Diversity &

Sustainable
Living:
Global Public Opinion
Research on How
Different Populations
Engage on
Sustainability

March 2022
Summary (1/2)

The composition of minority groups varies across markets surveyed

Globally, among the 30 markets surveyed, around 20 percent say they are part of one or more minority groups.
Some markets are very diverse, such as India, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, where more than 30 percent are
self-described minorities. Hong Kong, Italy, Portugal, and Russia are the least diverse of the markets surveyed.
People belonging to ethnic and/or religious minority groups generally tend to lean politically conservative, while
LGBTQI+ and other minority groups tend to lean more progressive.
Not surprisingly, those who belong to a minority group are usually also more concerned about discrimination
against minority ethnic, racial, or religious groups as a global problem. However, this is not the case in all markets
surveyed.

People in minority groups are more concerned about discrimination

Those who say they belong to one or more minority groups are more likely to say that discrimination against
minority ethnic, racial, or religious groups is a “very serious” global issue and are also more likely to feel “greatly”
personally affected by such discrimination.
Although minority females are slightly more likely than minority males to say they are greatly personally affected
by discrimination, this varies widely by market with many claiming similar levels of discrimination between
minority males and females and some showing the reverse pattern with males feeling more affected.
Summary (2/2)

Minority groups are disproportionally affected by issues like climate change and air pollution
Those who say they belong to one or more minority groups are more likely to be greatly affected by
environmental issues like climate change and air pollution, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, economic
recession, lack of access to healthcare, and discrimination.
In 25 out of the 31 markets surveyed, minorities feel more personally affected by climate change, with large
differences in the USA, the UK, and Germany between minorities and non-minorities in terms of feeling “greatly”
affected. For air pollution, differences are largest in Argentina, China, Germany, India, Japan, the USA, and the UK.

Those belonging to minority groups are more engaged on sustainability

Perhaps as a result of being more directly affected by issues like climate change and air pollution, those who say
they belong to one or more minority groups are also more likely to say that they would like to make significant
changes to be more sustainable. More than half of minority respondents (55%) would like to change their
lifestyle “a great deal” to be more environmentally friendly compared to 44 percent of others.
Minority respondents are also more likely to say that they have made major changes in the past year to become
more environmentally friendly – almost one-third (32%) compared to one in five (20%) of others. This is the case
in almost all markets surveyed, showing a clear pattern of higher sustainability engagement among minority
populations around the world.
Respondent diversity varies widely across markets surveyed
Belonging to Minority Group, by Market, 2021

Saudi Arabia**

South Korea
South Africa
Netherlands
Hong Kong

Singapore
Argentina

Colombia

Indonesia
Germany
Australia

Thailand
Portugal

Vietnam
Sweden
Canada

Nigeria
Mexico

Turkey
France

Russia
Kenya
Japan

Spain
China
Brazil
Total

India

Peru
Italy

USA
UK
Minority ethnic/racial group 10 3 9 9 17 5 7 6 2 1 15 15 1 6 19 4 4 27 8 3 3 - 14 28 10 3 7 14 8 9 14 16

Religious minority 8 5 7 11 6 4 6 4 5 3 19 17 2 3 25 5 5 24 10 4 3 - 8 18 4 2 4 9 7 6 10 8

LGBTQI+* 4 5 8 6 7 2 3 4 4 1 3 - 3 2 - 4 5 - 2 3 - - - 6 2 5 4 7 - 8 6 8

Another minority group 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 - 1 1 0 1 2 0 1 2 1 0

Prefer not to say 4 4 4 3 2 2 4 4 8 2 9 6 1 2 5 3 2 6 8 2 2 - 1 4 2 2 4 2 7 2 5 5

None 70 74 71 63 69 87 74 77 77 89 50 64 88 76 49 77 78 41 64 82 81 - 72 41 77 83 78 64 66 75 64 68

Don't know 7 10 5 10 3 1 6 6 4 4 10 5 5 12 6 6 7 8 10 7 10 - 6 9 6 4 5 10 12 3 5 5

*Not asked in Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Turkey.
**Not asked in Saudi Arabia
D10_1. Thinking about where you live, do you consider yourself to be part of any of the following?
People belonging to ethnic and/or religious minority groups generally lean
politically conservative, while LGBTQI+ and others tend to lean progressive
Political Leaning, by Minority Group, 2021

25
Total 35
26
25
ANY minority 30
36
27
None 37
25
24
Minority ethnic/racial group 30
37
17
Religious minority 30
44
43
LGBTQI+ 29 Progressive
19
42 Middle
Another minority group 30
20 Conservative

D11. Would you say that your political opinions tend to be more conservative (Right) or progressive (Left)?
Those who belong to a minority group are usually also more concerned
about discrimination against minority ethnic, racial, or religious groups
Seriousness of Discrimination, “Very Serious,” by Market, 2021

Minority* Non-minority
76 75 76 73 67
61 67 65 64 64 62
53 53 60 58 58 57 55 54 53
50 52 51 46
37 41 39 43 38
25

52 58
51 50 48 49 48 45 47
39 37 39 38 33 35 35 32 34
30 27 28 28 27 23
16 13 14 12 11 15

