WHAT WORRIES

THE WORLD?

July 2021
WHAT WORRIES THE WORLD?
Ipsos’ What Worries the World survey tracks public opinion on the
most important social and political issues across 28 countries today,
drawing on 10 years of data to place the latest scores in context.

This global summary report presents the top concerns around the
world, alongside whether people think things in their country are
heading in the right or wrong direction.

Full breakdowns of findings for each country and

each issue are also available on www.ipsos.com.

Please contact Teodros.Gebrekal@Ipsos.com

for more information.

@
© Ipsos | What Worries the World
 WHAT WORRIES THE WORLD? JULY 2021
Concern about Coronavirus is at the lowest level since we began tracking it. However, it is still the world’s top worry and we
continue to see some clear shifts at country level. Meanwhile, 63% say things in their country are on the “wrong track”.

Which three of the following topics do you Generally speaking, would you say things in this
Q Q
find the most worrying in your country? country are heading in the right direction, or are
they off on the wrong track?
change vs.
last month
% change
vs. last
Coronavirus (COVID-19) 36% = ✓ month

Unemployment 32% -2 RIGHT DIRECTION =

37%
Poverty & social inequality 31% -1

Financial/political corruption 30% = 63% 

=
Crime & violence 26% = WRONG TRACK

Base: Representative sample of 20,502 adults aged 16-74 in 28 participating countries, June 25th – July 9th 2021.
Source: Ipsos Global Advisor. Global score is a Global Country Average. See methodology for details.
3 ‒ © Ipsos | What Worries the World
 WHAT WORRIES THE WORLD? 12-MONTH TREND
Which three of the following topics do you find the most Generally speaking, would you say things in this
Q Q
worrying in your country? country are heading in the right direction, or are they
off on the wrong track?

60% 100%
90%
50%
80%
70%
40%
36% 63%
32%
60%
30% 31% 50%
30%
26% 40%
37%
20%
30%
20%
10%
10%
0% 0%
Jul Sep Nov Jan Mar May Jul Jul Sep Nov Jan Mar May Jul
2020 2020 2020 2021 2021 2021 2021 2020 2020 2020 2021 2021 2021 2021

Right Direction Wrong Track

Coronavirus Unemployment Poverty & social Financial/political Crime & violence
(COVID-19) inequality corruption

Base: Representative sample of 20,502 adults aged 16-74 in 28 participating countries, June 25th – July 9th 2021.
Source: Ipsos Global Advisor. Global score is a Global Country Average. See methodology for details.

4 ‒ © Ipsos | What Worries the World

DIRECTION OF
TRAVEL
ALL
COUNTRIES

5 ‒ © Ipsos | What Worries the World

 RIGHT DIRECTION VS. WRONG TRACK MONITOR
Q Would you say things in this country are heading in the right direction, or are they off on the wrong track?
Global country average 63% 37% q -1
Saudi Arabia 18% 82% Wrong track Across the 28 nations
p +5surveyed,
India 40% 60% 63% on average p say +2
that things
Australia 42% 58% in their country pare on+2the wrong
Right
Canada 47% 53% direction track while 37%qtake -2the view
Germany 50% 50% q -1
that things are pheading+1
in the
Great Britain 54% 46% right direction. q -5
US 55% 45%
p +1
Israel 56% 44%
South Korea This is the same
p as last
+11 month,
56% 44% q
Mexico 58% 42%
relatively unchanged -4since
p +1
Netherlands 59% 41% January 2021 (62% vs. 38%)
q -3
Russia 60% 40% and one year ago (61% vs.
q -5
Italy 61% 39% 39%), but is onqbalance
-1
more
Malaysia 62% 38% pessimistic than
q in July
-8 2019
Belgium 65% 35% (57% vs. 43%).p +5
Spain 68% 32% q -4
Chile 69% 31% The countries q
where -5
most
Sweden 69% 31% people say thatqthings-3 are
Poland 71% 29% q -1
heading in the wrong
q
direction
-6
France 72% 28%
are Colombia (88%)
p and
+2 Peru
Hungary 72% 28%
Japan
(86%), followedqby South
-1 Africa
74% 26%
q (82%).
(83%) and Turkey -5
Argentina 75% 25% =
Brazil 76% 24% p +4
Turkey 82% 18% The largest month-on-month
q -2
South Africa 83% 17% increases in our “wrong track”
Peru 86% 14% score this month are the
Colombia 88% 12% Netherlands (+12), Malaysia
6‒ © Ipsos | What Worries the World (+8) and Saudi Arabia (+8).
Base: Representative sample of 20,502 adults aged 16-74 in 28 participating countries, June 25th – July 9th 2021.
Source: Ipsos Global Advisor. Global score is a Global Country Average. See methodology for details.
GLOBAL: RIGHT DIRECTION/WRONG TRACK
Q Would you say things in this country are heading in the right direction, or are they off on the wrong track?
(Global country average score)
Right direction Wrong track
100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%
63%

