YouGov’s latest whitepaper ‘International Omni-Channel Retail Report 2021:
Shopping in the pandemic and the implications for the future’ looks
at shopping behaviours amongst Singaporeans to understand the cross-channel
interplay between online and brick-and-mortar outlets, as well as motivations
and barriers between these two types of retailers. Over eight in ten (85%) Singaporeans have
purchased something from a brick & mortar store in the past three months.
Brick-and-mortar appears to be the go-to method for purchasing everyday
essential items, such as household food & drink (55%), personal care
items (41%), household cleaning supplies (37%) and medicine (30%). Clothing
(33%) is the only discretionary item in the top five most purchased things
in-store.
Online shopping lags behind in-store
shopping, with eight in ten (80%) buying something online in the past three
months. Conversely, online retail channels are the preferred channel for
discretionary items such as clothing (39%), footwear (19%) and furniture /
home décor (14%). Everyday items unsurprisingly are the most purchased items
in both categories. Two in five (39%) have stocked up on household food &
drink online in the past 90 days. Very few consumers shop exclusively at one
channel or retailer – four in five (80%) shop both online and in-store, 13%
shop entirely in-store and 7% shop entirely online. Despite the growth of online retail, there
are still many shoppers that want to buy through brick-and-mortar outlets.
YouGov asked Singaporean consumers about channel preferences for one specific
and exceptionally large category—clothing. We then compared their actual
shopping behaviour for clothing with what they wanted to do, to see how
actions compared to desires. When asked which category shoppers most would
prefer to buy in person, clothing came up on top (43%), followed by footwear
(40%). However, when compared to the data that shows only a third (33%) have
bought clothing from a brick & mortar store in the past three months,
this suggests an optimism for brick & mortar stores looking forward –
that after the pandemic ends consumers will return to the shopping
channel they prefer.
This belief that shoppers will return to
in-person shopping could be supported by looking at the barriers Singaporean consumers
say are keeping them from shopping in-store. A third (33%) selected ‘adhering
to social distancing guidance and / or avoiding public interactions’ as a
reason for being dissuaded from buying things in-store. The main barriers
according to consumers however are the lack of offers / discounts and the
inconvenience of visiting a physical store (both 46%), followed by
accessibility (30%), lack of physical stores in their vicinity (27%), lack of
product selection / variety (25%) and parking (23%). For those over the age
of 55, almost a third (31%) say having to find parking is a reason stopping
them from shopping in-store. The top motivations for people to visit a
brick & mortar store are in-line with data showing higher preference to
buy clothing in-person versus online, which are being able to physically
experience a product (65%) and the ability try things in store (59%). Other
motivations are speed of purchase (43%) and finding it easier (39%). Three in
ten (30%) also say they trust physical stores more than online stores. This lack of trust for online retailers is
also reflected in the barriers identified by Singaporeans in shopping online.
Almost two in five (38%) have concerns about personal information and data
security. Amongst those over the age of 45, this jumps to 45%. Other reasons
why one might not be keen to purchase from an online retailer is the delivery
charges (55%), the inability to physically experience the product (51%) and
product return policy (45%). There are however, plenty of incentives to
shop online, such as home delivery (63%), promotional offers (59%), variety
of products available (39%) and product details & descriptions (34%).
About half (46%) also say it is easier to purchase things online, and amongst
those aged 18 to 34, this jumps to three in five (59%). (YouGov Singapore) May 27, 2021 Source: https://sg.yougov.com/en-sg/news/2021/05/27/brick-mortar-remains-strong-amidst-pandemic/ SUMMARY
OF POLLS
ASIA (India) India Has A High Interest In Adopting AR/VR Solutions For
Clothes (67%) And Technology/Home Appliances (56%) India, specifically, has a high interest in
adopting AR/VR solutions for clothes (67%) and technology/home appliances
(56%). This indicates that the future of augmented shopping in India looks
bright and by adopting these technologies online retailers can drive greater
channel penetration. Looking at the general shopping habits around the globe,
we see that brick-and-motor and online channels are pervasive among shoppers
globally, with an average penetration of 86% and 81%, respectively. (YouGov India) (Singapore) Eight In Ten (80%) Singaporeans Have Bought Shopped Online
In The Past Three Months Eight in ten (80%) Singaporeans have bought
shopped online in the past three months, trailing behind 85% who have shopped
in-store. Clothing is the item people most prefer to purchase in-store. A
third (33%) say adhering to social distancing measures is a barrier to
shopping at brick & mortar stores. The main motivation for online
shopping is doorstep home delivery
(YouGov
Singapore) May 27, 2021 AFRICA (Zambia) 77% Zambians Are Of The View That The Country Is Going In
Wrong Direction A majority of Zambians are pessimistic
about the country’s direction and dissatisfied with the way their democracy
is working, a new Afrobarometer survey shows. Most citizens say the country’s
economic condition and their personal living conditions are bad, and the
country is headed in the wrong direction. Only about one-third expect things
to get better during the coming year. (Afrobarometer) 26 May 2021 (Gambia) A Growing Number Of Gambians Feel Unsafe Walking In Their
Neighborhoods (47%) And Fear Crime In Their Homes (36%) A growing number of Gambians feel unsafe
walking in their neighbourhoods and fear crime in their homes, the latest
Afrobarometer survey indicates. Over the past three years, citizens’ sense of
personal safety has decreased alongside their approval of the government’s
efforts to reduce crime. Even so, the Gambia Armed Forces and Police Force
remain among the country’s most trusted institutions. And an overwhelming
majority of Gambians want the ECOWAS Military Intervention in the Gambia
(ECOMIG) to leave to allow Gambia’s military and police to take charge of the
security needs of the country. (Afrobarometer) 28 May 2021 WEST
EUROPE (UK) Three In Ten (28%) Britons Say Issue Of Racism And
Inequality Has Been Discussed Too Much The death of George Floyd on 25th May 2020
sparked a global conversation about racism and inequalities, but one year on
British public opinion is split as to whether racism is discussed too much or
too little. Three in ten (28%) say it has been discussed too much while 30%
say it has been spoken about too little and a third (33%) believe it has been
discussed about the right amount. These findings are echoed in our
qualitative research with an online community of ethnic minorities, which
show that for some the past year has encouraged them to talk about racism
more openly whereas others feel much less comfortable talking about it. (Ipsos MORI) 25 May 2021 A Third Of UK Adults Say Their Hunch Or Feel Is The
Most Important Factor When Deciding How To Bet (35%) During Gambling As excitement
builds around the Euros – which was postponed until June of this year because
of the COVID-19 pandemic – our survey shows 18% of UK adults are likely to
place money on some aspect of the tournament. Nearly three-quarters (72%)
of adults likely to place a bet on the Euros will do so on individual
matches, significantly more than the 42% who plan to bet on the championship
winner. About one in five punters (22%) plan to put money on an accumulator
or parlay, 19% will wager on a group winner and 15% will place in-game
wagers. A small proportion will place prop bets (18%), spread bets (4%) or
bets on other aspects of the tournament (2%). (YouGov UK) May 25, 2021 Two-Fifths (42%) Of The GB Population Has Investable Assets The retail investment market has been
stifled for some time, with many consumers not willing or lacking the
confidence to invest their savings for better long-term growth. However, as
we emerge from the global pandemic and consumer confidence returns, many will
have the potential to invest and may be tempted to look for better returns
than current interest rates can deliver. Understanding consumer attitudes
towards investing has never been more important. (YouGov UK) May 25, 2021 Among The Football Clubs In UK Leicester City Is At Peak
With 28.7 Points In May Leicester City witnessed a dramatic surge after
lifting the FA Cup with their victory over Chelsea on May 15. The club had a
score of 6.4 on May 14 (the only one of our clubs to begin the period with a
positive score) and registered daily increments after winning the final, to
peak at 28.7 on May 22. Chelsea
will be keen to claim the European title after their loss in the FA Cup
final. The club’s Buzz score was on the mend after the ESL episode but has
steadily declined to 0.5 after the defeat. A strong performance in the
Champions League final could well turn the trend for them. (YouGov UK) May 26, 2021 Two In Five (39%) Britons Say They Do Not
Intend To Switch An Insurance Policy In The Next 12 Months Data from YouGov Profiles indicates that,
among policyholders of any kind of insurance product, just two in
five (39%) say they do not intend to switch a policy in the next 12
months, with 15% saying they don’t know if they plan to change providers or
not. That leaves 46% of policyholders looking to make a change. Of
consumers with home/building contents insurance, a similar proportion (36%)
want to change insurer in the coming 12 months, while almost a quarter of
those with standalone home contents insurance (23%) say the same. (YouGov UK) May 27, 2021 (Germany) One In Four Germans Can Imagine Buying A Self-Driving Car Between the ages of 18 and 34. This is
also the age group most likely to believe that autonomous cars can make road
traffic safer and reduce accidents. Most of the prospective buyers, 61
percent, are male. When choosing a car brand, the most important thing for
Germans is the price-performance ratio, followed by quality / service life as
well as follow-up and maintenance costs. (YouGov Germany) May 25, 2021 (France) A Majority Of French Students Say They Have Little
Confidence In The Future (54%) The coronavirus crisis was experienced
as a real shock for
the students of the grandes écoles who experience concerns and difficulties in projecting
themselves into the future. Almost two-thirds of them felt they had dropped out during
their year of study (63%) and
believe that they will have to make concessions for their first job compared to what
they had envisaged before the Covid19 (63%). Even more, a majority of
students say they have little confidence in the future (54%) and 18% have given up on their
professional project and no longer know what to do with regard to their
future. (Ipsos France) May 27, 2021 (Spain) 27% Of Spaniards Affirm That The Management Was "Very
Bad" Regarding The Diplomatic Relations Between The Monarchy Of Morocco
And The Government Of Spain The
deterioration of diplomatic relations between the Monarchy of Morocco and the
Government of Spain caused, on May 17, 2021, the massive crossing of people
on the border between both countries. 27% of Spaniards affirm that the
management by the Government of Spain was "very bad", compared to
4% of the population that thinks that the actions were "very good".