*Minority groups include minority ethnic/racial group, religious minority, LGBTQI+, and “another minority group.”
T1. For each of the following possible global problems, please indicate if you see it as a very serious, somewhat
serious, not very serious, or not at all serious problem. -‒ Discrimination against minority ethnic, racial or religious
groups
People in minority groups tend to be more personally affected than others
by both social and environmental issues, especially discrimination
Extent Personally Affected by Issues, “Greatly,” Average of 31 Markets, 2021

The coronavirus/ 58
COVID-19 pandemic 48

43
The economic recession
33

41
Climate change
35

39
Air pollution
32

34
Lack of access to healthcare Minority
25

Discrimination against minorities 34

Non-minority
(ethnic/ racial/religious) 16

*Minority groups include minority ethnic/racial group, religious minority, LGBTQI+, and “another minority group.”
T2. How much are you personally affected by each of the following?
Overall, females that are part of minority groups tend to have experienced
more discrimination than minority males, but this pattern varies by market
Extent Personally Affected by Discrimination, “Greatly,” Minority* by Gender, by Market, 2021

Female Male

62 61 55
54 54 50 50
41
49 43 48 55 45 46 44 43 43 45 38
40 40
34 30 32 32 37 37 36 35 35
26
11

32 34 31 33 32 29 32 31 31 27 23
20 24 22 16 20 20 20 23 19 16 20
12 13 12 13 12 9 16
6

*Minority groups include minority ethnic/racial group, religious minority, LGBTQI+, and “another minority group.”
T2. How much are you personally affected by each of the following?
In 25 out of 31 markets, minorities feel more personally affected by climate
change, with large differences in the USA, the UK, and Germany
Extent Personally Affected by Climate Change, “Greatly,” by Market, 2021

Minority* Non-minority

73 70 68 68 63
58 64
56 56 57 54 53
40
51 48 50 48 48 53 47 42 43 41 37 41 39
40 39 38 34

39 35 36 31 43
35 30 34 34 29 33 31 30 30
21 23 27 26 20 23 23 21 22
16 17 12 14 11 17
7

*Minority groups include minority ethnic/racial group, religious minority, LGBTQI+, and “another minority group.”
T2. How much are you personally affected by each of the following?
In 26 out of 31 markets minorities also feel more personally affected by air pollution,
with differences largest in Argentina, China, Germany, India, Japan, USA, and UK
Extent Personally Affected by Air Pollution, “Greatly,” by Market, 2021

Minority* Non-minority

77 73
66 61 59 59 56 56 56 55 50 52 54
45 50
41
49 46 51 44 42 41 42 35 41 34 39
38 36 39 34
31

36 36 35 34 34 31
27 29 25 22 24 22
21 18 21 21 19 18 17 16 15
14 9 10 14 8 8
6

*Minority groups include minority ethnic/racial group, religious minority, LGBTQI+, and “another minority group.”
T2. How much are you personally affected by each of the following?
Minorities are highly engaged in sustainable living
Desire to Change vs Changes Made to Lifestyle, Average of 31 Markets, 2021

Desire to change lifestyle 55

to be more sustainable…
“A great deal” 44

Changes made in the past year 32

Minority*
to be more sustainable...
“Yes, major changes” 20 Non-minority

*Minority groups include minority ethnic/racial group, religious minority, LGBTQI+, and “another minority group.”
Q2. How much would you like to change your lifestyle to be more…? Q3. Have you made any changes to your lifestyle
in the past year to be more…?
Minorities are more motivated than others to be sustainable in 21 out of
30 markets surveyed
Desire to Change to Be More Sustainable, “A Great Deal,” by Market, 2021

Minority* Non-minority

79 76 73 74 78
71 65 69 68 71 67 65 65
64 65 63 63 62 62 60
58 55 50 57 56 55 60
48 45 45

53 48 53 49
42 45 42 39 42
38 35 37 36 35 35 34 28
33 27 26 28 30 33 30 24 28 25 25
23
11

*Minority groups include minority ethnic/racial group, religious minority, LGBTQI+, and “another minority group.”
Q2. How much would you like to change your lifestyle to be more…?
Minorities in almost all markets surveyed are more likely than others to
have made major efforts to be more sustainable
Changes Made to Lifestyle to Be More Sustainable in Past Year, “Yes, Major Changes,” by Market, 2021

Minority* Non-minority

56 54
46 44 41 36 40
37 37 37 38 33 38 38 32 38 37 37 31 33 32 32
28 27 29 24 24
17 18
11

31 30 28 27 26 26 26 20 24 19
18 21 21 21 20 20 19 18 15 8
9 12 14 14 12 9 11 10 10
4

*Minority groups include minority ethnic/racial group, religious minority, LGBTQI+, and “another minority group.”
Q3. Have you made any changes to your lifestyle in the past year to be more…?
Appendix
Methodology Summary
• Representative online samples of
approximately 1,000 adults in
each of 31 markets (500 each
in Hong Kong and
Singapore) (n=30,352)

• Samples representative of online

population, weighted to reflect
general population census data

• Online surveying in June and July

2021

• Where historical data are

shown, questions were asked
using an in-person and telephone
methodology before 2019.
Contact Us
For more information, contact:
Tove Malmqvist​
Senior Project Manager​
Tove.Malmqvist@GlobeScan.com
Chris Coulter
CEO
Chris.Coulter@GlobeScan.com
www.GlobeScan.com
evidence and ideas. applied.
© March 2022
Project: 6123, GlobeScan®
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