Turning the corner? Britons feeling better about the economy
Some 23% now say the British economy is in “good” shape, up 4 points on June and more than double the level of twelve months ago (when the figure stood at 11%).
This pattern is not evident in all European countries. As the table below shows, in France, Italy and Spain, consumers are just as downbeat now in their assessments as they were a year ago:
% saying economy is in “good” shape:
| Country | July 2012 | July 2013 | Change (+/-) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 71% | 76% | +5% |
| Germany | 68% | 69% | +1% |
| Belgium | 34% | 37% | +3% |
| Great Britain | 11% | 23% | +12% |
| Poland | 33% | 20% | -13% |
| Hungary | 3% | 12% | +9% |
| France | 8% | 6% | -2% |
| Italy | 4% | 5% | +1% |
| Spain | 3% | 4% | +1% |
| Source: Ipsos Consumer Confidence Index | |||
Outside Europe, the upheavals in Brazil this year have been accompanied by increasingly gloomy assessments of their economy. A quarter of online Brazilians (26%) say their economy is in “good” shape, down from 52% at the start of 2013. In Turkey, on the other hand, views remain more stable, despite the recent disruption. Half the online Turkish public give their economy a “good” score (47%), in line with the 48% recorded at the beginning of the year. Meanwhile, Australia goes to the polls against an apparently benign economic outlook: 57% of Australians say their economy is doing well, in line with the 59% recorded at the start of the year.
Simon Atkinson, Assistant Chief Executive at Ipsos, said:“This is the latest evidence that the British economy is turning a corner. There is little cause for celebration, but the British public are certainly feeling a little better than a year ago - something we are yet to see among our cousins in France, Spain and Italy.”
Technical Note
- The survey instrument is conducted monthly in 24 countries via the Ipsos Online Panel system.
- For the results of the survey herein, a total sample of 18,002 adults age 18-64 in the US and Canada, and age 16-64 in all other countries, was interviewed between 2-16 July 2013.
- Approximately 1000+ individuals were surveyed in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Italy, Japan, Spain, and the United States of America.
- Approximately 500+ individuals were surveyed in Argentina, Belgium, Hungary, Indonesia, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden and Turkey.
- Sample characteristics: the sample is made up of “Primary Consumers” who are a comparable, standardized weighted group in each country based on a minimum level of education and income.
- For a majority of the countries surveyed the Primary Consumer population is also representative of the general population based on the latest census.
- More details can be found at www.ipsosglobaladvisor.com
- The precision of Ipsos online polls are calculated using a credibility interval with a poll of 1,000 accurate to +/- 3.5 percentage points and of 500 accurate to +/- 5.0 percentage points.
- For more information on the Ipsos use of credibility intervals, please visit the Ipsos website.