On average, the Government of Spain obtains a 4.32 score out of 10. (YouGov
Spain) May 26, 2021 NORTH AMERICA (USA) More Than Nine-In-Ten (95%) Foreign Policy Scholars And
American Public Agree That U.S. Standing Abroad Is Important An overwhelming majority of Americans agree
it is important that the United States is generally respected by other
countries around the world, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in February. And a new
parallel survey of international relations scholars finds that academics are
in lockstep with the U.S. public on the importance of America’s image abroad.
87% of U.S. adults surveyed say respect for the U.S. abroad is vital,
including half who say it is very important. Only 5% and 13% of the IR
scholars and American public, respectively, say this is not too or not at all
important. (PEW) MAY 24, 2021 In Both Parties, Fewer Now Say Being Christian Or Being
Born In U.S. Is Important To Being Truly American The share of Democrats and
Democratic-leaning independents who say it is important to be born in the
U.S. to be truly American has fallen by half, from 50% in 2016 to just a quarter
in 2020. And while majorities of Democrats believe speaking English and
sharing U.S. customs and traditions are important for being truly American
(65% and 59%, respectively), these shares have also seen a marked decrease
since 2016 (from 87% and 79%, respectively). (PEW) MAY 25, 2021 Twenty-Four Percent Of Black And Hispanic Employees
Reported Experiencing Discrimination At Work In The Past 12 Months Workplace
discrimination doesn't affect everyone equally. Twenty-four percent of Black
and Hispanic employees reported experiencing discrimination at work in the
past 12 months, as did 15% of White employees and 16% of Asian employees. But
75% of Black employees say that discrimination was related to their race or
ethnicity, compared with 61% of Hispanic and 42% of White workers. And the
Gallup study finds that discrimination undermines employee wellbeing, more so
for Black and Hispanic workers than White ones. (Gallup USA) MAY 26, 2021 (Canada) Home Buying Intentions in Ontario Hold Steady (19%), With
Likely Buyers Anticipating Paying 12% More for a Home in the Next Year Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) has
revealed that home buying intentions unchanged from February 2020, with one
in five (19%) Ontario adults say they are likely (6% very/13%somewhat) to buy
a home in the next twelve months. Whether a product of the pandemic or
changes in their family, one in five (21%) likely homebuyers in Ontario is an
“upgrader”, meaning that their main reason for buying was needing a larger
home. (Ipsos Canada) 25 May 2021 Nearly All Canadians (93%) Agree Everyone Must Do Their
Part To Make Roads Safe According to a recent Ipsos study on behalf
of Parachute, half or more say they would like to see arrests for impaired
driving, police checking for impaired driving, and separate bicycle lanes to
be implemented. There is less enthusiasm among reduced speed limits, with
only one in five indicating they would like to see this measure in their
community. (Ipsos Canada) 27 May 2021 AUSTRALIA Overall Satisfaction With ‘Big 4’ Banks Is Higher Than A
Year Ago With CBA & NAB The Top Two New data from Roy Morgan shows overall
80.5% of customers are satisfied with their bank(s) in April 2021, an
increase of 1.3% points on a year ago when the COVID-19 pandemic began. The
increase was built upon increases in satisfaction for building societies (up
3% points on a year ago), foreign banks (up 2.3% points) and Australia’s ‘Big
4’ banks (up 0.3% points). Satisfaction for the four major banks as a group
is 77.1%, up 0.3% points on April 2020, and up 0.2% points on January 2021. (Roy Morgan) May 25 2021 (New Zealand) New Zealand Labour-Led Government Leads Opposition By 17%
In May: 56% cf. 39% Support for New Zealand’s Labour/Greens
government was up 1% point to 56% in May. Support for the Labour Party was up
3.5% points to 45% while support for the Greens dropped 2.5% points to 11%. The
governing parties are now 17% points ahead of the Parliamentary opposition
National/Act NZ/ Maori Party on 39%, down 2% points since April. Support for
National was down 1% point to 28.5% in May, support for Act NZ was unchanged
at 9% and Maori Party support dropped by 1% point to 1.5%. (Roy Morgan) May 28 2021 MULTICOUNTRY STUDIES Is Covid-19 Compelling Arab Citizens To Surrender Freedoms
To Their Governments . Two-thirds of Algerians and Moroccans (66
percent in each) say it is either sometimes or always justifiable for the
government to limit freedom of speech during a public health emergency,
followed by over half of Jordanians (59 percent) and Tunisians (53 percent)
saying the same. Only in Lebanon do fewer than half of respondents cite
support for such restrictions to free speech (47 percent). (Arabbarometer) May 24, 2021 More Than Four In Every 10 (43%) Respondents Reported That
Covid-19 Had Made It More Difficult For Them Or Someone In Their Household To
Obtain Required Medication In The Previous Three Months More than four in every 10 (43%)
respondents reported that Covid-19 had made it more difficult for them or
someone in their household to obtain required medication in the previous
three months (between November 2020 and February 2021). Among respondents
that reported they, or someone in their household required a health care
visit, almost a quarter (23%) reported missing or skipping services since
November 2020 and more than four in 10 (42%) missed or skipped services since
the start of the pandemic. (Ipsos South Africa) 24 May 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-za/africa-day-african-perspective-covid-19 Two In Five Drivers Based In The UAE, In
Great Britain (5%) And Germany, (9%) Plan To Buy A New Car In The Next 12
Months It’s a similar story when it comes to
buying used vehicles. Almost a quarter of the UAE drivers want to buy a
second hand car (23%) in the next 12 months, and nearly as many Australians
(19%) say the same. But, again, in Britain (8%) and Germany (7%) demand is much
weaker – something which in itself will have a knock-on effect on the
proportion of consumers in the market for a model fresh off the production
line. (YouGov UK) May 27, 2021 Globally (54%) Still Prefer In-Store Shopping To
Online Purchases (38%) In other markets, though, the in-store
experience remains king. In Indonesia, for example, 8% of shoppers have
bought a phone in-store, compared to just one in twenty (5%) who have
done so in-store. In UAE, the differential is similar – 12% vs.
8%. Consumers in the US are divided, with the same proportion (9%)
having bought online as in-store over the last quarter. Other countries
where there is no significant difference between the percentage of adults
that chose online vs in-store are Poland, Italy, China,
Sweden, France, and Denmark. (YouGov UK) May 28, 2021 ASIA
692-43-01/Poll India Has A
High Interest In Adopting AR/VR Solutions For Clothes (67%) And
Technology/Home Appliances (56%)
YouGov’s latest global report reveals that
India is among the leading countries to show an interest in adopting
innovative technologies like AR/VR (Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality) for
retail shopping. YouGov’s ‘International Omni-Channel Retail Report 2021: Shopping
in the pandemic and the implications for the future' provides an overview of Covid-19 on
shopping attitudes and behaviors across 17 markets. Data from the whitepaper shows although
interest in adopting AR/ VR technology is nascent globally, it varies across
categories, with clothes and technology/ home appliances being the top
categories to see its adoption in the future. India, specifically, has a high interest in
adopting AR/VR solutions for clothes (67%) and technology/home appliances
(56%). This indicates that the future of augmented shopping in India looks
bright and by adopting these technologies online retailers can drive greater
channel penetration. Looking at the general shopping habits
around the globe, we see that brick-and-motor and online channels are
pervasive among shoppers globally, with an average penetration of 86% and
81%, respectively. Most consumers across all markets shop from
both channels. While both channels are well penetrated, consumers’ category
needs drive their decision to shop in person or online. Looking specifically at the shopping
behavior of urban Indians in the past three months, we see that
brick-and-motor penetration levels are higher for every essential category
apart from personal care products. The largest gap is seen in medicines and
medical supplies, where penetration is 14 points higher in brick-and-motor
channels than online (40% vs 26%), showing a positive sign for retail
pharmacies in the country. Food and drinks is yet another essential category
that people mostly bought from brick-and-motor channels than online (41%
brick-and-motor vs 33% online).
In terms of discretionary items, Clothing
(45% online vs 34% brick-and-motor) and Mobile Phones (29% vs 15%) are
sectors that showed greater online penetration. When asked about factors that motivate
consumers to buy online, home delivery emerged as the top reason cited by
consumers globally, with the highest numbers coming from Mexico (69%) and
India (66%). Most urban Indians claim the ease of
purchasing things online and the ability to compare the products (53% and 51%
respectively) are also top motivators for them to shop online. Although online shopping offers convenience,
product return policy and the inability
to physically experience products were stated as major
barriers for this medium in India. On the other hand, when it comes to stores,
the ability to physically experience products was stated as the top reason to
shop from stores, with more than half in India (53%) saying this. Even though this is a huge pull for
consumers, factors such as lack of offers (47%) and variety (35%) dissuades
them from shopping in stores. The current restrictions and social distancing
norms add to the reasons (33%) for shoppers avoiding brick-and-motor stores
in the recent past. Commenting on this, Deepa Bhatia of YouGov India, said, “The
pandemic has led to shifts in shopping behavior among consumers across the
globe. It is therefore imperative for brands and retailers to be cognisant of
these changes and understand the cross-channel interplay between online and
offline stores. As consumers are open to embracing new
technologies, retailers need to start devising innovative strategies backed
by the latest technological solutions to enhance the shopping experience and
drive greater channel penetration.” (YouGov India) Source: https://in.yougov.com/en-hi/news/2021/05/25/urban-indians-likely-adopt-ar-vr-technology-retail/ 692-43-02/Poll Eight In Ten
(80%) Singaporeans Have Bought Shopped Online In The Past Three Months
COVID-19 has
had a profound impact on shopping attitudes and behaviours globally. While
shopping has shifted online during the pandemic, consumer preference for
brick-and-mortar remains high. YouGov’s latest whitepaper ‘International
Omni-Channel Retail Report 2021: Shopping in the pandemic and the
implications for the future’ looks at shopping behaviours amongst
Singaporeans to understand the cross-channel interplay between online and
brick-and-mortar outlets, as well as motivations and barriers between these
two types of retailers. Over eight
in ten (85%) Singaporeans have purchased something from a brick & mortar
store in the past three months. Brick-and-mortar appears to be the go-to
method for purchasing everyday essential items, such as household food &
drink (55%), personal care items (41%), household cleaning supplies (37%) and
medicine (30%). Clothing (33%) is the only discretionary item in the top five
most purchased things in-store.
