One Young World Countries Research 2012

One Young World
Countries Research 2012

August 2012

Who we spoke to: the research sample

• 6269 interviews, completed in 12 countries
• 20-29 year olds
• Undergraduates, graduates, white collar workers, or those employed who have genuine
responsibilities in their role
• Mix of male and female (50-50)

UK RUSSIA
GERMANY
FRANCE CHINA
USA
SPAIN

MEXICO EGYPT
INDIA

BRAZIL

SOUTH AFRICA

2

Summary of findings

Introduction

In a time when young people are being described by some commentators as the ‘lost generation’, this international
survey of 20-29 year olds sheds light on the views and attitudes of young people on the important questions that world
leaders face today.

The broad political landscape is defined, for many, by the economic crisis and how their governments have responded.
There are strong calls for the financial sector to operate in a more ethical and responsible way which may include further
regulation of the sector. Although, trust in their government’s ability to deliver is weak, particularly so in Europe. The
theme of behaving in an ethical and responsible way is not only limited to the financial sector, but it is also expected of
global corporations and governments.

Beyond economics, poverty and corruption run through the piece as topics that are of the utmost importance to many
of the world’s young. It is these factors that are perceived to be the root of inequality in many areas of civil society such
as education, health, and democracy. However, there exists a sense of ineffectuality amongst many of Europe and the
West’s young people as indicated by their low levels of political and civil engagement both online and ‘offline’.

Indeed, hope and optimism amongst Europeans is a lot lower than their counterparts elsewhere in the world. India and
China in particular stand out as the countries that are most positive about their futures. The level of depression between
the west and the rest is startling, and the political and economic context 20-29 years olds are living in is summed up by
the perception that their lives will not be better than their parents’.

Europe and USA Rest of World

I believe my life will be better than my parents 30% 64%

3

Summary of findings

Education
• Over 90% of respondents in Brazil, South Africa, Russia and Mexico feel literacy rates are holding their country back, with
poverty (73% agree) as the main factors that limits access to education
• 93% of all surveyed feel education is important for eradicating poverty. In India (80% agree) and China (70% agree) this can
mean advancing girls’ education over that of boys

Global Business

• 82% of all respondents agree that the financial sector should be regulated in an ethical and responsible way, and 70% agree
that the financial sector needs further government regulation. Although European countries (22%) trust their government to
regulate the financial sector in an ethical and responsible way than the rest of the world (31%)
• Whilst 74% of all respondents agree that businesses should provide social benefits, only 44% feel that improvements are
being made in this area. 73% feel it is important that businesses should have a purpose beyond profit, particularly in Mexico
(90%), South Africa (87%) and Brazil (85%)

Global Health
• Many countries do not feel that their governments are doing a good job at looking after their citizens health, with only 28%
agreeing this is the case. Russia (53%) scores the highest and Brazil (13%) the lowest for this factor
• Brazil also have the smallest proportion that consider there to be equal access to healthcare (10% agree). There are even
great divides in this measure amongst the developed countries with 80% in the UK agreeing there is equal access, USA
31%, and France 26%

Human Rights
• Whilst many agree human rights are important (81% agree), fewer think that ‘the rights of citizens are legally protected in
their country’, with strong disagreement of this statement coming from Brazil (45% disagree), Russia (54%), and Egypt (41%)
• On the whole the poor (55% agree) and people with disabilities (51% agree) are the groups in society that need further help
or support, with children (38% agree) close behind. In the US it is the LGBT (47%) community and certain ethnic groups (45%)
4

Summary of findings

Leadership and governance
• 70% of all countries (excluding China) agree that their generation will be particularly affected by the economic
mismanagement of recent years. The is felt particularly strongly in Mexico with (81% agree), although to a lesser
extent in Germany (51% agree)
• Political engagement varies greatly across the countries surveyed, although on the whole this group of 20-29 year
olds are more likely to engage in some political activity online (44% agree), as opposed to offline (32%)

Sustainable development
• There is a clear divide between developed and developing countries when considering ‘Environmental problems
are a price worth paying for economic prosperity’. China (82%) and India (68%) agree with this sentiment, and
opposition comes from the UK (58% disagree) and Brazil (54% disagree).
• Although, there seems to be more consensus with the idea that developing countries should be bound by
environmental regulations as strong as those from developed countries, 70% agree.

