What Worries the World – November 2024

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.

Inflation and crime & violence are now the joint top concerns

Key findings:

• Across 29 countries, crime & violence and inflation are the joint top issues this month, both with a third (32%) expressing concern. Mentions of inflation hasn’t changed, whereas crime concerns are up slightly.
• After severe flooding in Eastern Spain, we have seen a shift in worry towards corruption (now number one for Spaniards), up seven points, as well as climate change, up nine points.
• Since December 2021 inflation has been the number one concern for Poles. This month is no different, up eight points to 44% mentioning it.
• Health care has become a primary worry for Canada after increasing by six percentage points to 44% expressing concern.
• For 15 consecutive months Peru has been bottom of our list for those saying their country is headed in the right direction. This month, they’ve dropped a further four points.

Inflation

Inflation remains steady at 32% on average across 29 countries citing it as a worry. Now it’s joint first with crime & violence. This time last year, inflation concerns were 6pp higher than it is now.

Cost-of-living has been Poland’s number one concern since December 2021, when it overtook health care. This month is no different, with the Poles experiencing the biggest rise in worry of 8pp, taking the proportion to 44%.

Similarly, the number of Mexicans choosing inflation is up 7pp to 39%, the highest it has been since May 2023 – when worry was at 41% for the nation.

Crime & violence

Crime & violence is mentioned by 32% across 29 countries as one of the main issues facing their country. Up slightly since last month, it now ties in with inflation. Worry levels are also the highest it has been since March 2020, when it was 33%.

Japan has undergone the largest increase in concern for crime this month, reaching record levels. Up 18 points to a third (32%), this is 17 points higher than this time last year and the highest the score in over 10 years.

Türkiye has also reached a record high after rising seven points to 39%. The last time it was this high was in July 2018 when the score recorded 40%.

Financial/political corruption

One in four (26%) across 29 countries express concern about financial/political corruption. This figure is up slightly from last month and 12 months ago.

The proportion of Spanish people saying corruption is a top issue has risen seven percentage points this month, which is 16 points higher than it was a year ago. With now just over three in ten (31%) mentioning it, this is the highest it has been for the nation in over three years, when July 2021 recorded a score of 33%.

Likewise, three countries all scored ten or more points higher than they did this time last year, including: Hungary (52%, +11pp), Türkiye (25%, +10pp), & Japan (24%, +10pp).

Health care

Health care as an issue remains the same across 29 countries this month but levels of concern are slightly elevated from a year ago.

After a record level of worry last month, South Korea’s concern for health care has cooled, down 13-points. That said, their score is 14 points higher than the year to date and this month’s score is the third highest on record for the nation (21%).

For the first time since March 2022, health care has surpassed inflation as the foremost concern among Canadians. While inflation had consistently ranked as the top issue over the past year and a half, concern over health care has risen sharply, increasing by six percentage points this month, with 44% of respondents now identifying it as their primary worry

Similarly, the number of Poles voicing worry is up eight points, nearly taking first place from inflation, with 43% saying it’s an issue. This is the highest since October 2023 (also 43%).

Climate change

This month, concern for climate change across 29 countries has remained the same and is also the same from this time last year.

After recent severe flooding in Eastern Spain, the proportion mentioning climate change as an issue has jumped nine percentage points to a quarter (26%) citing it.

Conversely, in Japan, concern over climate change, which ranked as the top issue last month, has declined significantly. The proportion of respondents identifying it as a primary worry has dropped by eight percentage points to just 27%. Climate change is now ranked as Japan's fifth most significant concern, though the level of concern remains relatively elevated compared to earlier months.

Current economic situation

On average across 29 countries, 37% of people describe the current economic situation in their country as “good”. This is up 2 percentage points on the same time last year.

Malaysia (+24pp) and South Africa (+17pp) have seen the biggest year-on-year rises, with Argentina (+16pp) and Poland (+15pp) close behind.

Meanwhile, positive economic sentiment has fallen most in France (-10pp), Germany (-9pp), and Thailand (-7pp) compared with this time last year. 

This month, Germany records its lowest ever good economy score, following a 5pp fall from last month. Meanwhile, Argentina records its highest good economy score in six years.