Online
shopping lags behind in-store shopping, with eight in ten (80%) buying
something online in the past three months. Conversely, online retail channels
are the preferred channel for discretionary items such as clothing (39%), footwear
(19%) and furniture / home décor (14%). Everyday items unsurprisingly are the
most purchased items in both categories. Two in five (39%) have stocked up on
household food & drink online in the past 90 days. Very few consumers
shop exclusively at one channel or retailer – four in five (80%) shop both
online and in-store, 13% shop entirely in-store and 7% shop entirely online. Despite the
growth of online retail, there are still many shoppers that want to buy
through brick-and-mortar outlets. YouGov asked Singaporean consumers about
channel preferences for one specific and exceptionally large
category—clothing. We then compared their actual shopping behaviour for
clothing with what they wanted to do, to see how actions compared to desires.
When asked which category shoppers most would prefer to buy in person,
clothing came up on top (43%), followed by footwear (40%). However, when
compared to the data that shows only a third (33%) have bought clothing from
a brick & mortar store in the past three months, this suggests an
optimism for brick & mortar stores looking forward – that after the
pandemic ends consumers will return to the shopping channel they prefer.
This belief
that shoppers will return to in-person shopping could be supported by looking
at the barriers Singaporean consumers say are keeping them from shopping
in-store. A third (33%) selected ‘adhering to social distancing guidance and
/ or avoiding public interactions’ as a reason for being dissuaded from
buying things in-store. The main barriers according to consumers however are
the lack of offers / discounts and the inconvenience of visiting a physical
store (both 46%), followed by accessibility (30%), lack of physical stores in
their vicinity (27%), lack of product selection / variety (25%) and parking
(23%). For those over the age of 55, almost a third (31%) say having to find
parking is a reason stopping them from shopping in-store. The top
motivations for people to visit a brick & mortar store are in-line with
data showing higher preference to buy clothing in-person versus online, which
are being able to physically experience a product (65%) and the ability try
things in store (59%). Other motivations are speed of purchase (43%) and
finding it easier (39%). Three in ten (30%) also say they trust physical
stores more than online stores. This lack of
trust for online retailers is also reflected in the barriers identified by
Singaporeans in shopping online. Almost two in five (38%) have concerns about
personal information and data security. Amongst those over the age of 45,
this jumps to 45%. Other reasons why one might not be keen to purchase from
an online retailer is the delivery charges (55%), the inability to physically
experience the product (51%) and product return policy (45%). There are
however, plenty of incentives to shop online, such as home delivery (63%),
promotional offers (59%), variety of products available (39%) and product
details & descriptions (34%). About half (46%) also say it is easier to
purchase things online, and amongst those aged 18 to 34, this jumps to three
in five (59%). (YouGov
Singapore) May 27, 2021 Source: https://sg.yougov.com/en-sg/news/2021/05/27/brick-mortar-remains-strong-amidst-pandemic/ AFRICA
692-43-03/Poll 77% Zambians
Are Of The View That The Country Is Going In Wrong Direction
A majority of Zambians are pessimistic
about the country’s direction and dissatisfied with the way their democracy
is working, a new Afrobarometer survey shows. Most citizens say the country’s economic
condition and their personal living conditions are bad, and the country is
headed in the wrong direction. Only about one-third expect things to get
better during the coming year. Zambians overwhelmingly support democracy
and reject authoritarian alternatives. But a majority say they are
dissatisfied with the way democracy is working in their country. These findings are particularly relevant
ahead of the country’s upcoming national elections on 12 August 2021. (Afrobarometer) 26 May 2021 692-43-04/Poll A Growing
Number Of Gambians Feel Unsafe Walking In Their Neighborhoods (47%) And Fear
Crime In Their Homes (36%)
A growing number of Gambians feel unsafe
walking in their neighbourhoods and fear crime in their homes, the latest
Afrobarometer survey indicates. Over the past three years, citizens’ sense of
personal safety has decreased alongside their approval of the government’s
efforts to reduce crime. Even so, the Gambia Armed Forces and Police Force
remain among the country’s most trusted institutions. And an overwhelming
majority of Gambians want the ECOWAS Military Intervention in the Gambia
(ECOMIG) to leave to allow Gambia’s military and police to take charge of the
security needs of the country. ECOMIG, which has been charged with security
in the country since the political impasse of 2017, continues to operate
under a mandate ending in December 2021. There are also discussions of
transforming the mission into a policing force. In response to perceptions of
an upsurge in crime, the Gambia Police Force has launched a high-visibility
patrol dubbed Operation Zero Crime. In a recent address to the nation,
President Adama Barrow acknowledged increasing crime and assured citizens
that he would boost the capacity of the Gambia Police Force in order to
respond effectively. The Gambia is also implementing a security sector reform
program to move away from politicized security institutions common under the previous
regime. (Afrobarometer) 28 May 2021 Source: https://afrobarometer.org/press/gambians-feel-less-safe-want-ecomig-leave-afrobarometer-survey-shows WEST EUROPE
692-43-05/Poll Three In Ten (28%) Britons Say Issue Of Racism And Inequality Has
Been Discussed Too Much
Is racism discussed enough? The death of George Floyd on 25th May 2020 sparked a global
conversation about racism and inequalities, but one year on British public
opinion is split as to whether racism is discussed too much or too little.
Three in ten (28%) say it has been discussed too much while 30% say it has
been spoken about too little and a third (33%) believe it has been discussed
about the right amount. These findings are echoed in our qualitative research
with an online community of ethnic minorities, which show that for some the
past year has encouraged them to talk about racism more openly whereas others
feel much less comfortable talking about it. However, there are clear differences among the population:
How much needs to be done to tackle racism? A majority of Britons (54%) say that we need to do more to tackle
racism faced by ethnic minorities in Britain today. Just under one in five
(17%) say we are already doing enough to fight this type of discrimination
while 13% think we are doing more than is needed.
Who is treated most unfairly by society? Britons are most likely to see Black African people and Gypsies, Roma
and Travellers as the groups treated most unfairly by society (27% and 25%
respectively). Around one in five say Black Caribbean people (19%) and
Pakistani people (18%) are among the most poorly treated people in Great
Britain. One in eight say White people are treated most unfairly by
society (13%).
Kully Kaur-Ballagan, Research Director at
Ipsos MORI said: As we mark the anniversary of the death of
George Floyd, the conversation on racism over the last year has been brought
to the fore, yet the public is fairly evenly split on whether we are giving
the issue too much attention or too little – with clear differences by age,
ethnicity, and political support. These findings are confirmed in our
qualitative research among ethnic minorities who feel split on whether the
last year has made them feel more or less comfortable talking about race and
racism. The majority of the public, though, do acknowledge that more needs to
be done to tackle the racism that ethnic minorities in Britain face today –
particularly among ethnic minorities themselves. (Ipsos MORI) 25 May 2021 692-43-06/Poll A Third Of UK Adults Say Their Hunch Or Feel Is The Most
Important Factor When Deciding How To Bet (35%) During Gambling
The odds given to teams in a match are not
nearly as important to British punters as hunch or feel, according to a new
YouGov survey shows betting intentions around the 2020 UEFA European
Football Championship. As excitement builds around the Euros
– which was postponed until June of this year because of the COVID-19
pandemic – our survey shows 18% of UK adults are likely to place money on
some aspect of the tournament. Among our findings, roughly a third of
those UK adults say their hunch or feel is the most important factor
when deciding how to bet (35%), more of a factor than the previous results of
a team (22%) or the odds (14%). Other things that factor into a punter’s
decision include promotions available (12%) and support for one’s country
(7%). Nearly three-quarters (72%) of
adults likely to place a bet on the Euros will do so on individual
matches, significantly more than the 42% who plan to bet on the championship
winner. About one in five punters (22%) plan to put money on an accumulator
or parlay, 19% will wager on a group winner and 15% will place in-game
wagers. A small proportion will place prop bets (18%), spread bets (4%) or
bets on other aspects of the tournament (2%). When it’s time to place a wager, most
bettors will turn to online bookmakers to do so (76%), while just 15%
will place a bet in-person. One in seven (14%) will place bets casually with
family or friends. If you want to capture the attention of
this audience, you might want to turn to social media, as roughly a quarter
(26%) say they’ll be scrolling and chatting during matches. The same
number (26%) will also be on gambling sites to check odds, place bets and cash
out. More than one in seven (15%) will be searching for details about
players, teams, and previous matches. One in five (21%) say they’ll attempt
to keep working if the game takes place during working hours. The COVID-postponed Euros have been eagerly
anticipated and, as one of the biggest sporting events to take place since
the beginning of the pandemic, it’s likely to be a banner month for gambling
providers. Receive monthly topical insights about the
sports industry, straight to your inbox. Sign up today. Discover more sports content here. (YouGov UK) May 25, 2021 692-43-07/Poll Two-Fifths (42%) Of The GB Population Has Investable Assets
The retail investment market has been stifled for some time, with
many consumers not willing or lacking the confidence to invest their savings
for better long-term growth. However, as we emerge from the global pandemic
and consumer confidence returns, many will have the potential to invest and
may be tempted to look for better returns than current interest rates can
deliver. Understanding consumer attitudes towards investing has never been
more important. Using YouGov Profiles, YouGov has developed a framework designed to
help marketers better understand the portion of the British population with
investable assets and their varying propensity to invest. It highlights the
attitudes and behavioural traits of core consumer groups based on the value
of the investable assets they have and the extent to which they look for
profitable ways to invest money. Before we go into further detail, here’s a quick glimpse at each
segment: Cautious savers: This
group have a limited interest in investing and have investable assets of less
than £100,000, representing 10.1m (42%) adults with investable assets. Established wealth: This
group have a high level of investable assets but are not interested in
investing – representing 1.2m (5%) of adults with investable assets. Later life potential: With
assets worth £100,000 or more, this group is neutral on the question of
investing it profitably. 0.7m (3%) adults with investable assets fall into
this group. First-time investors: This
group have lower wealth but are looking for profitable ways to invest –
making up 8.1m (34%) of adults with investable assets. Experienced investors: The
most willing and able group to invest their high worth, this group is made up
of 3.9m (16%) adults with high amounts of investable wealth.
