COVID-19 vaccination intent has soared across the world

A new Ipsos survey conducted in partnership with the World Economic Forum points to a notable increase in COVID-19 vaccination intent since December in all 15 countries studied. The survey also shows that in many countries, a large majority of those who intend to get a vaccine will seek to do as soon as it is available to them.

The survey was conducted among more than 13,500 adults under the age of 75, February 25-28, 2021, on Ipsos’ Global Advisor online platform.

Vaccination intent on the rise

Adults who strongly or somewhat agree they would get a vaccine against COVID-19 make up a majority of those who report they have not yet received it in all but one of the 15 countries surveyed. Intent to get vaccinated among those who are not is:

• Very high in Brazil (89%), Italy (85%), China (82%), Spain (82%), Mexico (80%), and South Korea (80%);
• Fairly high in Canada (79%), Australia (78%), Japan (74%), and Germany (74%);
• Middling in the United States (65%), South Africa (65%), and France (59%); and,
• Low in Russia (42%).

The percentage of those who strongly agree they will get vaccinated has increased in every one of the 15 countries since a similar survey was conducted December 17-20, 2020. At the time, many of the countries in the study had not yet approved a vaccine.

• Since mid-December, eight of the 15 countries have seen an uptick in vaccine intent among those who have not been vaccinated of more than 20 percentage points: Italy (by 36 percentage points to 62% who strongly agree), Spain (+31 to 57%), the U.K and Brazil (+24 to 70% and 76%, respectively), France (+23 to 35%), Mexico (+22 to 64%), and Canada and Germany (+21 to 60% and 51%, respectively).
• The countries showing the smallest gains are Russia (+2 to 16%) and the United States (+3 to 41%).
• To put these numbers in perspective, according to Oxford University data, the share of the population who had been given at least one dose of the vaccine at the time of the survey was: approximately 29% in the U.K; 14% in the U.S.; 3 to 5% in Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and Spain; 1% in Mexico; and less than 1% in Australia, Japan, South Africa, and South Korea.

“If a vaccine for COVID-19 were available to me, I would get it”

Rising impatience

In 11 of the 15 countries surveyed, most of those who are not yet vaccinated and agree that they will get the vaccine say they plan to do so immediately or within one month once it is available to them:
•    Over 80% in Brazil and the U.K (both 85%);
•    Over 70% in Mexico (78%), Spain (73%), Germany, and Italy (72%);

• Over 60% in Canada (69%), France (67%), the U.S. (67%), and South Africa (64%);
• Over 50% in Australia (58%); but
• Fewer than half in Japan (49%), China (43%), Russia (35%), and South Korea (31%).

Once the COVID-19 vaccine becomes available to you, when would you get the vaccine?

The survey was conducted by Ipsos on its Global Advisor online platform, February 25-28, 2021, among adults 18-74 years of age in Canada, South Africa, and the United States, and 16-74 in Australia, Brazil, China (mainland), France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
The samples in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, the U.K., and the U.S. can be taken as representative of the general adult population in these countries under the age of 75. The samples in Brazil, China (mainland), Mexico, Russia, and South Africa are more urban, more educated, and/or more affluent than the general population. The survey results for these countries should be viewed as reflecting the views of the more “connected” segment of their population.
Part of the survey was conducted in all 15 countries with a base sample of 1,000+ adults in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, the U.K., and the U.S., and of 500+ adults in each of Mexico, Russia, South Africa. The other part was conducted in the same countries except Russia, with a base sample of 1,000+ adults in every country.  
This document includes comparisons with data from a similar survey conducted on the Ipsos Global Advisor platform, December 17-20, 2020, and July 24-August 7, 2020.
The data is weighted so that each country’s sample composition best reflects the demographic profile of the adult population according to the most recent census data.