Daily Research News Online no. 2875

Worried World

January 23 2004

Almost half the world's adults believe it will be 'less safe' in a generation's time, while just a quarter think it will be safer, according to results presented to a session of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland this week by TNS / the Gallup International Association (GIA).

TNS Chairman and GIA Director Tony Cowling told the session the result was particularly pronounced in Western Europe where those believing the world will be less safe for the next generation outnumber those believing it will be safer by 4 to 1 (64% vs 15%). In contrast, countries in West Asia, Africa and the Middle East were more positive. In Britain, 59% feel that the next generation will live in a less safe world than now.

Some 57 per cent of adults across the world believe that their own country is less safe now than ten years ago. In Western Europe just 17 per cent of respondents feel safer in their own country now than ten years ago, rising to 20 per cent in North America.

Views on future economic prosperity are much more evenly divided. 35% believe the world as a whole will be 'less prosperous' a generation from now and 34% 'more prosperous'. Western Europeans are the most pessimistic with fully 48% saying they thought the next generation would be less prosperous - in North America the figure is just 31%.

Other key findings include:

Respondents in Western Asian countries were the most positive about changes in their levels of prosperity over the last ten years, while those in South America, Asia-Pacific and Africa were least positive.
Only 27% of all respondents feel that their own national security is 'good', while 35% rate it as 'poor'.
Countries which have experienced recent political unrest and instability, including Afghanistan, Kosovo and Uganda, all feel more positive about security and economic prospects for the future.
Only three countries think the world is safer now than ten years ago, namely India, Afghanistan and Turkey. Those regions which currently feel most insecure are South America, Asia Pacific and Africa.

Tony Cowling says the findings show that 'on the whole, less developed countries, particularly those which have experienced recent conflict, see a brighter future both in terms of economic prosperity and improved security a generation from now. In contrast, many countries in the West are less optimistic about the future, particularly about their own national security. This is in spite of the attempts made by governments to invest in safety measures and tighten up on security at both a national and international level'.

The 'Voice of the People' poll was undertaken for the World Economic Forum by GIA, who interviewed more than 45,000 adults, in 53 countries across five continents in November and December 2003. A full report on the findings can be found at: www.voice-of-the-people.net

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.