Cautious savers This group makes up more than two-fifths (42%) of the GB population
with investable assets. With no more than £99,000 worth of investable wealth,
‘Cautious savers’ are typically younger than the wider group. One-third of
them (34%) are aged between 18-45 as opposed to 28% of consumers in the wider
group. As the title suggests, ‘Cautious savers’ are far more inclined to
consolidate their wealth through more conventional methods of saving. While
half of them (51%) say that saving for the future is their main priority,
seven in ten (70%) find the idea of investing in stocks too risky. For
marketers of investment instruments, there is perhaps an opportunity to
appeal to this group by highlighting the higher returns possible from
investing than a simple savings account. Established wealth The average consumer who fits the ‘Established wealth’ profile is
significantly older than the average British adult. Over half of them (54%)
are aged over 55 against just 38% of all GB adults. They are nine percentage
points likelier than the national sample to have life insurance, and are
roughly ten times more likely to be covered by income protection. The reluctance to invest probably stems from the fact that this group
already feels financially secure. For instance, half of them (48%), compared
to nearly two in five (38%) nationally, say they don’t have a budget to
manage their finances. Three in ten (29%) also say they aren’t saving for
anything in particular. While this group appears to be the toughest sell for
marketers, they make up only 5% of all adults with investable assets.
The demographic make-up of those in ‘Later life potential’ is close
to that of the ‘Established wealth’ segment, with 63% of consumers aged over
55. In the same vein, almost half (49%) of them are retired compared to just
one in four (24%) nationally. Consumers in this category are twice as likely as the average Brit to
have a premium bond (33% vs 15%). They differ from the ‘Established wealth’
category in that they are neutral in their attitude towards investment. This
group, which represents strong potential for investment firms, constitutes 3%
of all GB adults with investable assets. First-time investors One in three (34%) of the wider adult population with investable
wealth fall into this group. This group is younger than the national sample –
two in five (39%) are aged under 34, compared to 28% of all Brits. Notably,
three-fifths (61%) of them are male, representing a 13-percentage point
increase over the general adult population. Over half (56%) of ‘First-time investors’ prioritise saving for the
future and three out of ten are saving to buy a property or for a deposit.
Along expected lines, consumers in this bloc are more tech-savvy. More than
one-third buy financial products online, while one in eight (13%) refer to
financial websites before making investments.
This is perhaps the most-coveted segment for marketers of investment instruments
due to its combination of high investable wealth and amenability to
investing. This group makes up a sizeable 16% of all British adults with
investable assets. Three-fifths (61%) of ‘Experienced investors’ are over 55
years old and two in five (42%) are retired. Most notably, they are almost three times as likely as the average
Brit to say they like taking risks in the stock market. One-third (33%) of
‘Experienced investors’ say they like to take risks in the stock market,
compared to one in eight (12%) across all GB adults. One-fifth (19%) have a
managed portfolio, compared to one in twenty (5%) nationally.
May 25, 2021 Source: https://yougov.co.uk/topics/finance/articles-reports/2021/05/25/yougov-framework-attitudes-investing 692-43-08/Poll Among The Football Clubs In UK Leicester City Is At Peak With 28.7
Points In May
As the English football season draws to a close, it's a good time to
look at how the season’s top on-field performing clubs are scoring off the
field in terms of consumer perceptions. We looked at perceptions of a handful of this season’s successful
teams using our YouGov FootballIndex tool. For those who don’t follow
football closely, here’s the background:
The results Leicester City witnessed a dramatic surge after lifting the FA Cup
with their victory over Chelsea on May 15. The club had a score of 6.4 on May
14 (the only one of our clubs to begin the period with a positive score) and
registered daily increments after winning the final, to peak at 28.7 on May
22. Manchester City, one of the ‘Big 6’ clubs whose Buzz scores plummeted
during the European Super League saga, witnessed a resurgence after they
secured the Premier League title for the fifth time in nine seasons. They
rose from -1.2 on the eve of securing the title on May 12 to 9.7 on May 18. The
club’s Buzz score has since gradually tapered off to reach 6.4 on May 23. Pep
Guardiola’s team will have a chance to build on the gains in the Champions
League final against Chelsea on May 30. Chelsea will be keen to claim the European title after their loss in
the FA Cup final. The club’s Buzz score was on the mend after the ESL episode
but has steadily declined to 0.5 after the defeat. A strong performance in
the Champions League final could well turn the trend for them. It seems that winning trophies isn’t the only way to create a Buzz.
Liverpool, who won each of their last five Premier League matches to finish
third, registered steady upticks to reach a Buzz score of 9.1. On the other
hand, Manchester United, who won only one of their last four Premier League
matches, languished at -8.9 despite finishing second in the Premier League.
The Red Devils will have a chance to recover some glory in the Europa League
final on May 27. (YouGov UK) May 26, 2021 692-43-09/Poll Two In Five (39%) Britons Say They Do Not Intend To Switch An
Insurance Policy In The Next 12 Months
Insurance is meant to provide consumers with peace of
mind in the event that their car breaks down, their home gets
burgled, or their lives unexpectedly end. But how many Britons are happy
with their providers? Data from YouGov Profiles indicates that, among policyholders of
any kind of insurance product, just two in five (39%) say they do not
intend to switch a policy in the next 12 months, with 15% saying they
don’t know if they plan to change providers or not. That leaves 46% of
policyholders looking to make a change.
As for the areas where they’re looking to make it, nearly two in five
Britons who have a fully comprehensive motor insurance policy (37%) say they
plan to switch their provider in the next year. Of consumers with
home/building contents insurance, a similar proportion (36%) want to change
insurer in the coming 12 months, while almost a quarter of those with
standalone home contents insurance (23%) say the same.
Britons with insurance policies tend to be active when they
plan to switch. Seven in ten say they’re either active or very
active when they’re shopping around for a new provider (70%) –
rising to three-quarters of those with comprehensive motor insurance (75%).
When searching for a new insurer, almost three in five (77%) use price
comparison sites such as GoCompare, while three in ten (29%) use the
websites of insurance providers or brokers that they know and
nearly a fifth (18%) rely on word of mouth recommendations from
friends and family. Some 14% use consumer financial advice websites such
as Money Advice Service and MoneySavingExpert, while 8% say
they still ring insurers and brokers on the phone to get a
quote. (YouGov UK) May 27, 2021 692-43-10/Poll One In Four Germans Can Imagine Buying A Self-Driving Car
If the federal government has its way, self-driving cars will soon be allowed on German
roads . The Bundestag has passed a corresponding law, now it
goes to the Bundesrat. Did the people's representatives make decisions
in the interests of the people? The YouGov study "Automobile Services and Consumer Insights" reveals,
among other things, how Germans feel about autonomous cars. Almost half
of the respondents (48 percent) say that autonomous vehicles scare them. Not all autonomous cars are the same. A distinction is made, for
example, between level 3, level 4 and level 5, highly automated, fully automated and autonomous driving , i.e. roughly
according to how much a person still has to or can intervene. Many
respondents are unlikely to be aware of these nuances, as 58 percent state
that they have not yet dealt with the topic. 23 percent of the
respondents oppose this and say that they are very concerned with the topic
of “autonomous driving”. AUTONOMOUS TAXIS ARE IMAGINABLE FOR MANY Even if the new law paves
the way for (partially) autonomous vehicles to be on the road outside of test
sites and pilot projects, experts have different views as to when and in what
form self-driving cars will really become everyday life. Whether in five
or ten years, and whether first in taxis in the city or in trucks on the
freeway is an open question. According to earlier forecasts, autonomous
cars should have been widespread long ago. Accordingly, the respondents
in the study are divided. 43 percent can imagine that at some point all
vehicles will be autonomous, while 43 percent also believe that completely
autonomous road traffic is unimaginable. PROSPECTIVE BUYERS WANT ADDITIONAL DIGITAL
SERVICES We can take a closer look at this group of potential buyers of
autonomous cars with our target group analysis tool, YouGov
Profiles. Most of them are young people between the ages of 18 and 34. This
is also the age group most likely to believe that autonomous cars can make
road traffic safer and reduce accidents. Most of the prospective buyers,
61 percent, are male. When choosing a car brand, the most important thing for Germans is
the price-performance ratio, followed by quality / service life as well as
follow-up and maintenance costs. Anyone interested in buying an
autonomous car pays more attention than other consumers to the innovative
strength and reputation of the brand and the availability of exclusive,
limited models. Digital mobility services, such as connected car
functions, are already particularly important for this target
group. People in this group are more often than other consumers
explicitly willing to pay for additional components in vehicle communication
- such as operating certain functions via smartphone app or tracking the car
in the event of theft or emergencies. In addition, they are more likely
to imagine one Buy car online . (YouGov Germany) May 25, 2021 Source: https://yougov.de/news/2021/05/25/jeder-vierte-kann-sich-vorstellen-ein-autonom-fahr/ 692-43-11/Poll A Majority Of French Students Say They Have Little Confidence In The
Future (54%)
The pandemic: a blast for students The coronavirus crisis was experienced as a real shock for the students of the
grandes écoles who experience concerns
and difficulties in projecting themselves into the
future. Almost two-thirds of
them felt they had dropped out during their year of study (63%) and believe that they will
have to make concessions for their
first job compared to what they had envisaged before the
Covid19 (63%). Even more, a majority of students say they have little
confidence in the future (54%) and 18% have given up on their
professional project and no longer know what to do with regard to their
future. Beyond the impact of the pandemic on their professional trajectory,
most of the students felt that they
had been sacrificed : 83% of
them felt that the quality of their training had been affected, 79% thought have been deprived of
their best years and 71% feel
they belong to a generation sacrificed in the name of health security. “ In the short term,
the crisis has deeply affected the students of the grandes écoles, who have
suffered in many ways from this unprecedented situation. In the long
run, no one can predict how the widely felt sense of injustice will
translate. Companies and managers will undoubtedly have to redouble
their attention to integrate this next generation of assets as effectively as
possible, ” notes Jean-Michel
Caye , Senior Associate Director at BCG. Despite the crisis, young people's
expectations of the world of work remain the same as their search for meaning
grows stronger Despite the pandemic, the professional aspirations of young talent
have not changed fundamentally. The interest of the position, the
atmosphere within the company and the fact that it is in phase with their
values remain the essential criteria of choice, far ahead of
the remuneration (which comes in 11th
position ), or the possibility telework (19th position) . Far from received ideas, large groups remain the number one choice
for students and graduates and their attractiveness is increasing even among
young workers: 51% of students and 50% of graduates wish to join a large group . Conversely,
interest in startups is declining
with only 14% of
students and graduates of grandes écoles who would like to work in this
universe. The hierarchy of privileged sectors has also changed little compared
to previous editions of the barometer: the
environment is still largely in the lead with 71% of students and 81% of graduates interested in
working there, followed by the energy
sector , consulting
and humanitarian . A podium consistent with the answer
coming at the top when asked what would make them proud during their
professional life: "To have been
useful, to have brought positive changes to society". A search for meaning that can be found in the trade-off between job
security and commitment: for equal pay, 63% of students would prefer a more precarious
but meaningful job
rather than a stable job that is further removed from their values.
