The World's Most Satisfied Local Communities

London, UK--The Ipsos Social Research Institute today released a major report which measures how satisfied or dissatisfied residents in 23 countries around the world are with their local area as a place to live and what top three priorities each want for improving their communities.

The results show that residents of the Netherlands (85%), Canada (83%), Australia (82%), India (76%), Germany (74%) and the US (73%) had the world's residents who were the most satisfied with their local communities compared to residents in South Korea (34%), Hungary (45%), Japan (46%) and Russia (49%) who were the least satisfied with their local area were they live.

Bobby Duffy, Director of the Ipsos Social Research Institute said: "During a global economic crisis it is easy to forget that how people experience their local areas day-to-day has a huge impact on their quality of life."

How Satisfied They Are With Their Local Area As A Place To Live...

Netherlands - 85% Canada - 83% Australia - 82% India - 76% Germany - 74% United States - 73% Great Britain - 72% Czech Republic - 70% Sweden - 69% Mexico - 67% Spain - 64% Belgium - 64% Poland - 63% Argentina - 63% Brazil - 61% France - 56% Turkey - 56% Italy - 52% Russia - 49% Japan - 48% China - 46% Hungary - 45% South Korea - 34%

Residents Indicate Top three Priorities for Local Area Improvement...

When asked to indicate the top three priorities for improving their local area, many are consistent across the world: job prospects, clean streets, the level of crime and public transport. And the research also shows that county diversity is no barrier to finding local similarity. For example, a road/pavement repair is the number one priority in Belgium, Poland, Russia, Canada and India.

But there are clear differences too. For example, in Britain activities for teenagers is the number one issue (the only country where this is the case), in Brazil it's health services and in China it's pollution that residents rank as their number one priorities for local improvement.

"Our study shows how much satisfaction with local areas varies across countries - but also how consistent many of the concerns are. Global citizens are worried about the economy and jobs in particular, but also some relatively small things like clean streets." Mr. Duffy said.

"There are also some significant differences in emphasis between countries -and we can learn a lot about our own national priorities by making these international comparisons." he concluded.

For more information on this news release, please contact: Bobby Duffy Director, Ipsos Social Research Institute London, UK +44 207 347 3267 [email protected]

About the Ipsos Social Research Institute

This report was released as part of the launch of the Ipsos Social Research Institute, a major global initiative at Ipsos. Ipsos has conducted research for upwards of 300 different government departments around the world as well as hundreds of municipal authorities and most major multinational organizations interested in social issues (such as the UN and World Bank). Ipsos has an annual turnover of approximately e100m in social and political research by way of its almost 400 experienced researchers working in the sector. Bringing this expertise together into the Ipsos Social Research Institute ensures the most extensive and thoroughly connected global understanding of social policy and research methods, and the extensive knowledge of local context in the 64 countries served by the Ipsos group of researchers. For more information about the Ipsos Social Research Institute go to: http://www.ipsos.com/public-affairs/

About Ipsos

Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe. Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999. In 2009, Ipsos generated global revenues of e943.7 million ($1.33 billion U.S.). .

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