When does The World expect life to return to 'normal'?

More than half expect that life will return to a ‘pre-Covid19 normal’ within the next 12 months, but expectations vary across the globe. Here, we present some of the most important insights on people’s expectations about turning “back” to a normal world post-pandemic.

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Our new survey for the World Economic Forum finds that on average 59% expect to be able to return to something like their normal pre-COVID life within the next 12 months

  • 6% thinks this is already the case
  • 9% thinks it will take no more than three months
  • 1 in 5 think it will take more than 3 years
  • 8% believe it will never happen
How long before we return to normal | Post Pandemic | Covid-19 | Ipsos


Global contrasts

In the most optimistic countries such as Saudi Arabia, Russia, India and mainland China, over 70% of adults expect life to return to a pre-COVID normal within a year. On the other hand, 80% of people in Japan think it will be longer. More than half in France, Italy, South Korea and Spain agrees with Japan.

At a global level, expectations about how long it will take before one’s life can return to its pre-COVID normal and how long it will take for the pandemic to be contained are nearly identical.

These findings suggest that people across the world consider that being able to return to “normal” life is entirely dependent on containing the pandemic.

On average, 58% of those surveyed expect the pandemic to be contained within the next year.
Some countries - India, mainland China and Saudi Arabia, for example - are more optimistic.
But, four-in-five in Japan and more than half in countries including Australia and Sweden expect it will take more than a year for the pandemic to be contained.

  • 58% expect the pandemic to be contained within the next year
  • 13% think this is already the case or that it will happen within 3 months
  • 32% between seven and 12 months

Impact on Mental Health

The survey also asked people about the pandemic's impact on their mental health. An average of 45% of adults globally said their mental and physical health has become worse since the beginning of the pandemic about a year ago. This is three times the proportion of adults who say it has improved.

Emotional and Mental Health | Ipsos | One Year after Covid-19


However, since the beginning of 2021, the number of adults who say their mental health has improved outnumber those who say it has worsened (especially in China and India).

About the survey

The survey was conducted across 30 countries among more than 21,000 adults under the age of 75 between February 19, 2021 and March 5, 2021 on Ipsos’ Global Advisor online platform. 

Here you can read the World Economic Forum article. 

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