What Worries the World – December 2025
Our monthly What Worries the World survey explores what the public thinks are the most important social and political issues, drawing on more than ten years of data to place the latest scores in context.
December 2025 key findings at a glance
41%
say their country is “heading in the right direction”
39%
believe their country’s economic situation is “good”
13%
mention climate change as one of the main issues, placing it 10th out of 18 issues and marking the lowest score since June 2021
32%
believe crime & violence is one of the main concerns, putting it number one across 30 countries
23%
cite healthcare as one of the main worries facing their nation
18%
say immigration control is one of the main worries, joint 7th with taxes
2025 key takeaways
On the face of it, the overall picture appears stable. When we look at the average across the 30 countries, we haven’t seen much year-on-year change across the 18 worries. However, when we look at select countries, we notice significant shifts.
For instance, across several European nations, the proportion mentioning crime & violence has increased.
Worry levels in the Netherlands are up 11pp from last December, while Germany and Italy have seen concerns rise over the year by 6pp and France is up 5pp.
Meanwhile, the picture in Britain is quite dynamic, with worry about healthcare falling 7pp and immigration control worries up 10pp.
On the flip side, Americans’ level of concern about healthcare has grown 8pp over the year
World Worries: Long-Term Trends
Q: Which three of the following topics do you find the most worrying in your country?
Across 30 countries, the proportion saying their country is “heading in the right direction” has risen 4pp to two-fifths (41%) since last December.
In December 2024, 22 out of 29 countries had a majority saying their country is heading in the wrong direction. In December 2025, 23 out of 30 countries have a majority believing the same. Ireland was added to the survey during 2025, and so we now cover one additional country. During this period, South Korea has moved into the “right direction” camp and Mexico into the “wrong direction” camp over the year.
France is out in front when it comes to being the gloomiest nation; in September, it recorded its lowest right direction score in 10 years of 9%. This month is at 10%.
Right Direction Change: December 2024 – December 2025
Q: Would you say things in this country are heading in the right direction, or are they off on the wrong track? Right direction
This December, across 30 countries, the proportion describing their country’s economic situation as “good” sits at 39%. This month’s score is now the same as December 2019, just before the pandemic.
Several countries have struggled to return to their pre-pandemic levels on this key economic indicator, notably in the G7, where all but Italy have yet to recover.
This month, only six of our 30 countries have a majority saying their nation’s economy is “good” (vs. five in December 2024). A number of these countries are in APAC: Singapore (78%), Malaysia (74%), India (73%), Netherlands (63%), Indonesia (52%), & Ireland (51%). For more on the economic outlook, read the latest Ipsos Consumer Confidence Index.
Economic Situation Change: December 2024 – December 2025
Q: How would you describe the current economic situation in your country? Net “good
Despite the summer heatwaves and winter storms, the proportion across 30 countries selecting climate change as one of the main concerns facing a country remains relatively low. Currently at 13%, this is 2pp lower than January 2025 and the lowest it has been since June 2021 (when it was 11%).
Across 30 countries, the proportion mentioning immigration control has risen slightly, from 16% in January 2025 to 18% in December, with November recording the highest score in eight years of 19%.
Europe is more likely to feel worried, especially in Great Britain, where the level of concern has gone from 35% in January to 41% in December, becoming their primary issue (overtaking healthcare).
Long-Term Concern Over Immigration Control
Percentage choosing immigration control as a worry (country average)