40%

30%
37%
20%

10%

0%
Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Base: Representative sample c. 20,000 adults aged 16-74 in 28 participating countries, 2013 - 2021.
Source: Ipsos Global Advisor. Global score is a Global Country Average. See methodology for details.

7 ‒ © Ipsos | What Worries the World

WORRIES THE
WORLD?
TOP ISSUES
RANKED

8 ‒ © Ipsos | What Worries the World

WORLD WORRIES: THE FULL LIST
Q Which three of the following topics do you find the most worrying in your country?

% mentioned in July 2021 (global country average)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) 36% q

Our full ranking of -2
the 18
Unemployment 32% p survey
issues in our +2 gives an
Poverty & social inequality 31% overview ofqwhat people
-1 in 28
Financial/political corruption 30% countries worry
q about
-3 today.
Crime & violence 26% p +5
At a global level,
=
over one-
Healthcare 21%
third (36%) on average say
Education 17% =
that Covid-19 is one of the
Taxes 15% q
top issues facing -2
their
Climate change 14% p with +1
country, level June,
Inflation 12% which saw a= 6-point decrease
Immigration control 11% vs. the month
p before.
+1
Moral decline 11% q -1
Unemployment is the second
Threats against the environment 9% q -2
biggest issue across all
Rise of extremism 9% p +1
countries at 32%, followed by
Terrorism 8% q
Poverty & social -2
inequality
Maintaining social programmes 6% p +1
(31%), Financial/political
Access to credit 2% =
corruption (30%) and Crime
Childhood obesity 1% & violence (26%).
q -1

Base: Representative sample of 20,502 adults aged 16-74 in 28 participating countries, June 25th – July 9th 2021.
Source: Ipsos Global Advisor. Global score is a Global Country Average. See methodology for details.

9 ‒ © Ipsos | What Worries the World

WORLD WORRIES: LONG-TERM TREND
Q Which three of the following topics do you find the most worrying in your country?

70%

60% 56%
36%
50%

32%
40%

30% 31%

20%
30%

10%
26%
0%
Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Unemployment Poverty & social inequality Financial/Political corruption Crime & violence

Base: Representative sample c. 20,000 adults aged 16-74 in 28 participating countries, 2013 - 2021.
Source: Ipsos Global Advisor. Global score is a Global Country Average. See methodology for details.

10 ‒ © Ipsos | What Worries the World

 Country Comparison

1 | CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)
(%) worried in July 2021 in each country On average, 36% worldwide say
Coronavirus is one of the biggest
World 36% q -1
Malaysia
issues facing theirpcountry today.
76% +28
Japan 59% q -4
South Korea 57% Malaysia (76%), Japan
q (59%) and
-10
Australia 52% q
South Korea (57%) are -3the nations
Peru q -2
47% most concerned about the
Brazil q -2
46% pandemic. Sweden now-1shows the
q
India 44% lowest levels of concern
q -3(14%),
South Africa 42%
Great Britain 41%
followed by Hungary
p (15%).
+2
q -1
Spain 41% q
Saudi Arabia 40% In Israel, where only 7%-6selected
q -5
Mexico 36% Covid-19 as a topqissue -5last month,
Germany 35% there has been a 19-point
q -2 rise to
Chile 34% 26%. Other increasesp include
+13
Netherlands 34% q -3
Russia (+17 points), South Africa
Canada 33% q -4
France 31%
(+13), and Australiaq
(+10).
-3
Concern
Russia 30% has fallen most inqIndia -4(-18), Brazil
Colombia 26% (-13) and Saudi Arabia
q (-13).
-7
Israel 26% p +1
Italy 26% p +2
Covid-19 is the single top worry in
Poland q -19
26% 10 of the 28 nationsp
surveyed
+10
– as
US 25%
well as joint-top inqthe Netherlands
-6
Argentina 24%
Belgium 22%
(alongside Crime & violence)
q -5 and
p +2
Germany (alongside Poverty/Social
Turkey 22%
Hungary 15% Inequality).
Sweden 14%
11 ‒ © Ipsos | What Worries the World Base: Representative sample of 20,502 adults aged 16-74 in 28 participating countries, June 25th – July 9th 2021.
Source: Ipsos Global Advisor. Global score is a Global Country Average. See methodology for details.
 Country Comparison

