For global distribution at 10am Greenwich Mean Time
on Monday 30th December 2013
Global version
WIN/Gallup International’s annual global End of Year
survey shows a brighter outlook for 2014
Zurich, Switzerland - 30th December 2013 - WIN/Gallup
International, the leading global association in market research and polling,
has today published the results of its annual End of Year Survey which explores
the outlook, expectations, hopes and fears of people from 65 countries around
the world.
Headlines
Despite a year of economic difficulty, almost 50% of
people surveyed are more positive about 2014 than they were for 2013;
US, Canada and Australia are the countries where most
people would like to live if they could;
US is considered to be the greatest threat to peace
in the world, followed by Pakistan and China;
Over a third of those surveyed believe the world
would be a better place if there were more female politicians; Now in its 37th
year WIN/Gallup International End of Year Survey finds that since 1989 people
in general have a more positive outlook on economic prosperity for the coming
year.
A new wave of optimism?
Globally, a majority of those polled, representing
the views of 65 countries had a positive outlook for 2014, with 48% believing
that next year would be better than 2013, compared to only 20% who thought it
would be worse. A vast majority of those across the globe, with the number
surveyed increasing by over 10,000 compared with 2012 (55,817), answered that
they are happy in their lives, with 60% indicating they are content compared to
just 12% who are unhappy and 26% who felt they are neither happy nor unhappy.
Africa is the unhappiest region in the world with 26% reporting unhappiness,
despite being relatively hopeful in their global (48%) and economic (36%)
outlook.
Expectations of economic prosperity recorded split
results, with a narrow margin of 32% of the world’s population believing that
2014 will be a prosperous year, whilst 33% think it will remain unchanged, and
30% believe 2014 will be a year of economic difficulty. Looking at the results
on a global scale, the Asian and MENA regions are the most optimistic, with 62%
of those in Fiji hoping for a more prosperous 2014 and 55% in Saudi Arabia
hoping for the same. Western and Eastern Europe are the two most pessimistic
regions with 86% and 78% respectively thinking the economy in 2014 will either
get worse or stay the same – a result that could be attributable to the tough
economic conditions suffered this year.
Since the WIN/Gallup International End of Year Survey
began in 1977, people’s outlook on economic prosperity for the coming year can
be divided into two camps. Between 1977 and 1988, people were generally
pessimistic about the coming year with the net response (percentage of those
who thought the following year would be better minus those who thought it would
be worse) being negative. However, in the subsequent period when the question
was asked the outlook has been more positive, peaking in 2005 at +21%, and in
recent years being +7% in 2012 and +2% in 2013.
Home is where the heart is
The results of this year’s survey show that the
majority of people (38%) are in fact happy to live where they currently reside.
This figure is matched by those in the Western Europe region where 38% would
choose to live where they currently live, with 36% of the UK population opting
to stay in the country and a substantial 66% of Australia respondents answering
that they would not consider relocating. Overall, those in the MENA (47%) and
Americas (46%) regions are most likely to stay where they currently live.
For those who would like to move, the survey
highlights that the USA (9% of respondents) is the most desirable destination,
with Canada and Australia jointly being second choice (7%) and Switzerland
third (6%). Only 4% of the world’s population would like to live in the UK, a
figure common to other European countries including Spain, France and Italy.
US - really the biggest
threat?
The US was the overwhelming
choice (24% of respondents) for the country that represents the greatest threat
to peace in the world today. This was followed by Pakistan (8%), China (6%),
North Korea, Israel and Iran (5%). Respondents in Russia (54%), China (49%) and
Bosnia (49%) were the most fearful of the US as a threat.
These results show that
although the US is widely regarded as posing the greatest threat to peace, it
is, paradoxically, still the most desired country to live in. This could show
that for many of the people surveyed across the globe it appears that the
notion of the ‘American Dream’ is still alive.
A woman’s world?
The global poll also addressed the topic of politics,
with one specific question asking respondents whether the world would be a
better place if politicians were predominantly women. On a global scale, 34%
think the world would indeed be a better place while 41% think there would be
no difference, and only 17% believe it would be worse. Western Europe, with
52%, was the only region to receive a majority of responses that felt that more
women politicians would make no difference. However, the split is much closer
in the US with 41% thinking the world would be a better place with more women
in politics and 42% believing there would be no change.
The MENA region responded to the idea of more women
politicians with more negativity. 34% of participants in these countries
thought that the world would be a worse place, in contrast to 32% who felt more
women in politics would have a positive impact. However, 41% of those in the
African region thought an increase would create a better world, 30% saying it
would be worse, and 26% believing it would stay the same.
Jean-Marc Leger, President of WIN/Gallup
International Association, said: “Despite an unstable economic situation, our
happiness index is extremely high all over the world except in Europe. Moreover
people think that 2014 will be better than 2013. Optimism is back in the
world.”
-ENDS-
Media enquiries:
Madano Partnership
+44 20 7593 4000
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Methodology:
The global barometer of hope and despair is an annual
tradition initiated by and designed under the chairmanship of Dr. George Gallup
in 1977. It is conducted every year since then. This year it was carried out by
associates of WIN-Gallup International in 65 countries around the world.
Sample Size and Mode of Field Work:
In each country a national probability sample of
around 1000 men and women was interviewed either face to face (34 countries),
via telephone (11 countries) or online (20 countries). Details are attached.
The field work was conducted during September 2013 - December 2013. In general
the error margin for surveys of this kind is +3-5% at 95% confidence level.
The global average has been computed according to the
share of the covered adult population of the surveyed countries.
About the WIN/Gallup International survey:
WIN/Gallup International is the leading association
in market research and polling and is made up of the 77 largest independent
market research and polling firms in their respective countries with combined
revenue of over €500 million and covering 95% of the world’s market.
For more than 60 years WIN/Gallup International
Members have demonstrated their expert ability to conduct multi-country surveys
on a comparable basis and deliver the highest quality. Their Members are
leading national institutes with a profound local knowledge of research methods
and techniques, statistical sources, customs and culture differences of its own
country and carefully selected by the Association Board. With only one Member
agency per country, Members work together on a daily basis to share knowledge,
new research techniques and tools, as well as to provide the most appropriate
solutions to international research projects and service our clients to the
best of our abilities.
The accumulated expertise of the Association is
formidable - they have internationally renowned experts in public opinion,
Third World issues, advertising, and media research as well as in commercial
fields such as IT/telecommunications, healthcare, retail, economics, corporate
research and so on. Members are at the leading edge of technical and
methodological developments, which have impacted on not only the research
industry but also the whole commercial world.
Disclaimer: Gallup International Association or its
members are not related to Gallup Inc., headquartered in Washington D.C which
is no longer a member of Gallup International Association. Gallup International
Association does not accept responsibility for opinion polling other than its
own. We require that our surveys be credited fully as Gallup International (not
Gallup or Gallup Poll). For further details see website: www.wingia.com.
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