PR Newswire European | February 1, 2002
People around the world increasingly favour globalisation but worry about jobs, poverty and environment - World Economic Forum survey of 25,000 citizens across 25 countries
New York - The largest-ever public opinion poll on globalisation, covering countries with 67% of the world's population, shows that people increasingly favour economic globalisation, despite high expectations in some areas that will be difficult to satisfy. Citizens also have concerns about perceived damaging impacts of globalisation.
Conducted in late 2001 as part of the first comprehensive global survey of the post-11 September world, the research reveals that:
* The majority of people in most countries surveyed expect that more economic globalisation will be positive for themselves and their families. Across the world, over six in ten citizens see globalisation as beneficial, while one in five sees it as negative.
* Positive views of globalisation have grown over the past year, especially in North America and Europe.
* Citizens, especially those in poorer countries, have high expectations that globalisation will deliver benefits in a number of economic and non-economic areas.
* However, citizens also believe that globalisation will worsen environmental problems and poverty in the world, and reduce the number of jobs in their country.
* Especially in G-7 countries, most citizens do not believe that poor countries benefit as much as rich countries from free trade and globalisation. However, the opposite is true in low GDP countries.
The World Economic Forum poll involved 25,000 in-person or telephone interviews across mainly "Group of 20" countries, and was conducted between October and December 2001 by respected research institutes in each participating country under the leadership of Environics International Ltd of Toronto, Canada.
Most people in 19 of 25 countries surveyed expect that more economic globalisation will be positive for themselves and their families. Although more than six in ten citizens worldwide [62%] see globalisation as positive, only one in seven is convinced of this. Globalisation's strongest supporters are found in northern Europe, North America and poorer countries in Asia. Conversely, one in five citizens [22%] believes that globalisation has negative effects on them personally. Most opposed to globalisation, and increasingly so, are people in economically troubled Turkey and Argentina.
Over the past year, positive views of globalisation have grown, especially in North America and Europe. Of the 18 countries where the question was asked in both 2000 and 2001, positive views are up significantly in nine [most notably in Germany and South Korea], and down in five [especially in Turkey].
The majority of those surveyed anticipate improvements on eight of 15 factors surveyed, most notably greater access to world markets, cheaper goods, improved cultural life, a better quality of life, strengthened human rights, a more robust national economy and a higher personal income. However, significant proportions of people are concerned that globalisation will have a detrimental impact in a number of other areas, most notably environmental quality, poverty and the number of jobs available, but also the gap between rich and poor, world peace and stability, workers' rights and the quality of jobs.
Citizens do not believe that poor countries benefit as much as rich countries from free trade and globalisation. Nearly one in two citizens across the 25 countries surveyed disagrees with the statement that "globalisation benefits poor countries as much as rich countries." This view is especially pronounced in G-7 countries where six in ten disagree; however, in the low GDP countries surveyed, most citizens agree that poor countries benefit equally.
There remains significant support for peaceful anti-globalisation protesters. Support in the United States is somewhat muted [four in ten], down ten points from just prior to 11 September.
Each national survey was based on a representative sample of about 1,000 adults and was conducted in-home or by telephone between October and December 2001 as part of Environics' annual 25-nation Global Issues Monitor survey. National findings are accurate to within + or - 3%, 19 times out of 20. For more comprehensive information, visit our website http://www.weforum.org/
The World Economic Forum [http://www.weforum.org/], based in Geneva, Switzerland, is an independent organisation committed to improving the state of the world. Funded by the contributions of 1,000 of the world's foremost corporations, the Forum acts in the spirit of entrepreneurship in the global public interest to further economic growth and social progress. The Forum serves its members and society by creating partnerships between and among business, political, intellectual and other leaders of society to define, discuss and advance key issues on the global agenda. Incorporated in 1971 as a foundation, the World Economic Forum is impartial and not-for-profit, and is tied to no political, partisan or national interests. In 1995 the Forum was awarded NGO consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.PR Newswire European:
