THE WORLD AND THE MILLENNIUM Y2K BUG
These results emerged from an international public opinion survey conducted by the Angus Reid Group on behalf of The Economist. This poll involved interviews among a total of 11,667 adults in 21 countries. Data collection was carried out from mid November to early December 1999.
The target sample size was 500 for each country, with the exception of a 1,000 sample size in the United States and Germany. In 17 of the 21 countries, the sample provided national representation; in the other four countries - Brazil, China, Chile and Russia - the survey samples are urban-only. In-person, door-to-door interviewing was used in these four countries as well as in Argentina, Egypt, Poland and Turkey. Telephone interviewing was used in all other countries. The complete data set was statistically weighted so that the overall survey results reflect the proportional populations of the countries/urban areas in the sample.
The Angus Reid Group is Canada's premier market research and public opinion polling firm with offices across Canada and the United States. The company also provides international clients with a regularly-scheduled quarterly global polling program wherein upwards of 30 countries over a two-month timeframe are sampled for opinions on private sector and public matters. The Angus Reid Group also publishes, on a quarterly basis, the World Monitor - a digest of world public opinion trends and insights gleaned from its world polling activities.
London-based The Economist is an international weekly - covering world politics, business, finance, science and the arts - and is read by more of the world's top national and business leaders than any other magazine.
- THE WORLD AND THE MILLENNIUM Y2K BUG -
The Economist/Angus Reid World Poll, conducted in 21 countries during November and December of 1999, examined international views on the millennium Y2K bug. People were asked whether or not they felt their own country's economic situation would be damaged by the Y2K bug and what, if any, activities they might avoid on January 1st.
ANTICIPATED IMPACT OF Y2K BUG
"Little or no economic damage":
- In 13 of the 21 countries polled, a majority of World Poll respondents who expressed an opinion on the subject said they expect the Y2K bug to cause "little or no economic damage" in their own country. (A total of 13% of respondents had no opinion or had never heard of the Y2K bug - they have been netted out of these figures.)
- Residents of Spain (70% of those who offered an opinion), Canada (65%), the U.S. (63%), Australia (62%), Singapore (62%) and the U.K. (62%) were most confident that the Y2K bug will cause little or no economic damage to their own country.
"Some economic damage":
- In five of the 21 World Poll countries, a majority of respondents who offered an opinion on the subject said they expect the Y2K bug to cause "some economic damage here, but it will not be serious and widespread."
- As well, among those who had an opinion on the subject, a plurality of World Poll respondents in three other countries expected "some economic damage" due to the Y2K bug. Thus, in eight of the 21 World Poll countries, respondents who expressed an opinion were most likely to say they expect the Y2K bug will cause "some economic damage" in their own country.
- This middle assessment of Y2K bug damage is most common in Asia: respondents in Taiwan (67% of those who offered an opinion), South Korea (64%) and Japan (58%) were most concerned that the Y2K bug will cause "some economic damage" in their own country.
"Serious and widespread economic disruption":
- In no World Poll country did a plurality of respondents express the expectation that the Y2K bug will cause "serious and widespread economic disruption" in their own country.
- Concern that their country's economy will experience a serious disruption due to the Y2K bug peaked in Turkey (25% of those who offered an opinion) and Egypt (19%).
ARE YOU AVOIDING ANY ACTIVITIES ON NEW YEAR'S DAY?
- A full majority of respondents in all countries polled indicated that there are no activities that they plan to avoid out of concern about the Y2K bug. (The survey question used an open and unprompted approach, simply asking respondents what activities, if any, they intended to avoid on January 1st.)
- People in Japan and South Korea - two countries where a majority expect the Y2K bug to cause "some economic damage" - were less likely than respondents in other World Poll countries to indicate that they will avoid nothing on the first day of the year 2000. The size of the majority was also under 60 percent in Egypt and Singapore.
- But sizeable minorities in several countries volunteered that they will avoid flying on New Year's Day. Australians (24%) were most likely to volunteer that they will avoid air travel on January 1st, 2000, followed by Canadian respondents (22%), those from Japan (22%), the U.K. (20%) and the U.S. (19%). Another 20 percent of respondents in Japan volunteered that they intend to avoid travel in general on New Year's Day, 2000.
- Respondents in three Asian countries were most likely to say that they plan to avoid banking (including the use of automated bank machines or debit cards) on the first day of the year 2000: South Korea (17%); Japan (16%); and, urban China (16%). Another 12 percent of respondents in Japan said they will avoid using credit cards.
- Respondents in Asia were also most likely among the World Poll countries to volunteer that they will avoid using computers on January 1st, 2000. A significant number of respondents in urban China (10%), Hong Kong S.A.R. (9%), South Korea (9%) and Singapore (8%) said they plan to avoid using computers on New Year's Day, 2000.
For further information about this poll, please contact:
John Wright Senior Vice President The Angus Reid Group (416) 324-2900
Additional information can be found at: The Economist
