What Worries the World – October 2026
What Worries the World – October 2026

What Worries the World – October 2026

Conducted monthly in 30 countries among around 20,000 adults for over a decade, the Ipsos What Worries the World study offers an exceptional snapshot of world opinion on pressing global issues.

Our monthly What Worries the World survey explores what the public thinks are the most important social and political issues, drawing on more than ten years of data to place the latest scores in context. Full breakdowns of findings for each country and each worry are also available on request. Please contact Joseph Nadler for more information.

October 2026 key findings at a glance

7%

in France say their country is on the right track and 7% say the economy is “good”

70%

of Peruvians are worried about crime & violence – up 11pp from last month

41%

in Türkiye are concerned about financial/political corruption – up 13pp over the month

22%

of Americans are worried about military conflict between nations – up 4pp from last month

34%

in Japan say climate change is one of the main issues facing them – the highest of any country in the study

25%

in the Netherlands are worried about the rise of extremism – up 7pp from last month

Source: What Worries the World October 2026

World Worries: Long-Term Trends

Q: Which three of the following topics do you find the most worrying in your country?


 

In recent weeks, many countries across Europe have been experiencing unrest and even riots. In this month’s edition, rather than focusing our attention on one country, we have utilised Ipsos’ range of expertise to gather insights from three nations – France, Italy, and Spain, as well as getting an overview of sentiments across the region. Here are snippets of what our experts had to say:

Chiara Ferrari - Ipsos
Chiara Ferrari,
Service Line Leader, Public Affairs in Italy
Student demonstrations over education, housing and job opportunities, preparations for a nationwide strike involving several trade unions, and truckers’ protests that have led to roadblocks and temporary disruptions to the movement of goods, have all contributed to a sense of social and economic strain.
Paco Camas - Ipsos
Paco Camas,
Senior Client Manager, Public Affairs in Spain
The current cycle of mobilisation is particularly shaped by material concerns, especially purchasing power, the cost of basic goods and access to housing. This helps explain why the discontent we are seeing in Spain has clear parallels elsewhere in Europe.
Mathieu Doiret - Ipsos
Mathieu Doiret,
Research Director, Ipsos Knowledge Centre in France
Protests and demonstrations have also been a constant feature of public life ever since the beginning of the Modern Age, but levels of violence also tended to increase in the current decade. Yet, in spite of these idiosyncrasies… what drives protest in France has got many parallels in neighbouring countries… where immigration and cost of living are also the most contentious issues which fuel contestation and political violence.
Christine Tresignie - Ipsos
Christine Tresignie,
Global Service Line Lead, Public Affairs
Today, more than one in four Europeans still identify it [crime & violence] as one of their biggest worries. Against the backdrop of recent episodes of violent unrest across Europe, this sustained level of concern is particularly significant.
Download What Worrries the World Survey Report for October 2026

Download What Worrries the World Survey Report for October 2026

Download
What Worries the World - Past editions

January 2026 (Briefing) | December 2025 | November 2025 | October 2025 | September 2025 | August 2025 | July 2025 | June 2025 | May 2025 | April 2025 | March 2025 | February 2025 | January 2025 | December 2024 | November 2024 | October 2024 | September 2024 | August 2024 | July 2024 | June 2024 | May 2024 | April 2024 | March 2024 | February 2024 |  January 2024 | December 2023 | November 2023 | October 2023 | September 2023 | August 2023 | July 2023 | June 2023 | May 2023 | April 2023 | March 2023

Ipsos Global Opinion Polls

Global Opinion Polls

Discover

The author(s)

Related news