Transparency
• 6 out of 12 countries agree (with over 90% agreeing) that corruption is widespread in their country. The two
countries that disagree the most with this are Germany (69% disagree) and the UK (66% disagree)
• 6 of the 12 countries believe transparency is the most important thing to be in place before starting to fight
corruption. By contrast, Russia, Egypt and France consider the application of the rule of law to be most important.
Whilst, the UK and USA consider the most important thing to be democratic accountability

5

Education: Summary of findings

• Many non-European countries feel literacy rates are holding their country back. In particular, over 90% of
respondents in Brazil, South Africa, Russia, and Mexico believe this to be the case
• One of the key factors limiting access to education is poverty. With 73%, poverty emerges as the top factor to
limit access to education for all respondents.
• Surprisingly, poverty is also the highest factor amongst more developed countries such as UK, Germany and
France. What might be expressed here is poverty as a limiting factor to the opportunities of education. This view
is consistent with Joseph Rowntree Research on education and poverty which explored this issue in some depth:

“Children growing up in low-income families tend to leave school with substantially lower levels of education
attainment than their more advantaged peers” (JRF 2010)

• Corruption is a significant concern for respondents of half of the countries in the study when thinking about
access to education. Corruption is also the factor that is most detrimental to education in their country. For
example, 78% of Russian respondents believe corruption limits access to education, and 80% of Brazilian
respondents believe corruption is the most detrimental to education
• Whilst there is strong agreement (93%) across all countries that education is important for eradicating poverty in
developing countries, there is less consensus that girls’ education would need to be advantaged above boys’ in
order to fight poverty in developing countries
― However, there is strong agreement with this factor in both India (80%) and China (70%). In both of these
countries there are inequalities in literacy rates amongst men and women. In India this is more acute
with male literacy at 73.4% and female at 47.8%.

7

Education

Are you concerned that literacy rates are holding back your country’s development?
% answering ‘yes’

Brazil 94%

South Africa 92%

Russia 90%

Mexico 90%

Egypt 89%

India 88%

China 63%

Spain 51%

USA 51%

France 45%

UK 37%

Germany 21%

8 Base: All countries n=6269

Education

Which 3 of the following factors do you believe most limit access to education in your
country?

Poverty 73%
Corruption* 41%
Distance to facilities 36%
Cultural issues 31%
Violence/social unrest 27%
Family 25%
Religion 18%
Race 14%
Internet access 12%
Gender 11%
Age 10%
Other 6%

*not asked in China (n=5756)

Education

Which 3 of the following factors, if any, do you believe are most detrimental to education in
your country?

Wasted funding and/or resources 58%

Lack of resources/equipment 56%

Lack of funding 50%

Corruption* 43%

Lack of teachers 41%

Lack of internet access 14%

None of the above 6%

*not asked in China (n=5756)

Education

How far do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Strongly Agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Total agree:

Education is an important step to eradicating
64% 29% 6%
0%
1% 93%
poverty in developing countries

When it comes to fighting poverty in developing
countries, educating girls and women is a more
20% 25% 28% 17% 10% 45%
important step than increasing the education of
boys and men


Education
When it comes to fighting poverty in developing countries, educating girls and women is a
more important step than increasing the education of boys and men.
% answering agree, or agree a lot.

India 80%
China 70%
Egypt 53%
UK 50%
USA 43%
Spain 42%
Brazil 41%
South Africa 40%
France 38%
Germany 36%
Mexico 27%
Russia 21%


Global business: Summary of findings

• Across all countries, importance is placed on regulating the financial sector in a ethical and responsible way, with
82% of all respondents agreeing this should be the case. 70% also agree that the financial sector needs further
government regulation.
― However, the majority of countries cannot trust their governments to do this and levels of trust are low
at around 20% for most countries with the exception of India and Egypt where levels are over 50%
• Whilst 74% of all respondents agree that businesses should provide social benefits, only 44% feel that
improvements are being made in this area. India (68%) and China (67%) are top when it comes to thinking that
businesses are making improvements to be socially responsible in their country, whereas Germany (20%), France
(29%) and the UK (29%) are at bottom end.
• Working for a business that shares your ethics is most important amongst Indian respondents (71% agree), but
this factor scores lowest amongst Spanish (41%)
• The theme of ethics continues in India where 67% of respondents claim they ensure not buy from a company that
is not transparent in the way it works. However, this factor scores lowest amongst French respondents with 27%
agreeing

14

Global Business


Strongly Agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree Total agree:

