Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Updated May 27, 2014 The original version of this report included public opinion data on the connection between religion and morality in China that has since been found to have been in error. Specifically, the particular survey item that asked whether one needed to believe in a higher power or God to be a moral […]
Publics around the world express concern about levels of immigration to their country. Majorities in 44 of the 47 countries surveyed agree with the statement “We should restrict and control entry of people into our country more than we do now.” At the same time, solid majorities of Americans and Canadians say it is a […]
Two different destructive storms struck the continent and even in the dog days of summer, the presidential race continued to attract significant media interest. But several factors—an intelligence report, a senatorial statement, and a presidential analogy—all combined to re-ignite the debate over U.S. policy in Iraq.
Americans are different when compared with the citizens of other wealthy nations. Americans are more religious and more likely to believe individuals control their own destiny. They also are more inclined than most to say military force is a necessary component of international affairs and are more likely to think their own culture is superior […]
Overall, many publics are somewhat more satisfied with the state of their countries than they were five years ago. In the 35 nations where trends are available, the number of people satisfied has increased in 21, declined in nine, and remained basically unchanged in five. The greatest improvement is found in Bangladesh, where 75% currently […]
While levels of personal satisfaction vary considerably across the world, they are generally associated with wealth – people in rich countries tend to express more satisfaction with their lives than do those in poorer countries. In the economically advanced countries of Western Europe, Canada and the United States, for example, people are relatively happy with […]
The world continues to turn to television for news about international and national issues except in a few African nations where radio remains the primary source of information. In some countries, virtually everyone watches television news: 99% of Indonesians as well as 97% of all Malaysians, Venezuelans and Turks name TV as one of their […]