2 | UNEMPLOYMENT AND JOBS

(%) worried in July 2021 in each country
World 32% q -1
South Africa 62% q
Unemployment is the -1 second
Italy 55% =
greatest worry worldwide,
South Korea 51% q -3
according to ourp
survey.
+2
On
Colombia 49%
average, 32%qsay it -6is one of
Spain 49%
Malaysia 47%
the most important
p issues
+4 in
p +4
their country today. This is
Mexico 44%
India 41% down from theq37% -1 recorded
=
Argentina 38% at the beginningq of the-2 year.
Turkey 37% q -7
Peru 34% South Africa isqonce-1again
Saudi Arabia 33% q -7
most concerned about jobs
Brazil 29% p +2
Russia 29% (62%), followed p
by Italy
+2
(55%)
Chile 28% and South Korea q (51%).-7
Japan 28% p +1
Australia 26% Spain’s Unemployment
=
Canada 25% =
concern has eased by 10
France 23% q -3
points to 49% qin July, -6
putting it
Israel 23%
Sweden
level with Colombia
q in joint
-2
22%
Belgium 21% 4th/5th place. =
p +1
Great Britain 21%
q -4
Hungary 21% The largest monthly
q
increase
-2
US 18% for this issue is= seen in
Poland 13% Malaysia (+5 points).
Germany 12%
Netherlands 8%
12 ‒ © Ipsos | What Worries the World Base: Representative sample of 20,502 adults aged 16-74 in 28 participating countries, June 25th – July 9th 2021.
Source: Ipsos Global Advisor. Global score is a Global Country Average. See methodology for details.
 Country Comparison

3 | POVERTY & SOCIAL INEQUALITY

(%) worried in July 2021 in each country
World 31% q -1
Russia 58% q -1
Three in 10 (31%) on average
Hungary 45% =
across all 28 countries
q -3
say that
Colombia 44%
Poverty & social
p inequality
+2 is
Turkey 40%
Chile 37% one of the topqissues-6 facing
p
their country today. +4
Argentina 36%
p +4
Brazil 35%
q -1
Germany 35% This is most prominent
= in
France 34% Russia, whereq58% -2 of the
Israel 34% public say theyq are concerned
-7
Japan 33% q -1
Spain
about Poverty & social
32% q -7
Mexico 31% inequality. Hungary
p
(45%) and
+2
Belgium 30% Colombia (44%) p follow.
+2
Italy 30% q -7
South Africa 30% p
A 9-point increase in concern
+1
Malaysia 29% in Turkey sees= the nation
Canada 28% =
return to the top
q
5 with
-3
40%.
Great Britain 28%
Netherlands 28% q -6
India 25% Israel and Malaysia
q also record
-2
=
increases of 8 points while the
Peru 25%
p +1
South Korea 25% issue has fallen by 11 points in
q -4
Sweden 25% Mexico and 9 q points-2in
Poland 23% Hungary this month.
=
Australia 22%
US 19%
Saudi Arabia 18%
13 ‒ © Ipsos | What Worries the World Base: Representative sample of 20,502 adults aged 16-74 in 28 participating countries, June 25th – July 9th 2021.
Source: Ipsos Global Advisor. Global score is a Global Country Average. See methodology for details.
 Country Comparison