It is important to properly regulate the financial sector in an ethical
44% 38% 16% 2%
1% 82%
and responsible way

It is important to properly regulate the financial sector 40% 41% 16% 2%
1% 81%

Businesses that make a profit must provide social benefits 33% 41% 20% 5%
1% 74%

It is important that companies have a purpose beyond profit 34% 39% 21% 5%
1% 73%
The financial sector (e.g. banks, insurance, credit companies) needs
35% 35% 23% 5%
2% 70%
greater government regulation
My career ambition is to work my way up to the top of an
established business I admire
26% 36% 22% 12% 5% 62%

My career ambition is to run my own business 33% 27% 20% 14% 7% 60%

I will only work for companies that share my ethics 20% 37% 31% 9% 3% 57%

I have more faith in global business than I do in world politics 19% 29% 39% 10% 4% 48%
Global business is making significant improvements in the realm of
social responsibility
13% 31% 41% 12% 4% 44%
I take time to ensure I don’t buy from companies who are not
transparent in the way they work e.g. how they treat their…
14% 29% 37% 15% 4% 43%
I can trust the government in my country to regulate the financial
9% 19% 31% 25% 16% 28%
sector in an ethical and responsible way*

*not asked in China

Global Business

I have more faith in global business than I do in world politics. % answering agree or agree a lot

South Africa 69%
India 68%
Egypt 67%
Mexico 65%
China 55%
Russia 46%
Spain 45%
Brazil 39%
France 37%
USA 32%
Germany 29%
UK 28%


Global Business

I can trust the government in my country to regulate the financial sector in an ethical and
responsible way. % answering agree or agree a lot*

India 52%

Egypt 51%

Russia 33%

Germany 27%

Spain 23%

South Africa 22%

Mexico 22%

France 21%

USA 20%

Brazil 19%

UK 18%

*not asked in China

Global health: Summary of findings

• Many countries do not feel that their governments are doing a good job at looking after their citizens’ health, with
only 28% of all respondents agreeing this is the case. Russia (53%) scores the highest and Brazil (13%) the lowest
for this factor
• Brazil also have the smallest proportion that consider there to be equal access to healthcare (10% agree). There
are even great divides in this measure amongst the developed countries with the 80% in the UK agreeing there is
equal access, USA (31%) and France (26%)
• Although only a few (8%) respondents across the countries surveyed had some personal experience of HIV/AIDS, it
is considered to be the one health issue that carries the most stigma (49%).
• A further health issue that is of some concern to many of the respondents is obesity. It is the second most
common health issue (30%) with which respondents have some personal experience, and after HIV/AIDS is the
top when it comes to being a stigma in their country (41%)
• 74% of the total sample are concerned about levels of obesity in their country, it is not only a western problem
but is a concern shared across the world. For example, in China 81% of respondents are concerned about obesity.
― Some commentary suggests this may be a case of development and more people living in urban
areas, and also the lack of emphasis in the Chinese school system on physical exercise, focussing instead
on intellectual activities
• The concern with obesity is also mirrored by the view that food companies should be more tightly regulated (74%
agree) and they should be banned from advertising to children (75% agree)
• In most countries the level of concern around obesity goes hand in hand with the score for tighter regulation of
food companies, except in the USA where 77% are concerned, but only 50% agree with tighter regulation – the
lowest score from a country on this measure

19

Health

Is there equal access to healthcare in your country?

UK 80%

Spain 70%

Germany 63%

India 52%

Russia 41%

Mexico 37%

USA 31%

China 30%

South Africa 27%

France 26%

Egypt 14%

Brazil 10%


Health

Which of the following do you consider affects or has affected you, your family or close
friends?

Chronic illness e.g.
41%
diabetes

Obesity 30%

Mental health issues 25%

Physical disability 17%

Physical or sensory
14%
impairment
Water-borne disease e.g.
11%
cholera
Malaria or other
10%
parasite-borne disease
Sexually Transmitted
9%
Diseases (STDs)
HIV/AIDS or other blood-
8%
borne virus



Health

Which of the following do you believe is subject to stigma in your country?

