Hope Prevails In Spite of the Magnitude of Humanity’s Challenges: Global Poll

29 September 2014 – A majority of citizens (59%) in a 12-country public opinion poll believe “the social, environmental and economic challenges the world faces today are more difficult than the ones we have faced in human history.” Only one in four (25%) believe our challenges are less difficult.
In spite of this, a similar majority (63%) believe that “humanity will find a way to overcome our current challenges.” However, almost a third of citizens (31%) think it is “very or somewhat unlikely” that we will be successful.
These are the key findings from the first Hope Index Poll of 12,000 citizens conducted by the GlobeScan Foundation and its national research partners in Kenya, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Poland, Russia, Turkey, the UK, and the US.
Other findings of the GlobeScan Foundation poll include:

  • One in two (53%) disagree that “the world is going in the right direction.”
  • A similar one in two (52%) disagree that their “country is going in the right direction.”
  • Majorities believe that global conflict is getting worse (60%), along with the world economy (52% worse) and the global environment (51%). Citizen opinion is split on whether personal freedoms are getting better (42%) or worse (43%) in the world.

The first-annual GlobeScan Foundation Poll of over 12,000 people worldwide was conducted between December 2013 and March 2014 by GlobeScan and its research partners to random samples of citizens in each country. Country results are based on mainly face-to-face interviewing and are considered accurate to within plus or minus 3.5%, 19 times out of 20. (Please see page 7 for detailed methodology by country.)
GlobeScan Foundation president Doug Miller commented, “The good news is that only three in ten citizens across the 12 countries polled are pessimistic about Humanity’s future even given the perceived magnitude of our challenges. But majorities do not like the direction the world is headed in.”
He added, “As a pollster, I’m concerned that hopelessness, if it increases further, might hold society back and become a self-fulfilling prophesy. The GlobeScan Foundation intends to further develop and track the Hope Index across more countries in order to keep monitoring this important social indicator.”
Using the answers to 12 key questions posed in the survey, GlobeScan’s experts developed a Hope Index to rate countries and groups of individuals as to their degree of hope or hopelessness.
The following chart, aggregating the weight of opinion across the 12 questions in the survey, shows that Indonesia and Kenya score highest on the Hope Index and the US and UK score lowest among surveyed countries.

 
The GlobeScan Foundation’s full 30-page Hope Index report, including full methodology and detailed country findings, can be downloaded here.


Media Contacts


About The GlobeScan Foundation

Established in 2012, the GlobeScan Foundation is a Canadian-incorporated not-for-profit dedicated to helping achieve a sustainable and just world for all.
Partly funded by GlobeScan Incorporated, the 25-year-old stakeholder intelligence and engagement firm with offices in London, San Francisco and Toronto, the GlobeScan Foundation focuses on developing and applying a range of social science tools to help give voice to global publics, unlock collaboration and accelerate progress.
For more information, please visit: www.GlobeScanFoundation.org

Methodology

Country
Sample Size (unweighted)
Field dates
Sample frame
Survey methodology
Type of sample
India 1133 Sept 5-12, 2013 18+ Face-to-face National
Indonesia 1000 Oct 30, 2013 to Nov 17, 2013 18+ Face-to-face Urban
Kenya 1001 Nov 9-26, 2013 18+ Face-to-face National
Mexico 800 Nov 21-25, 2013 18+ Face-to-face National
Nigeria 802 Oct 1-14, 2013 18+ Face-to-face National
Panama 2352 Sept 13-15, 2013 18+ Face-to-face National
Pakistan 1153 Oct 7-14, 2013 18+ Face-to-face National
Poland 911 Sept 5-12, 2013 18+ Face-to-face National
Russia 1046 Dec 16, 2013 – Jan 25, 2014 18+ Face-to-face National
Turkey 1000 Sept 6, 2013 – Oct 4, 2013 16+ Face-to-face National
United Kingdom 1043 Sept 27, 2013 – Oct 9, 2013 16+ Online
Question 1, 2, and 6
National
1000 Jan 14, 2014 – Feb 22, 2014 18+ Telephone
Question 3, 4, and 5
National
USA 1034 Sept 27, 2013 – Oct 9, 2013 16+ Online
Question 1, 2, and 6
National
1004 January 10 – 17, 2014 18+ Telephone
Question 3, 4, and 5
National