4 | FINANCIAL/POLITICAL CORRUPTION
(%) worried in July 2021 in each country
World 30% q -1
South Africa 60% q
Financial/Political Corruption
-1 is
Colombia 55% =
ranked fourth in our list of
Peru 53% q -3
world worries pas 30% +2
on
Hungary 51%
average countqit among-6 the big
Malaysia 51%
Russia 48% issues facing their
p country
+4
today. p +4
Brazil 37%
q -1
Poland 36% =
Spain 33% South Africa, the
q country
-2 most
Argentina 32% concerned aboutq this
-7 issue,
India 32% currently has aqlevel-1of concern
Israel 32% q -7
at twice the global country
South Korea 31% p +2
Chile 30% average (60%). p +2
Mexico 29% q -7
Turkey 27% Also showing p high levels
+1 of
Italy 23% concern about corruption are
=
Japan 23% =
Colombia (55%), Peru (53%),
Belgium 22% q -3
Hungary (51%) q
and Malaysia
-6
US 22%
Great Britain
(also 51%). q -2
19%
=
Canada 18%
p +1
The largest month-on-month
Saudi Arabia 18%
q -4
Australia 16% increase in concern
q
about this
-2
Netherlands 15% issue is seen is= Peru (+8
Germany 14% points).
France 11%
Sweden 9%
14 ‒ © Ipsos | What Worries the World Base: Representative sample of 20,502 adults aged 16-74 in 28 participating countries, June 25th – July 9th 2021.
Source: Ipsos Global Advisor. Global score is a Global Country Average. See methodology for details.
 Country Comparison

5 | CRIME & VIOLENCE

(%) worried in July 2021 in each country
World 26% q -1
Sweden 63% Crime & violence
q is the
-1 fifth
Mexico 57% =
greatest worry globally with
Chile 47% q -3
one in four (26%) across all
South Africa p +2
45% countries selecting it-6as one of
q
Argentina 41%
the most important
p issues
+4
Peru 34%
p
facing their country today.
+4
Netherlands 34%
q -1
US 33% =
France 32% Sweden is onceq
again
-2
the
Colombia 28% country most concerned
q -7 about
Israel 28% Crime and violence,
q -1with 63%.
Brazil 27% More than halfq(57%) -7 of
Great Britain 27% p +2
Mexicans also consider this a
Turkey 26% p +2
Belgium 23% pressing issueqin their
-7
country
Germany 23% today. p +1
Australia 21% =
India 19% While June saw = a 10-point
Italy 18% q -3
increase in concern
q
about
-6
Canada 15% Crime and violence
q in
-2 France,
Malaysia 15%
Spain
this has been reversed
= this
15%
p
month (-10 points to 32%).
+1
South Korea 12%
q -4
Hungary 10% Elsewhere, there has been an
q -2
Saudi Arabia 9% 11-point increase
=
on this issue
Japan 8% in the Netherlands.
Poland 7%
Russia 6%
15 ‒ © Ipsos | What Worries the World Base: Representative sample of 20,502 adults aged 16-74 in 28 participating countries, June 25th – July 9th 2021.
Source: Ipsos Global Advisor. Global score is a Global Country Average. See methodology for details.
 Country Comparison

CLIMATE CHANGE
With the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) taking place this autumn, we take a look at environmental concerns.
(%) worried in July 2021 in each country
World 14% Worldwide, 14% place climate
q -1change
Canada 32% q -1
among their top 3 concerns. Overall, is
Germany 30% th =
ranked 9 of our list of 17 issues.
Australia 28% q -3
France p +2
24%
Netherlands
This month’s score marksq a small
-6 3-
24%
p 2021.
point increase since June +4 The
US 23%
p
Great Britain 22% recent pre-pandemic high was+416%, last
q -1
Japan 22% recorded in March 2020.=
Belgium 20% q -2
Sweden 18% The countries with highest
q levels-7 of
Spain 17% public concern today areqCanada -1 (32%),
Italy 16% q -7
South Korea 16%
Germany (30%) and Australia (28%).
p +2
Poland 14% p +2
Saudi Arabia 13% There has been a 10-point
q increase
-7 in
Hungary 9% Canada vs. last month. In July 2020,
p +1
India 9% =
Australia and the Netherlands shared
Mexico 9% =
the top spot for concernqwith 25%,
Turkey 9% -3
followed by Germany (24%)
q and
-6 Canada
Chile 8%
Israel 5%
(22%). In July 2019, Germany
q -2was at the

Colombia 4% top of the ranking (34%).=

p +1
Russia 4%
q -4
Argentina 3% The highest score recorded
q
for-2 climate
Brazil 3% change was 39% in Australia
= in February
Peru 3% 2020, following the devastating bushfires
South Africa 3%
of 2019/2020.
Malaysia 1%
16 ‒ © Ipsos | What Worries the World Base: Representative sample of 20,502 adults aged 16-74 in 28 participating countries, June 25th – July 9th 2021.
Source: Ipsos Global Advisor. Global score is a Global Country Average. See methodology for details.
CLIMATE CHANGE CONCERN
5-year trend of the top 5 countries most concerned about climate change (as of July 2021)..

