Global South most optimistic about the direction in which their countries are headed – 69% Indians believe India is moving in the right direction, 3rd most optimistic market globally: Ipsos What Worries the World global survey, September wave
The September wave of the Ipsos What Worries the World Global Survey shows Global South is driving optimism with Asian markets being most optimistic. Ipsos India was placed 3rd in the pecking order, after Singapore (82%) and Indonesia (80%). The other optimistic Asian markets being Thailand (66%) and Malaysia (65%).
Global citizens on the contrary were more pessimistic with only 38% believing their country is moving in the right direction. Notably, India has moved up 5 points in optimism in September from the August wave and global citizens too have moved up by 2 per cent.
Ipsos What Worries the World tracks public opinion on the most important social and political issues, alongside whether people think things in their country are heading in the right or wrong direction, across 29 countries and among 24,733 adults globally and shows interesting findings for India.
What worries Indians and global citizens?
Urban Indians’ top worries were inflation (46%), unemployment (39%), crime and violence (28%), financial and political corruption and poverty and social inequality (18%). Top concerns of global citizens were inflation (38%), crime and violence (32%), poverty and social inequality (31%), financial and political corruption (26%) and unemployment (26%).
Inflation remains top most global worry.
And interestingly, global and local top 5 worries are the same though not in the same order.
Amit Adarkar, Ipsos India CEO said, "India continues to be a highly optimistic market with its urban citizens strongly of the view that we are headed in the right direction as a country. This is in sync with actual reality as India is the 5th largest global economy and despite the polycrisis unfolding globally and its impact on global economy, we continue to grow economically and are seen as a country attractive for pumping in more investment by global investors and we are also driven a lot by domestic consumption, being the world’s most populous nation that is also optimistic about spending. Though inflation and unemployment are the top two worries in India, urban Indians are much less worried on these as compared to global peers. Also, food inflation has started coming down and unemployment has seen a sharp downturn. These, coupled with the upcoming festival season, should hopefully bring more cheer."