Research Partners

Country Research Institute Location Contact
India Team C Voter Noida Yashwant Deshmukh
yashwant@teamcvoter.com
+91 120 424 7135
Indonesia DEKA Marketing Research Jakarta Ratna Mulia Darmawan
ratna.darmawan@deka-research.co.id
+62 21 723 6901
Kenya Research Path Associates Ltd. Nairobi Charles Onsongo
charles.onsongo@rpa.co.ke
+254 20 2734770
Mexico Parametría Mexico City Francisco Abundis
fabundis@parametria.com.mx
+52 55 2614 0089
Nigeria Market Trends Lagos Jo Ebhomenye
joebhomenye@hotmail.com
+234 1734 7384
Panama Dichter & Neira Panama City Gabriel Neira
gneira@dichter-neira.com
+507 236 4000
Pakistan Gallup Pakistan Islamabad Ijaz Shafi Gilani
isb@gallup.com.pk
+92 51 2655630
Poland CBOS Warsaw Michal Feliksiak
m.feliksiak@cbos.pl
+48 22 628 37 04
Russia CESSI Institute for Comparative Social Research Moscow Vladimir Andreenkov
vladimir.andreenkov@cessi.ru
+7 495 650 55 18
Turkey Yöntem Research Consultancy Ltd. Istanbul Mehmet Aktulga
mehmet.aktulga@yontemresearch.com
+90 212 278 12 19
United Kingdom GlobeScan Toronto Robin Miller
robin.miller@globescan.com
+1 647 528 2767
USA GlobeScan Toronto Robin Miller
robin.miller@globescan.com
+1 647 528 2767

Question Wording

Q1 Thinking about [Country], please tell me if you think each of the following are getting better or getting worse?  Would that be a lot or a little?
READ AND ROTATE STATEMENTS.  CODE ONE EACH.
01 – A lot better
02 – A little better
03 – A little worse
04 – A lot worse
VOLUNTEERED (DO NOT READ)
05 – Staying the same/Both/Depends/Neither
99 – DK/NA
a)Personal freedom in [Country]
b)Economic situation in [Country]
c)Environmental situation in [Country]
d)Conflict between groups in [Country’s] society

Q2 
Thinking about the world as a whole, please tell me if you think each of the following are getting better or getting worse?  Would that be a lot or a little
READ AND ROTATE STATEMENTS.  CODE ONE EACH.
01 – A lot better
02 – A little better
03 – A little worse
04 – A lot worse
VOLUNTEERED (DO NOT READ)
05 – Staying the same/Both/Depends/Neither
99 – DK/NA
a)Personal freedom in the world
b)Economic situation in the world
c)Environmental situation in the world
d)Conflict between groups in global society

Q3 
I’m now going to read you a number of opposite statements. For each, please tell me which is closest to your personal opinion?
READ AND ROTATE.
01 – We as a society focus too much on the future and not enough on the present
02 – We as a society focus too much on the present and not enough on the future.
DO NOT READ
03 – Equally on the future and present
04 – Hard to say/Depends/Other
99 – DK/NA

Q4
 I’m now going to read you a number of opposite statements. For each, please tell me which is closest to your personal opinion?
READ AND ROTATE
01 – The social, environmental and economic challenges the world faces today are LESS difficult than the ones we have faced in human history
02 – The social, environmental and economic challenges the world faces today are MORE difficult than the ones we have faced in human history
DO NOT READ (VOLUNTEERED)
03 – The challenges are the same as those faced in human history
04 – Neither one nor the other/depends
99 – DK/NA
Q5 How likely, if at all, do you think it is that humanity will find a way to overcome our current social, environmental and economic challenges?
READ AND ROTATE
01 – Very likely
02 – Somewhat likely
03 – Not very likely
04 – Not at all likely
DO NOT READ (VOLUNTEERED)
99 – DK/NA
Q6t Please tell me if you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree or strongly disagree with each of the following statements?
READ AND ROTATE STATEMENTS.  CODE ONE EACH.
01 – Strongly agree
02 – Somewhat agree
03 – Somewhat disagree
04 – Strongly disagree
VOLUNTEERED (DO NOT READ)
05 – Depends/Neither agree nor disagree
99 – DK/NA
at) The world is going in the right direction
bt) [Country] is going in the right direction
ct) Our children and grandchildren will have a higher quality of life than we do today
dt) The benefits of modern technology are greater than its risks
et) Security measures against terrorism go too far because they infringe on my personal freedom and right to privacy
f) I am personally acting to do my part in solving humanity’s challenges