HIV/AIDS or other blood-
49%
borne virus

Obesity 41%

Sexually Transmitted
36%
Diseases (STDs)

Mental health issues 35%

Physical disability 32%

Chronic illness e.g.
21%
diabetes
Physical or sensory
15%
impairment
Water-borne disease e.g.
13%
cholera
Malaria or other
12%
parasite-borne disease



Health


Strongly agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly disagree
Total agree:

Food companies should be more tightly regulated in terms 74%
of fat, salt and sugar content in their products 42% 32% 17% 6%
2%

I am concerned that the growing levels of obesity in my
34% 39% 19% 6%
1% 73%
country will lead to huge future health issues

Fast food companies should be banned from directing
advertising at children 35% 28% 23% 10%4% 63%

The spread of HIV/AIDS is being prevented in my country 19% 41% 26% 11%3% 60%

My government is effective in implementing preventative
measures combatting the spread of HIV/AIDS* 15% 36% 31% 14% 4% 51%

My government does a good job of looking after its citizens’
8% 21% 36% 23% 12% 29%
health*

*not asked in China

Health

My government does a good job of looking after its citizens’ health.
% answering agree or agree a lot*

Russia 53%

India 40%

France 34%

UK 33%

Spain 31%

Egypt 27%

Germany 27%

Mexico 21%

South Africa 17%

USA 15%

Brazil 13%

*excludes China

Health

I am concerned that the growing levels of obesity in my country will lead to huge future
health issues. % answering agree or agree a lot

Mexico 90%

UK 86%

China 81%

Brazil 77%

USA 77%

India 76%

Egypt 75%

France 69%

Spain 68%

South Africa 64%

Russia 64%

Germany 60%


Health
Please rate the level of equal opportunity in the following locations in your country. (By
"equal opportunity" we mean the provision of materials and systems that allow everyone
equal access, such as wheelchair ramps, large print books, hearing loops etc.)

Very good Good Fair Poor Very poor Don’t know Total good:

Commerce centres 12% 32% 33% 13% 5% 5% 44%

Workplace 12% 28% 34% 15% 8% 3% 40%

Office buildings 9% 28% 35% 16% 7% 5% 37%

Educational establishments 10% 27% 33% 19% 9% 3% 37%

Government and civil facilities* 10% 27% 32% 18% 9% 4% 37%

Public transport 9% 22% 29% 20% 18% 3% 31%

*not asked in China

Human Rights: Summary of findings

• Whilst many agree human rights are important, fewer think that ‘the rights of citizens are legally protected in
their country’, with disagreement of this statement coming from Brazil (45% disagree), Russia (54%), and Egypt
(41%)
• 81% agree with the importance of legal measures being in place to protect citizens, in particular 97% of Chinese
respondents agree with this statement, although only 54% of Russian respondents agree
• On the whole the poor (55% agree) and people with disabilities (51% agree) are the groups in society that need
further help or support, with children (38% agree) close behind
• In the USA, however, the two groups that respondents feel need further help and support are members of the
LGBT community (47% agree) and certain ethnic groups (45% agree)
• For those that do not think that the rights of the citizens are protected in their country (excluding China), the
main groups from which citizens need protecting are agents of the state (71% agree) and the state itself (60%
agree)

28

Human Rights


Strongly agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly disagree Total agree:

It is important that there are legal measures in place to 81%
protect citizens in my country 39% 42% 14% 3%
2%

The human rights of all citizens are legally protected in my
country* 19% 34% 23% 17% 8% 53%

Citizens in my country are better protected by the law than 46%
citizens in other countries in the region* 15% 31% 27% 19% 9%

The laws protecting human rights in my country are well
implemented* 13% 29% 25% 22% 11% 42%

*not asked in China

Human Rights

The human rights of all citizens are legally protected in my country . % answering agree or
agree a lot*

Germany 84%

UK 78%

Spain 56%

USA 55%

France 55%

South Africa 54%

Mexico 54%

India 52%

Russia 31%

Egypt 30%

Brazil 27%

*not asked in China

Human Rights

Which groups, if any, do you think require extra help or support in your country?

The poor 55%

People with disabilities/health issues 51%

Children 38%

Everyone 28%

Women 26%

Immigrants and refugees 20%

Members of the
19%
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender…

Indigenous people 17%

Certain ethnic groups 15%

Certain religious groups 9%


Human Rights

For those that disagree rights are protected or well implemented in there own country:
Which group’s human rights are likely to be violated in your country?*

The poor 50%

People with disabilities/health issues 36%
Members of the
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender… 29%

Children 28%

Women 27%

Those not in the ruling elite 25%

Immigrants and refugees 24%

Everyone 21%

Indigenous people 21%

Certain ethnic groups 19%

Activists/journalists 17%

Certain religious groups 17%

*not asked in China

Human Rights

For those that disagree rights are protected or well implemented in there own country: Who
do you believe violates the human rights of individuals or groups in your country?*

