Follow DRNO on...
Britons are far more worried about education than citizens in any other major European country, according to the GfK Group's annual report on 'The Challenges of Europe'. Almost one in four British citizens (24%) believe the current education system is a problem that urgently needs solving, compared with 10% in France, 4% in Germany and 3% in Spain.
Over the past three years there has been a steady increase in the figure for the UK, from 16% in 2001 to 24% in 2003. This is in stark contrast to the trend across the rest of Europe, where concern is generally constant or falling.
The report is based on an annual survey asking 1,000 people in each of nine countries the question 'What do you regard as the most urgent problems to be solved in your country?' Respondents are neither prompted nor restricted in their answers.
The latest rise puts education almost neck and neck with the top two UK problems, crime rates (26%) and healthcare (25%). The figure for crime is down 3% from 2002 but is still the highest across all countries surveyed in Europe, closely followed by the Netherlands (23%) and France (23%). Austria (2%), and Germany and Poland (each 10%) are the countries least concerned with crime.
The UK healthcare figure has fallen to roughly half of last year's 48%, and now puts it in second place to the Netherlands where 27% say it is an urgent concern. In Spain only 5% of people express urgent concern about healthcare.
Taking Europe as a whole unemployment rates way ahead of all other factors with 48% saying it is a matter of urgent concern - only 6% said so in the UK against fully 75% in Germany, 53% in Spain, 49% in France and 39% in Italy. In each of these countries - as in Poland where the figure is 81% - unemployment tops the list of concerns. Austrians are most concerned about pensions (52%), and the Dutch about healthcare (27%).
The 20% in the UK concerned about 'asylum seekers/foreigners' represents a sharp rise from 12% in 2002 and once again UK residents are more concerned about this issue than other European counterparts. Transport is cited by 10% of Britons and homelessness by 5%.
The top 10 concerns for the UK and Europe in 2003 are:
| United Kingdom | Europe | |
| 1 | Crime rate 26% | Unemployment 48% |
| 2 | Health care 25% | Crime rate 17% |
| 3 | Education 24% | Health care 14% |
| 4 | Foreigners/asylum seekers 20% | Pensions problem/increase 13% |
| 5 | Transport policy 10% | Education 9% |
| 6 | Unemployment 6% | Foreigners/asylum-seekers 8% |
| 7 | Homelessness 5% | Price Trends 8% |
| 8 | Drug abuse/fighting alcoholism 5% | Politics/government 8% |
| 9 | Politics /government 5% | Economic stability/upturn 7% |
| 10 | Care of Aged 5% | Securing social benefits 6% |
All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.
Register (free) for Daily Research News
REGISTER FOR NEWS EMAILS
To receive (free) news headlines by email, please register online
