Support for populist ideas remains strong, but some countries have seen belief fall
The sixth edition of the Ipsos Populism Report sheds light on the deeper forces feeding the current surge of populism. On average across 31 countries, a profound pessimism is settling in.
On average globally, most citizens feel their country is in decline (57%), and that the society they live in is broken (56%), according to a new 31-country survey. The sense of societal fracture is especially widespread in long-established Western democracies such as the UK, the US, and France. But it's far from being a uniquely Western malaise—it resonates across most countries, even in the Global South. The 2025 edition of the Ipsos Populism Report unpicks the forces fuelling this sense of collapse.
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Key findings
- Belief that society is broken is more the rule than the exception. In 2025, 56% across 31 countries feel society is broken in their country. Yet opinions have improved in places where major political changes have happened between 2016 and now, such as Poland (-39 pp since 2016), Mexico (-29 pp), and Italy (-9 pp).
- Many see their country in decline and in need of a strong leader. Confronted with what 57% see as the decline of their country, 47% consider they need a strong leader that breaks the rules. In Brazil (58%) and South Korea (75%), two countries where the previous presidential election was defined by this issue, levels of agreement remain high. While Germans are the most likely to say society is broken (77%), they are also the least likely like to say what is needed is a strong leader willing to break the rules (24%).
- Belief that the economy is rigged shows little change in a decade. This belief (68%) is strongly correlated with being in favour of a strong leader taking the country back from the rich and powerful (64%), but it resonates far more in emerging economies in Asia (Indonesia, 81%, Thailand, 77%, Malaysia, 76%), and in South Africa (77%).
- Support for economic "cakeism” remains high. A widespread aspect of a populistic approach to economics is the contradiction between calls for increased spending and demands for lower taxes. Across 31 countries, 57% reject increased taxes aimed at financing additional public spending, but a majority support increased spending for all public services.
- Nativism is widespread but not universal. The “importance of being born in a particular country” is strong in 25 of the 31 countries surveyed. There are six countries where a majority doesn’t consider it to be important - Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
Download the full report to uncover how the picture changes by region and by country, and to access the data and trends going back to 2016.
