Just how worried are South African’s in 2018? From a recent survey, apparently not as one might expect, given our political instability and rise in costs.
Ipsos, an ethnographic research company, has released its latest “What Worries the World” study which takes a look at the biggest worries of 28 countries around the world.
“What Worries the World” is a monthly online survey of adults aged under 65, and is conducted in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Britain, Germany, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Poland, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United States.
The study’s finding are based on over 21 000 surveys conducted between 20 April and 4 May 2018. The results show 58% of citizens across the globe are pessimistic about the future, and think that their country is on the wrong track.
Only 33% of South Africans think that the country is on the right track. It is the third country in the world, after Argentina and Italy, to see the largest drop in national optimism. The country’s national optimism peaked in March with 52%. This followed the appointment of Cyril Ramaphosa as the president of the nation, and saw a 42% increase from the optimism rating of December 2017, which saw South Africa at the very bottom of the optimism table.
| WORRY | SOUTH AFRICAN AVERAGE |
| Corruption | 60% |
| Unemployment | 57% |
| Poverty/Social Inequality | 34% |
| Crime and Violence | 58% |
| Healthcare | 15% |
| Education | 20% |
| Tax | 13% |
| Moral Decline | 10% |
| Terrorism | 2% |
| Immigration Control | 7% |
| Threats Against the Environment | 3% |
| Climate Change | 2% |
| Childhood Obesity | 0% |
| Access To Credit | 1% |
This table illustrates the percentage of South Africans who worry about specific aspects of society (Source: Ipsos)
For the most part, South Africa follows behind only Malaysia and Peru for nations who are the most worried about financial/political corruption.
The study also found that the majority of people around the world worry about the same things. These include financial/political corruption (35%), unemployment (34%), poverty/social inequality (33%), crime and violence (32%) and healthcare (24%).
On the other hand, access to credit (1%), climate change (2%), and terrorism (2%) are not considered major concerns in South Africa in comparison to other countries.
Picture: Shashank Kumawat/Pexels