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 […]
Computers, the internet, email and cell phones continue to change the way the world works, plays and communicates. Computer usage, a key marker of technological progress, has increased significantly in the past five years in 26 of the 35 countries where comparative data is available. In addition, more people now have access to email and […]
People around the world approve of key elements of economic globalization and believe that free trade and free markets are good for their countries. At the same time, however, many say that globalization entails some economic, environmental and cultural downsides. Support for free markets has increased; most publics endorse a capitalist approach to economics, even […]
Solid majorities in the 12 countries surveyed across Western and Eastern Europe express positive opinions about France, Germany, and Great Britain. Germany and Great Britain also receive favorable ratings from most Americans, but opinions about France are decidedly mixed in the United States. The survey also finds that opinions of NATO are mixed in Eastern […]
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 […]
Publics around the world express egalitarian views about gender roles in education and, to some extent, political leadership. Overwhelming majorities in the 47 countries surveyed say it is equally important for boys and girls to receive an education. Views about women in politics are more mixed – majorities in 35 of the 47 countries included […]
Opinion about Russia varies widely throughout the world, with some of the most striking differences evident among nations formerly tied to the Soviet Union. In Ukraine and Bulgaria, positive opinions of Russia surpass negative sentiments by wide margins. But the balance of opinion is decidedly negative in Poland. And while most people in the Czech […]
People around the world often mention neighboring nations as posing the greatest threats to their own countries. Proximity also is a factor in peoples’ views of their country’s most dependable allies. However, world powers often make the list – and the United States appears prominently on the lists of major allies and threats. In fact, […]
Iran’s image remains negative throughout much of the world, and has eroded significantly over the past year in several countries, including Turkey, Egypt and Indonesia. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continues to inspire little confidence internationally. However, the poll finds Shia Muslims in Lebanon holding overwhelmingly positive opinions of the Iranian president, reflecting a broad divide […]
Levels of personal satisfaction vary considerably across the world. People in the economically advanced countries of Western Europe, Canada and the United States are relatively happy with their lives. For example, when asked to place themselves on a “ladder of life,” where zero represents the worst possible life and 10 the best possible life, 72% […]