. Young workers would be ready to
reduce their wages by 12% on average to go and work in a
company that is more in line with their social and environmental convictions. Young people who are more demanding with
regard to companies and the usefulness of their profession on a daily basis If the expectations of young talents towards large companies are
high, they consider that they are not
at the level of their capacity for action . Alongside
associations and NGOs, start-ups, civil society and public authorities, large
companies are 86% considered by
young talents as the most likely to be able to change things . Conversely,
they arrive at the bottom of the ranking in terms of commitment with
only 31% of them who
consider them committed, a figure however slightly up compared to previous
barometers. Young people are also wary of greenwashingand more than half of them
consider that companies put in place a policy and actions of engagement above
all out of opportunism and
to improve their image . Beyond the question of the company's commitments, young talent above
all aspire to be useful in their daily work. To the question "What
is more important for you when we talk to you about meaning at work in a
company?" », The fact of having a visibility on the interest of its
tasks and how they contribute to the performance of the company comes
first. "No question of finding
yourself doing" an empty job ". Young people obviously look at
the companies' commitment and their sincerity, but also, and above all, look
at the usefulness of their missions and their contribution to the
company. » According to Laurent Champaney , Vice-president of the Conférence
des grandes écoles. (Ipsos France) May 27, 2021 692-43-12/Poll 27% Of Spaniards Affirm That The Management Was "Very Bad"
Regarding The Diplomatic Relations Between The Monarchy Of Morocco And The
Government Of Spain
The deterioration of diplomatic relations
between the Monarchy of Morocco and the Government of Spain caused, on May
17, 2021, the massive crossing of people on the border between both
countries. This migratory incident has caused a great
stir in the Spanish political and social arena. For this reason, from YouGov,
we have analyzed the opinion that Spaniards have about the actions of the
Government of Spain and other institutions involved in the diplomatic crisis. The Government of Spain, the opposition and
the Moroccan Authorities suspend the management of the conflict, while NGOs,
Army and FCS approve
The opposition receives even more
criticism, since for 33% the performance of this institution was "very
bad", compared to 4% who declared otherwise. On average, the
performance of the opposition receives a score of 3.67 out of 10. In the last position are the Moroccan
Authorities, which is, according to the Spanish population, the institution
that has performed the worst in the face of the diplomatic crisis, receiving
a score of 2 out of 10. 63% of citizens think that their actions were
"very bad ", compared to 1% who affirm otherwise. On the contrary, the performance of the
NGOs in the diplomatic crisis obtained an approval rating of 6.8 points out
of ten. In this case, 5% of the population thinks that they acted
"very badly", compared to 27% of the population that thinks that
their actions were very good. The Army and FCS are, in the opinion of the
Spaniards, the groups with the most successful performance during the
conflict, obtaining a score of 7.33 out of ten, where 27% of the population
rate the action by the army and FCS as very good.
Source: https://es.yougov.com/news/2021/05/26/el-gobierno-de-espana-suspende-su-actuacion-en-la-/ NORTH
AMERICA
692-43-13/Poll More Than Nine-In-Ten (95%) Foreign Policy Scholars And American
Public Agree That U.S. Standing Abroad Is Important
An overwhelming majority of Americans agree it is important that the
United States is generally respected by other countries around the world,
according to a Pew
Research Center survey conducted in February. And a new parallel
survey of international relations scholars finds that academics are in
lockstep with the U.S. public on the importance of America’s image abroad.
Overall, more than nine-in-ten IR scholars surveyed (95%) say it is
very or somewhat important that the U.S. is respected by other countries
around the world, including 56% who say it is very important, according to the online
poll conducted in April and May by the Teaching, Research and International Policy
(TRIP) Project at the College of William & Mary. Similarly, 87% of U.S. adults surveyed say respect for the U.S.
abroad is vital, including half who say it is very important. Only 5% and 13%
of the IR scholars and American public, respectively, say this is not too or
not at all important. Among Americans overall, there are some demographic
differences when it comes to the importance of U.S. respect abroad.
While most Americans generally say it is important, only 29% of those ages 18
to 29 say it is very important, compared with 62% of those 65 and older.
Democrats and those who lean toward the Democratic Party are also slightly
more likely than Republicans and GOP leaners to say it is very important that
the U.S. is respected abroad (54% vs. 46%). Among the IR scholars surveyed, those who identify as Republican or
independent are also slightly less likely than those who identify as
Democratic to say it is very important that the U.S. garners respect abroad.
Still, 92% of IR scholars who identify as Republican or independent see
America’s international image as at least somewhat important, compared with
98% among IR scholars who identify as Democratic. When it comes to how the U.S. is actually perceived internationally,
IR scholars are negative in their assessments. A 58% majority believes the
U.S. is less respected by other countries today compared with the past, while
only 28% think the U.S. is more respected. An additional 14% think the
nation’s standing with other countries has remained unchanged.
This represents a departure from previous TRIP surveys, when views of
America’s position were almost universally negative. Since the last time this
question was asked in 2018, the share of IR scholars who say the U.S. is less
respected than in the past has declined by 35 percentage points (from 93% to
58%). As negative assessments have waned, the view that the U.S. is
commanding more respect has grown more common, increasing 26 points since
2018 (from 2% to 28%). Partisan divides may account for the sunnier outlooks about America’s
global image among IR scholars. Among the scholars surveyed this year,
Democrats are 14 percentage points more likely than Republicans and
independents to say America’s reputation is on the rise, while the latter
group is more likely to say the U.S.’s standing has not changed. Notably,
though, similar shares of Republicans, independents and Democrats all say the
U.S. is less respected today than in the past. Among the general
public, partisans are generally more likely to think America’s global
standing is improving – and less likely to think it is declining – when a
president from their own party is in office. The TRIP Project survey also finds that President Joe Biden’s
policies and leadership skills are
generally popular with foreign policy academics. Biden has made
clear that strengthening America’s image abroad, especially among allies, is
a key
goal of his administration. And early data shows that views of the
U.S. improved
considerably in France, Germany and the United Kingdom following
Biden’s election. (PEW) MAY 24, 2021 692-43-14/Poll In Both Parties, Fewer Now Say Being Christian Or Being Born In U.S.
Is Important To Being Truly American
Republicans and Democrats continue to differ over the factors they
see as important for being “truly American,” such as being Christian or being
born in the United States. But within both parties, the share of people who
see these and other factors as important has significantly decreased between
2016 and November
2020. For example, the share of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents
who say it is important to be born in the U.S. to be truly American has
fallen by half, from 50% in 2016 to just a quarter in 2020. And while
majorities of Democrats believe speaking English and sharing U.S. customs and
traditions are important for being truly American (65% and 59%,
respectively), these shares have also seen a marked decrease since 2016 (from
87% and 79%, respectively).
There have also been decreases in the shares of Republicans and
Republican leaners who think certain criteria are important to national
belonging. In 2016, majorities of Republicans said it was important for being
truly American to be Christian (63%) and to have been born in the U.S. (60%);
in 2020, around half of Republicans said each of these is important (48% and
46%, respectively). The share of Republicans who say it is important to speak
English has also fallen by 7 percentage points, though nearly nine-in-ten
still see this as important. The importance of sharing American customs and
traditions has remained steady among Republicans since 2016.
Within each party, there are strong ideological divides over the
factors people see as important for being truly American. On every factor
tested, conservative Republicans are the most likely – and liberal Democrats
the least likely – to think each quality is important. For example, half of
conservative Republicans say it is important to have been born in the U.S. to
be truly American, and roughly another half say the same about being a
Christian; only around a third of liberal and moderate Republicans share
those views. Similarly, nearly four-in-ten conservative and moderate
Democrats think it is important to be a Christian, with a roughly equal share
saying the same about being born in the U.S. Only about one-in-ten liberal Democrats
hold those opinions.
Just as Republicans and Democrats have relaxed their criteria for
national belonging in recent years, Americans overall are also less likely
today to believe that immigrants
want to be distinct from American society. In 2020, 28% of U.S.
adults said this, down from 37% in 2018, the last time the question was
asked. Much of the change in views of immigrants’ attitudes towards
assimilation has been driven by Republicans. The share of Republicans who say
immigrants want to be separate from American society has fallen by 18
percentage points since 2018, from 59% then to 41% in 2020. Views among
Democrats have remained largely unchanged. A more recent
survey by the Center, conducted in April, found that Americans – and
especially Republicans – are critical of the government’s handling of the
situation at the U.S.-Mexico border. (PEW) MAY 25, 2021 692-43-15/Poll Twenty-Four Percent Of Black And Hispanic Employees Reported
Experiencing Discrimination At Work In The Past 12 Months
A recent Gallup survey of U.S. workers
finds that workplace discrimination can affect employees' perceptions of an
organization's culture, their opportunities, and their coworkers' intentions.
Workplace discrimination can also affect their feelings of psychological
safety and belonging and their ability to do their best work. But workplace discrimination doesn't affect
everyone equally. Twenty-four percent of Black and Hispanic employees
reported experiencing discrimination at work in the past 12 months, as did
15% of White employees and 16% of Asian employees. But 75% of Black employees
say that discrimination was related to their race or ethnicity, compared with
61% of Hispanic and 42% of White workers. And the Gallup study finds that
discrimination undermines employee wellbeing, more so for Black and Hispanic
workers than White ones. Difference in percentage with thriving
wellbeing for employees who have experienced discrimination in the past 12
months, by race/ethnicity.
