Society

Half of the people around the world think that at present, socialist ideals are of great value for societal progress. Despite this, half of the people also agree that socialism is a system of political oppression, mass surveillance and state terror. Globally, eight in ten people think that the rich should be taxed more to support the poor. Around the world nine in ten people believe that education should be free of charge and that free healthcare is a human right. Nearly seven in ten people globally believe that every resident should have the right to unconditional basic income.

Three-quarters around the world say their country’s society is divided – and the majority think their country is now more divided than it was 10 years ago, especially in Europe. Differences in political views are seen as the greatest cause of tension, followed by differences between rich and poor. However, despite these divisions, the majority of people in most countries agree that people across the world have more things in common than things that make them different.

The majority of adults are optimistic about what the new year will bring, especially those in countries who have a lower median age, according to a recent online survey conducted by Ipsos in 28 different countries.

Ipsos’ latest Perils of Perception survey highlights how wrong the online public across 38 countries are about key global issues and features of the population in their country.