45%

40%

35%
32%
30% 30%
28%
25% 24%
24%
20%

15%

10%

5%

0%
Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Canada Germany Australia Netherlands France

Base: Representative sample of c.1000 adults aged 16-74 in Australia, Canada, France and Germany, and 500 in the Netherlands, 2016 - 2021.
Source: Ipsos Global Advisor. See methodology for details.

17 ‒ © Ipsos | What Worries the World

 Country Comparison

THREATS AGAINST THE ENVIRONMENT

With the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) taking place this autumn, we take a look at environmental concerns.
(%) worried in July 2021 in each country
World q
9% In addition to the 14%-1who
Germany 18% q -1
count climate change
=
to be a
Australia 14%
Belgium 14%
top issue facingqtheir -3
country
France 14% today, 9% select p “threats
+2

South Korea 14% against the environment”

q -6 to be
p +4
Sweden 14% an important issue. Overall, this
p +4
Canada 13% is ranked 13 of qour total
-1 list of
Netherlands 13% 17 worries. =
Poland 12% q -2
Great Britain 11% q
India 11%
July 2021’s score is level
-7 with
q -1
Brazil 10% last month. Looking
q
at
-7
specific
Mexico 10% nations, concernp has +2shifted up
Chile 9% by 4 points vs. June
p 2021
+2 in
Colombia 9% q
Belgium, South Korea and India.
-7
Italy 9% p +1
Japan 9% =
The countries most
=
concerned
US 9%
Russia 7%
about threats against
q the
-3
Spain 6% environment are q largely
-6 the
Hungary 5% same ones thatqselect-2 climate
=
Israel 5% change, although South Korea
p +1
Saudi Arabia 5% ranks highest for threats against
q -4
Turkey 5% the environmentq than-2climate
Malaysia 4%
change, while the
= reverse is true
Peru 4%
Argentina 3% in Canada.
South Africa 2%
18 ‒ © Ipsos | What Worries the World Base: Representative sample of 20,502 adults aged 16-74 in 28 participating countries, June 25th – July 9th 2021.
Source: Ipsos Global Advisor. Global score is a Global Country Average. See methodology for details.
METHODOLOGY
This 28-country Global Advisor survey was conducted between June 25th
and July 9th 2021 via the Ipsos Online Panel system among 20,502 adults
aged 18-74 in Canada, Israel, Malaysia, South Africa, Turkey and the
United States, and 16-74 in all 21 other countries.
The “Global Country Average” reflects the average result for all the
countries where the survey was conducted. It has not been adjusted to the
population size of each country and is not intended to suggest a total result.
The sample consists of approximately 1000+ individuals in each of
Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy,
Israel, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Sweden, and the US, and approximately 500+
individuals in each of Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Hungary, India, Malaysia,
the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South
Korea, and Turkey.
The samples in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany,
Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, South Korea,
Spain, Sweden, and the US can be taken as representative of these
countries’ general adult population under the age of 75.
19 ‒ © Ipsos | What Worries the World
The samples in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru,
Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Turkey are more urban, more
educated, and/or more affluent than the general population. The
survey results for these markets should be viewed as reflecting the
views of the more “connected” segment of these populations.
Weighting has been employed to balance demographics and ensure
that the sample’s composition reflects that of the adult population
according to the most recent census data.
The precision of Ipsos online polls are calculated using a credibility
interval with a poll of 1,000 accurate to +/- 3.5 percentage points and
of 500 accurate to +/- 5.0 percentage points. For more information on
the Ipsos use of credibility intervals, please visit the Ipsos website.
Where results do not sum to 100 or the ‘difference’ appears to be +/-1
more/less than the actual, this may be due to rounding, multiple
responses, or the exclusion of don't knows or not stated responses
The publication of these findings abides by local rules and regulations.