Though the experience of discrimination is
unique to the individual, the survey shows that the perception of discrimination
has a more profound and pervasive effect on Black and Hispanic employees than
on White ones. That disparity holds important implications for organizational
cultures, workplace outcomes and wellbeing. To understand those implications
-- and engineer greater inclusivity -- it's important for leaders to first
understand the impact of the experience of discrimination on employees and employers. Engagement and Satisfaction Discrimination, understandably, drains
employees' motivation, commitment to their jobs and their engagement. For
example, those who report discrimination in their workplace are less likely
to strongly agree that they have the opportunity to do what they do best,
that their opinions count, or that someone at work cares about them as a
person. And those who endure discrimination are much more likely to be
attrition risks -- whether actively looking for another job or watching for
opportunities -- than employees who don't feel discriminated against. Indeed, Black and Hispanic employees who
experience discrimination are substantially less likely to report being
satisfied with their place of employment as a place to work, even less
satisfied than White employees who feel discriminated against. Strikingly,
there is less than a 1 percentage point difference in overall satisfaction
for White workers who experience discrimination versus those who don't, but
overall satisfaction is 9 points lower for Hispanic employees and 13 points
lower for Black employees who report discrimination compared with those who
don't. Black employees who experience
discrimination are also 6x less likely than White and 4x less likely than
Hispanic employees to say they would recommend their organization as a great
place to work. Considering that approximately one
in four Black workers say they've faced discrimination, the experience of
discrimination makes it improbable that organizational alumni will become brand
ambassadors. And Gallup finds that, as it is, only 10% of Americans strongly
agree they'd recommend their former employer as a place to work. Difference in percentage on workplace
dimensions for employees who have experienced discrimination in the past 12
months, by race/ethnicity.
Inclusion Gallup's definition of inclusion is
"an environment that makes people feel welcome, respected and
valued." It's to be expected, then, that employees who report
experiencing discrimination at work in the past 12 months are far less likely
to strongly agree that they are treated with respect, feel like valued members
of their team, or are comfortable being themselves at work. Those effects are
felt with greater magnitude among Black employees than other ethnic groups,
and it appears to significantly affect Black employees' sense of autonomy --
about half as many Black workers as Hispanic or White employees can strongly
agree that they have the freedom to make the decisions they need to do their
jobs well -- 17% among Black workers who report having an experience with
discrimination compared to 27% of White workers and 28% of Hispanic workers
who report having an experience with discrimination. The perception of discrimination has a more
profound and pervasive effect on Black and Hispanic employees than on White
ones. A feeling of exclusion can prompt employees
to develop a persona -- or "code switch" -- to enable their
inclusion. That behavior saps employees' energy and cloaks their full value.
In fact, among those who say they've been discriminated against, the
percentage of Black and Hispanic employees who say their unique strengths are
being developed is far lower than the percentage of White employees who say
their employers build on their strengths. Difference in percentage who strongly agree
for employees who have experienced discrimination in the past 12 months, by
race/ethnicity.
Fairness and Equity The study found that those who feel they've
been discriminated against tend to have a negative view of fairness and
equity in their companies. Though that perception was found among all ethnic
groups, it's more pervasive among Black and Hispanic workers -- some of whom
feel discrimination isn't just personal, it's systemic -- and it can breed
skepticism that the company can be trusted to do the right thing in matters
of compliance, ethics, integrity and advancement. In fact, Black workers who report
experiencing discrimination in the workplace are less likely to say their
workplace supports their development, goals and hopes of advancement. That's why leaders should understand that
workers can perceive discrimination as both personal and institutional.
Considering that most Black and Hispanic workers attribute their
discrimination to racism, and they're more dubious about their organization's
commitment to racial justice or equality, a lived experience of
discrimination at work will constantly undermine leaders' diversity-positive
rhetoric and initiatives -- and may deplete the employee's will to engage in
the work. Difference in percent who strongly agree
for employees who have experienced discrimination in the past 12 months, by
race/ethnicity.
Disengagement is costly. Gallup analytics
estimates the global
economy loses $7 trillion a year to disengagement. Highly disengaged
companies bear the greatest burden of that -- and the perception of discrimination
can clearly deepen employee disengagement. Leaders can reverse engagement problems,
though Gallup finds leaders are more liable to be effective if they seek to
become aware of discrimination issues and take action. In specific:
Concern that investigating discrimination
opens an organization to liabilities is reasonable, but the existence of
discrimination is far more damaging than awareness of it. People who feel
discriminated against are often less engaged, have poorer wellbeing, and,
logically, would prefer to work elsewhere. Their employers are less
profitable as a result. Understanding the perception of
discrimination -- especially discrimination's highly malignant effect on
Black and Hispanic workers -- is a first step toward a different, better employee
experience. The next step is reinforcing a culture of inclusion fueled by
leaders who want better for and from their
organizations. (Gallup USA) MAY 26, 2021 Source: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349865/understanding-effects-discrimination-workplace.aspx 692-43-16/Poll Home Buying Intentions in Ontario Hold Steady (19%), With Likely
Buyers Anticipating Paying 12% More for a Home in the Next Year
Toronto, ON, May 25, 2021 – Ontario’s
real estate market has not shown signs of cooling down during the past year;
a recent Ipsos poll on behalf of the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA)
has revealed that home buying intentions unchanged from February 2020, with
one in five (19%) Ontario adults say they are likely (6% very/13%somewhat) to
buy a home in the next twelve months. Whether a product of the pandemic or
changes in their family, one in five (21%) likely homebuyers in Ontario is an
“upgrader”, meaning that their main reason for buying was needing a larger
home. The research also found that as demand for homes with more space goes
up, homebuyers are expecting to pay more for their homes. On average, likely
buyers in Ontario estimate they will pay $610,208 for their new home, a 12%
increase from last year’s estimations. However, buyers’ expectations are
still not keeping in lockstep with those of likely sellers in Ontario, who on
average anticipate selling their home for over $50,000 more than last year
($663,647). Pandemic Underscored Need for Larger Homes Reasons for why prospective buyers are currently choosing to buy
vary. In addition to the two in ten (21%) likely buyers saying their main
motivation is needing a larger home, one in ten (12%) say low interest rates
are the main reason why they’re looking to buy, followed by changes in their
lives due to the pandemic (9%). Main Reason Behind Timing for Home Purchase
Even if just one in ten (9%) likely home buyers in Ontario
specifically mentioned the pandemic as the main motivation behind planning
to buy in the next 12 months, It is clear that COVID-19 has impacted likely
buyers’ decision-making calculus or preferences in various other ways, even
if it wasn’t their main reason. The top-three motivations included re-evaluated
priorities (24%), seeing strong growth in the market (23%), and simply
wanting to live somewhere less densely populated (23%). Other concerns such
as needing space for a home office/gym/schooling were also high (19%),
alongside having saved money throughout the year (19%). Ways COVID-19 Impacted Decision to Buy Home
Furthermore, the pandemic influenced buyers in a few other key areas.
For example, nearly three in ten (28%) are looking into homes:
Finally, the (nearly) million-dollar question is how much Ontarians
anticipate paying for their home. On average, likely homebuyers in Ontario
anticipate a purchase price of $610,208, an increase of 12% (+$66,941) from
last year’s estimations. Highlighting the continued interest in real estate
during a pandemic, prices are up across the province, with the City of
Toronto registering the smallest percentage increase in anticipated purchase
price (+$42,403 to $698,442), but still representing an increase of 6.5%. However, average anticipated purchase price masks some disparities
among likely buyers. For instance, the proportion of those anticipating
buying homes worth $1,000,000+ has increased (14%, +6). On the other end of
the spectrum, first-time homebuyers, making up a quarter (26%) of likely
buyers, anticipate spending considerably less ($503,964, +$49,475), but
collectively still estimate they will pay 11% more than last year. Some Eschewing Condos, Turning to Detached
Homes As might be expected as a by-product of the pandemic, likely buyers
are a little more interested in purchasing detached homes than they were last
year (63%, +3). This tendency is magnified in older age groups, likely due to
their greater purchasing power (56%, -1 among 18-34 years, 66%, +6 among
35-54 years, 71%, +6 among 55+ years). This increased interest comes at the
expense of high-rise condos, which have seen purchase intentions decline
slightly. Type of Home Most Likely to Buy, By Age
Group and Type of Buyer Δ indicates change from 2020
The fact remains that a majority (63%, +3) of homebuyers are most
likely to buy a detached home, with smaller proportions likely to buy a
town/rowhouse (14%, -1), high-rise condo (8%, -2), semi-detached (9%) or
low-rise condo (6%). In general, the inclination towards a detached home
grows with age, although some Boomers are opting for low-rise condos (10%),
more so than any other generation. This is likely reflecting those older
Ontarians who have become ‘empty nesters’ and are subsequently looking to
downsize. Upgraders (75%) are far more likely than first-time homebuyers (50%)
to be buying a detached home, a trend that has only grown in the past year.
Given the higher price-point of a detached home, using one’s existing equity
can help greatly. As such, upgraders are slightly less interested in
semi-detached and condominiums. These same shifts are not present among
first-time homebuyers. While half do say they are likely to buy a detached
home, their newness to the real estate market likely means a smaller budget.
As such they may be more drawn to less expensive homes such as town/rowhouses
(21%), high-rise condos (11%), or low-rise condos (7%) than those looking to
upgrade their home. Escape to the Country? Amidst concerns about urban flight and greater interest in detached
homes in recent months, where are Ontarians likely to buy their homes? Location Most Likely to Buy Home, By Age
Group Δ indicates change from 2020
While there is slightly more interest in buying a home in rural areas
and less interest in buying a large urban area compared to last year, homes
in suburban locations and small city/towns also remain popular. Those aged
18-34 are still more likely than other generations to be looking at buying in
downtown/urban cores (26%, -5), though interest in buying homes in rural
areas has increased within this age group since last year (17%, +6). Among
those aged 35-54, interest in downtown/urban cores is down (19%, -7), but
interest in small cities/towns is up (23%, +5). As for likely buyers aged
55+, they largely have not changed their minds from last year as to where
they would like to buy a home. While nearly seven in ten (68%) likely buyers indicate that the pandemic
has not changed where they were looking for a home, there are interesting
differences around how this breaks down by age:
Younger Buyers Getting into Investment
Property, Tempted by Lower Interest Rates Among those two in ten Ontarians who say they are likely to buy a
home within the next 12 months, over three-quarters (78%) are looking for a
primary home in which to live (unchanged from February 2020), while 17% are
focused on buying an investment property (+1) and 5% are looking for a
vacation property (unch.). However, those aged 18-34 years are a little more
likely to be looking for an investment property (22%, +4), than other age
groups (16%, -1 among 35-54 years, 8%, -3 among 55+ years). Younger Ontarians’ interest in investment properties may not
necessarily be a sign that they are hungrier for investment income than other
age groups; rather, it could simply be an issue of timing, as older Ontarians
who could be interested in investment properties may have already bought
theirs a long time ago. A quarter (26%) of those looking to buy a home will be first-time
homebuyers (and understandably, those aged 18-34 are the most likely to be
first-time buyers (37%, -5 v. 24%, +1 among 35-54 years and 7%. -1 among 55+
years). In fact, younger buyers are more likely to say that lower interest
rates have influenced their decision to buy a home in some way (85% v. 46%
among 55+), with more saying that lower rates mean that they can have a
shorter mortgage (30% among 18-34 years v.12% among 55+ years) and that they
can buy an investment property or vacation home (13% among 18-34 years v. 8%
among 55+ years). While new builds are popular (31%), they are particularly popular
among likely buyers aged 18-34 (38%), while older likely buyers are a little
less keen (20%). Furthermore, those looking to upgrade their home are more
likely to want a new build (37%). (Ipsos Canada) 25 May 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/news-polls/Home-Buying-Intentions-in-Ontario-Hold-Steady 692-43-17/Poll Nearly All Canadians (93%) Agree Everyone Must Do Their Part To Make
Roads Safe
According to a recent Ipsos study on behalf of Parachute, half or
more say they would like to see arrests for impaired driving, police checking
for impaired driving, and separate bicycle lanes to be implemented. There is
less enthusiasm among reduced speed limits, with only one in five indicating
they would like to see this measure in their community. Road Safety and Dangers
Road Safety Effectiveness
Slowing Down
(Ipsos Canada) 27 May 2021 AUSTRALIA
692-43-18/Poll Overall Satisfaction With ‘Big 4’ Banks Is Higher Than A Year Ago
With CBA & NAB The Top Two
New data from Roy Morgan shows overall 80.5% of customers are
satisfied with their bank(s) in April 2021, an increase of 1.3% points on a
year ago when the COVID-19 pandemic began. The increase was built upon increases in satisfaction for building
societies (up 3% points on a year ago), foreign banks (up 2.3% points) and
Australia’s ‘Big 4’ banks (up 0.3% points). Satisfaction for the four major banks as a group is 77.1%, up 0.3%
points on April 2020, and up 0.2% points on January 2021. The big improver over the last year has been the NAB which has
increased its customer satisfaction by 1.9% points to 78.6% to be just behind
the Commonwealth Bank, on 78.8% (down 0.2% points). Third is ANZ on 75.0% (up 0.6% points on April 2020), followed by
Westpac on 73.5% (down 0.4% points). Among banks as a whole, Beyond Bank scored the highest in April, on
92.7% (up 1.8% points in 12 months). ING was the highest rated foreign bank
on 90.6% (up 1.7% points), Newcastle Permanent led the way for building
societies on 94.8% (up 3.1% points), while Credit Union Australia was the
highest ranked credit union, on 86.9% (up 3.9% points). The findings, taken from Roy Morgan’s Customer
Satisfaction report on Consumer Banking in Australia, reflect the
successful way the banking sector responded to financial challenges faced by
millions of Australians as a result of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. ‘Big 4’ Bank Customer Satisfaction
(2005-2021)
Roy Morgan CEO, Michele Levine, says a year
after COVID-19 up-ended the Australian economy bank satisfaction has emerged
higher now than when the pandemic started: “The month of April 2021 marked just after
the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when many
businesses were forced to close during the first nation-wide lockdown which
began on March 23, 2020. “In the year since the nation-wide lockdown
began the Federal Government has provided hundreds of billions of dollars of
support for the economy, most notably through the JobKeeper wage subsidy
scheme, and Australia’s banks seized the opportunity to be good ‘corporate
citizens’ by offering financial support to millions of Australians through
widespread loan and mortgage deferrals. “The actions of the banks have been appreciated
with overall bank satisfaction in April 2021 at 80.5% - an increase of 1.3%
points on a year ago as the pandemic began. Customer satisfaction with the
big four banks as a whole has also increased, up 0.3% points to 77.1%, with
the Commonwealth Bank being the star performer on 78.8% but the NAB the big
improver, up 1.9% points to 78.6% - to be just behind the Commonwealth Bank. “The end of March marked the end of most of
the Government and corporate support for Australians although the
expectations are that the Australian economy is on a sufficiently firm
footing to continue growing strongly throughout 2021. The vaccine rollout has
been widely criticised but over 2 million Australians have already received a
vaccine dose. “The positive expectations for the economy
are a hopeful sign for Australia’s banks that their deft and customer-focused
handling of the shock of COVID-19 can provide an enduring base to continue
increasing customer satisfaction even after the worst of the pandemic has
receded. “We will continue to closely monitor
satisfaction levels to see if the sector is able to retain and build on the
gains made over the last 12 months.” (Roy Morgan) May 25 2021 Source: https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/8694-bank-satisfaction-csa-april-2021-202105250232 692-43-19/Poll New Zealand Labour-Led Government Leads Opposition By 17% In May: 56%
cf. 39%
Support for New Zealand’s Labour/Greens government was up 1% point to
56% in May. Support for the Labour Party was up 3.5% points to 45% while
support for the Greens dropped 2.5% points to 11%. The governing parties are now 17% points ahead of the Parliamentary
opposition National/Act NZ/ Maori Party on 39%, down 2% points since April.
Support for National was down 1% point to 28.5% in May, support for Act NZ
was unchanged at 9% and Maori Party support dropped by 1% point to 1.5%. A small minority of 5% of electors support other minor parties
outside Parliament with support for NZ First up 1% point to 2% and The
Opportunities Party (TOP) up 1% point to 1.5% in May. This latest New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll on voting intention was
conducted by telephone – both landline and mobile – with a New Zealand-wide
cross-section of 932 electors during May. Electors were asked: “If a New Zealand Election were held today which
party would receive your party vote?” Of all electors
surveyed there were 4% (down 2% points) who didn’t name a party. New Zealand Government Confidence Rating
down slightly to 134 in May Despite a small decline, the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating
was at a high 134 in May, down 2pts from 136 in April. In May an unchanged majority of 62.5% of New Zealand electors said New
Zealand was ‘heading in the right direction’ compared to just over a quarter,
28.5% (up 2% points) who said New Zealand was ‘heading in the wrong
direction’. The latest monthly ANZ-Roy
Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating was also down slightly in May at
114.0, down 1.4pts from April (115.4) and is now just below the
corresponding Consumer
Confidence figure in Australia of 114.2 on May 23/24, 2021. “This week the Prime Ministers of New
Zealand and Australia are meeting in person in Queenstown on the South Island
for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began more than a year ago.
The meeting is taking place after an outbreak of the virus in Victoria led to
New Zealand shutting its borders to the state indefinitely. “There is no surprise New Zealand decided
to shut its borders to Victoria, but the decision does raise questions about
when snap border closures between the two countries because of COVID-19
outbreaks can be consigned to history. “In late May New Zealand has administered over 550,000 doses of
COVID-19 vaccines, and
fully vaccinated around 5% of the adult population, while Australia has administered over 4 million COVID-19
vaccines and fully
vaccinated around 2% of the country’s adult population. “As the proportion of the adult population
that are vaccinated in the two countries increases there should be no need to
enforce border closures once certain vaccination thresholds are met. This
will provide certainty to businesses, such as tourism and travel businesses,
that are relying on the ‘Trans-Tasman Bubble’ remaining open. “Another important issue is the
relationship with China. China is the largest trading partner of both New Zealand and Australia – although there have been significant trade tensions between
China and Australia over the last year. “New Zealand has largely managed to stay
out of the dispute between the two countries but there is likely to be
significant pressure from Australian PM Scott Morrison to ‘pick a side’ and
support the Australian point-of-view in the dispute. This presents a tricky
position for the Labour-led Government which would prefer to see the issues
resolved amicably as soon as possible. “Perhaps the most relevant factor is the
political positions of the two leaders. Today’s Roy Morgan New Zealand Poll
shows the Labour-led Government has the support of 56% of New Zealand
electors and recently won a comprehensive election victory. “In contrast, Australian PM Scott Morrison
is facing an election due in the next 12 months and has a very slim majority
with 76 seats out of 151 and the latest Morgan Poll on voting intention shows
the ALP 50.5% with a narrow two-party preferred lead over the L-NP on 49.5%.” New Zealand Party Vote: 2020-21
New Zealand Party Vote: NZ Govt. v
Parliamentary Opposition
Roy Morgan NZ Government Confidence Rating
vs. ANZ-Roy Morgan NZ Consumer Confidence
Voting Intention Summary The following table compares the latest New Zealand Roy Morgan Polls
on Voting Intention with the result from the September 23, 2017 General
Election:
*The 1996 Election was the first New
Zealand Election contested via MMP (Mixed Member Proportional). At the 1996
Election the Greens Party contested as part of the “Alliance” political
grouping with four other political parties. Two-Party Preferred: Labour Party-led
Government vs. Parliamentary Opposition Parties
(Roy Morgan) May 28 2021 Source: https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/8719-nz-national-voting-intention-may-2021-202105280647 MULTICOUNTRY
STUDIES
692-43-20/Poll Is Covid-19 Compelling Arab Citizens To Surrender Freedoms To Their
Governments
Efforts to control the spread of covid-19 have prompted governments
across the Arab World to pursue aggressive strategies — from closing international
borders and imposing curfews,
to restricting
movement between cities and expanding digital
surveillance of citizens. Such measures expose not only the tension
between public health safeguards and protecting individual civil liberties; rather,
they also reveal the threat of opportunistic government overreach under the
pretense of the coronavirus. The sixth wave of Arab Barometer surveys asked citizens across five
Arab countries—Algeria, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia—their views on
government restrictions of assorted freedoms during a public health
emergency. Support for government restrictions on speech and movement,
censorship of the media, and monitoring and tracing of citizens varies both
across and within countries, as well as by age, gender, and citizens’ levels
of trust in the government. Overall, the younger generation are more
accepting of restrictions than are their older counterparts, women are more
open to government limitations on movement, and those with greater trust in
the government show more tolerance of restrictions. However, despite this
variation in attitudes, a plurality, and in most cases a clear majority, of
respondents consider a range of government restrictions sometimes or even
always justified within the context of a public health crisis. Government Restrictions on Speech, Media,
Movement, and Privacy Free speech and the media are necessary not only for ensuring
widespread access to accurate information throughout a public health crisis,
but are also important mechanisms to advocate for government accountability.
Yet, Arab publics are generally sympathetic to restrictions in both these
domains. Though limitations on free speech are the least popular restriction
among those asked about in the survey, nonetheless over half of respondents
cite some level of support in nearly every country surveyed. Two-thirds of
Algerians and Moroccans (66 percent in each) say it is either sometimes or
always justifiable for the government to limit freedom of speech during a public
health emergency, followed by over half of Jordanians (59 percent) and
Tunisians (53 percent) saying the same. Only in Lebanon do fewer than half of
respondents cite support for such restrictions to free speech (47 percent).
With respect to restrictions on the media, roughly seven-in-ten citizens in
Jordan (71 percent), Morocco (70 percent), and Algeria (69 percent), in
addition to six-in-ten Tunisians (63 percent), and over half of Lebanese (56
percent) say that government censorship of the media is sometimes or always
justifiable during a public health emergency. An even greater proportion of Arab citizens are supportive of the
government limiting freedom of movement and monitoring or tracing citizens’
locations in response to covid-19. Roughly eight-in-ten citizens in Algeria
(80 percent), Morocco (79 percent), Tunisia (77 percent), and Jordan (77
percent in each) acknowledge the government should be allowed to limit
freedom of movement. Comparable rates (78 percent in Algeria, 74 percent in
Morocco and Tunisia, and 72 percent in Jordan) support the government
tracking citizens’ locations. Again, in Lebanon, popular support for these
restrictions is the lowest among countries surveyed, with 67 percent
sympathetic to limiting freedom of movement and 68 percent supporting
location monitoring or tracing by the government.
Indicators of Support for Government
Restrictions: Age, Gender, and Trust What distinguishes individuals who support such restrictions from
those who do not? One of the most salient indicators is age, with younger
adults (18-29) more likely to voice support for government limitations than
are their older counterparts (60+). This trend holds across all countries and
for all restrictions, with the exception of Jordanian and Lebanese youth and
restrictions to movement or government tracing, respectively. Though older
Jordanians are indeed less likely than the younger generation to support
restrictions on speech and media, they are slightly more receptive than younger adults
are to restrictions on movement (78 versus 76). The gap is more sizable in
Lebanon with respect to government monitoring and tracing of citizens — 80
percent of those 60 or older support such measures, compared to 70 percent of
younger adults saying the same. Interestingly, on average, young citizens
deviate most from older citizens with respect to censorship of the media,
with those aged 18 to 29 showing more openness than those over 60 to the
government censoring the media either sometimes or always during a public health
crisis. Given that individuals
under the age of 25 account for over half of the population across the Middle
East and North Africa, their beliefs about the role government should
play during crises represent not only the preferences of a significant
portion of the region, but also reflect burgeoning trends and attitudes that
will influence the region’s future.
Though gender is not a meaningful indicator of support for
restrictions on speech or the media, women are more likely than men to
support restrictions to movement and government efforts to trace and monitor
citizens. The gap between men and women is starkest for the latter — women in
Tunisia and Morocco support government monitoring of citizens’ movement at
rates 12 and 11 percentage points higher, respectively, than do men. The
gender divide is smaller, though still apparent, in Lebanon (9 percentage
points), Jordan (4 percentage points) and Algeria (4 percentage points).
Gendered differences with respect to movement and restrictions thereof could
explain this discrepancy: Women are already more likely than men to face de jure
or de facto restrictions on their movement, thus women may be more accustomed
to (and receptive of) curtailments of this sort.
Finally and perhaps unsurprisingly, those with greater trust in the
government are more likely to support government restrictions. On average,
the discrepancy between those with higher levels of trust in the government
and those with little to no trust in the government is most apparent for
restrictions on free speech. Across the countries surveyed, 69 percent of
those with a great deal of trust in their government said restrictions on
free speech are sometimes or always necessary during a public health crisis,
compared to 51 percent of those with little to no trust in their governments
saying the same. Distrust in government understandably correlates with a
greater discomfort with government curtailment of freedoms.
Looking Ahead Governments play a critical role in curbing the spread of covid-19 —
containing rampant misinformation about the virus, managing testing and vaccination,
and ultimately ensuring citizen’s safety and security. But, in a region all
too familiar with government corruption and durable authoritarianism,
the heavy hand of government during times of crisis can set dangerous
precedents. The pandemic will eventually end, but the corrosion to civil
liberties could prove more resilient and enduring than the virus itself. In
the face of government overreach and restrictions that often have no clear
expiration date, citizens of the region must be cautious and vigilant. (Arabbarometer) May 24, 2021 692-43-21/Poll More Than Four In Every 10 (43%) Respondents Reported That Covid-19
Had Made It More Difficult For Them Or Someone In Their Household To Obtain
Required Medication In The Previous Three Months
In many areas people experience a loss of income, and food security
is under pressure. In addition, people who need medication for chronic or
other illnesses can quite often not acquire the necessary medication, or find
it impossible to get to hospitals or clinics. According to recent calculations of the International Monetary
Fund (IMF), Africa will need a total of US $285 billion over the next
four years to be able to overcome the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the start of the pandemic, Ipsos conducted public opinion polls
on behalf of the Partnership for Evidence-Based Response to COVID-19 (PERC),
a consortium of global public health organisations and private sector firms1.
PERC was created in March 2020 with the objective of providing African Union
member states with real-time information and guidance to reduce the impact of
Covid-19 on the continent. Ipsos offices throughout Africa collected data for the different
waves of the study by conducting 24,000 telephone surveys in 19 African Union member states for
each wave. These interviews were supplemented with weekly social media
scraping data. The third survey in the series was conducted in February 20212 and
questions probed the public’s knowledge, risk perceptions, attitudes, access
to information, reactions, behaviours and practices related to Covid-19.
Findings show that the Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact societies, not
only in terms of health, but also regarding the local social and economic
conditions and day-to-day life3.
Some Key Findings regarding healthcare,
income and food security from the third report:
Mask wearing:
Possible vaccine acceptance
Perceptions of the role of government
(Ipsos South Africa) 24 May 2021 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-za/africa-day-african-perspective-covid-19 692-43-22/Poll Two In Five Drivers Based In The UAE, In Great Britain (5%) And
Germany, (9%) Plan To Buy A New Car In The Next 12 Months
With some economies gathering steam, the auto industry will be
looking to make good on the shortfall in sales that it saw in 2020. But how
big is demand and what do motorists’ budgets and intentions look like in
2021? When it comes to buying a car, the intent varies heavily from market
to market. A look at five key countries in YouGov Profiles – Australia,
Germany, Great Britain, the UAE, and the US – shows that the proportion
looking to purchase a vehicle can still be either significant, weak, or
somewhere in-between. Two in five drivers based in the UAE, for example, plan
to buy a new car in the next 12 months; in Great Britain (5%) and Germany,
(9%), the proportion is fewer than one in ten and demand much weaker. It’s a similar story when it comes to buying used vehicles. Almost a
quarter of the UAE drivers want to buy a second hand car (23%) in the
next 12 months, and nearly as many Australians (19%) say the same. But,
again, in Britain (8%) and Germany (7%) demand is much weaker – something
which in itself will have a knock-on effect on the proportion of consumers in
the market for a model fresh off the production line. In fact, for Britons, making savings in their motoring budget may be
more of a priority than spending on a new car. Some 16% plan to change
their car insurance provider in the next year, compared to 10% of Emirati
drivers, 8% of Germans, 7% of Australians, and just 5% of Americans. They’re
also much more likely to switch their breakdown cover (GB 8%; UAE 3%; US 2%;
1% Australia; 1% Germany). When compared against other nations, it paints
either an unflattering picture of the British car insurance market or a
describes a nation that shops around when it comes to motoring costs. This
may have much to do with the relative ease of switching car insurance
compared to other markets. The leasing and finance market for cars varies from market to market.
Fewer than one in ten drivers intend to lease a car in the next year across
the globe but there are markets which are more icnlined towards this type of
car ownership. Again, it’s consumers in the UAE with the highest appetite for
a new car via leasing – 7% of them plan to get a car this way in the next 12
months. The US comes second, at 6%, while demand for a leased vehicle is
currently slacker in GB (4%), Germany (4%) and Australia (2%). However, when we look at purchase history in Britain, it’s not
altogether surprising that leasing is a not a popular current option. Half of
drivers (49%) bought their cars with cash, one in five (20%) used dealer
financing, 14% traded in their old car, one in ten used a personal loan (9%),
and just 5% leased it. (YouGov UK) May 27, 2021 692-43-23/Poll Globally (54%) Still Prefer In-Store Shopping To
Online Purchases (38%)
According to a recent survey by YouGov, more than half
of consumers in 17 global markets (54%) still prefer in-store shopping to
online purchases (38%) - yet tthe pandemic has undoubtedly
changed how the world shops.
A recently released white paper by YouGov
on fast-moving consumer goods quantifies the global
population’s shift from in-store purchases to
online transactions in areas as wide as clothing, personal
care products, groceries, and medicines. But data we
reveal today shows a similar trend can be found
in another area of shopping - specifically mobile
phone purchases. New figures from YouGov show that in most
of the markets we polled (11 out of
17), consumers prefer shopping online for mobile
phones to an in-store experience.
In other markets, though, the in-store experience remains king. In
Indonesia, for example, 8% of shoppers have bought a phone in-store, compared
to just one in twenty (5%) who have done so in-store. In UAE, the
differential is similar – 12% vs. 8%. Consumers in the US are divided, with the same proportion (9%) having
bought online as in-store over the last quarter. Other countries where
there is no significant difference between the percentage of adults that
chose online vs in-store are Poland, Italy, China,
Sweden, France, and Denmark. As our white paper reveals, physical experience of the
product is the primary reason for six in ten people globally
to go to bricks and mortar retail stores. The primary reason for
choosing online shopping? Six in ten (57%) people globally
prefer online shopping thanks to the convenience of home
delivery. (YouGov UK) May 28, 2021 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