Agents of the state (the police, prison
staff, social services, health services etc.) 71%

The state (in terms of legislation/policy
making) 60%

The judiciary 43%

Other citizens 41%

Other political groups 39%

Businesses 34%

The media 34%

Religious organisations 29%

*not asked in China

Leadership and governance: Summary of findings

• Political engagement varies greatly across the countries surveyed, although on the whole 20-29 year olds are
more likely to engage in some political activity online (44% agree), as opposed to offline (32% agree)
• The top 3 countries where respondents are politically engaged are:
― Offline: Egypt (53%), India (47%), Mexico (42%)
― Online: Egypt (63%), USA (52%), India (50%)

• Those engaged offline are generally engaged online. India, Mexico, and Egypt all score high when asked about
corruption in their own country; giving an insight into their political context
• Whilst offline political engagement scores are low in many countries (with the UK lowest at 20%), there is on the
whole an uplift in scores for online engagement (eg 39% of UK respondents). Indeed 62% agree that online social
networks are driving political discussion amongst young people
• 70% of all countries (excluding China) agree that their generation will be particularly affected by the economic
mismanagement of recent years. The is felt particularly strongly in Mexico with 81% agreeing, although to a lesser
extent in Germany where 51% agree
• Only 26% agree that the worst of the economic crisis is over in their country, with the lowest being South Africa
(13%), although the most positive country in this regard is India where 41% agree the worst is over
• 66% are worried that it will take years for them to get the kind of job they want, with this rising to 91% in Mexico.
Indeed, 80% of all respondents agree that youth unemployment is insufficiently addressed in their country

35

Leadership & Governance

Is it possible for a political leader to remain popular once in power?*

Russia 92%

Brazil 90%

India 86%

USA 85%

South Africa 83%

Mexico 82%

Egypt 81%

Germany 78%

UK 76%

Spain 75%

France 57%

*not asked in China



I am worried about how we will care for the ageing population 29% 45% 19% 6%2% 74%

Online social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter are leading to greater
discussion amongst young people in my country 29% 42% 21% 6%2% 71%

My generation will be hit hardest by the political/economic mismanagement of
recent years* 31% 38% 22% 7%2% 69%

Online social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter are driving political
discussion amongst young people in my country* 23% 39% 26% 10% 3% 62%

Citizen-powered movements are creating lasting positive change in the world* 16% 36% 36% 9% 3% 42%

Online social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter are leading to greater
discussion between young people and older people in my country 18% 31% 29% 17% 4% 49%

I use social media to be an active member of my community 13% 35% 27% 19% 7% 48%

I consider myself to be an active member of my community 14% 34% 31% 17% 4% 48%

Online social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter are connecting young
people in my country with our political leaders* 15% 31% 30% 17% 7% 46%

Online social media has been a main driver of political change in North Africa and the
Middle East* 15% 27% 43% 11% 5% 42%

In the last twelve months I have used social media to be personally involved in
political and/or civic engagement. For example I took part in a political… 15% 27% 20% 23% 15% 42%
In the last twelve months I have been personally involved (not including on social
media) in political and/or civic engagement beyond just the act of voting, for… 12% 20% 19% 30% 19% 32%

*not asked in China

Citizen-powered movements are creating lasting positive change in the world
% answering agree or agree a lot*

India 69%

Mexico 67%

Brazil 62%

Egypt 61%

Russia 50%

South Africa 50%

USA 47%

Spain 47%

France 45%

Germany 42%

UK 39%

*not asked in China

In the last twelve months I have been personally involved in political and/or civic engagement beyond just
the act of voting, for example I took part in a political meeting, demonstration or other activity. %
answering agree or agree a lot*

Brazil 34%
28%

Egypt 63%
53%

France 25%
25%

Germany 36%
25%

India 50%
47%
Online
Mexico 50%
42% Offline
Russia 31%
25%

South Africa 38%
24%

Spain 39%
35%

UK 39%
20%

USA 52%
31%

*not asked in China


Total agree:

It is the duty of my generation to change the world for 86%
46% 40% 13% 2%
0%
the better

My generation has the power to bring about positive 79%
38% 41% 16% 4%
1%
global change

Politics in my country needs major reform* 49% 29% 17% 4%
1% 78%

Once individual politicians are in power, they are
36% 34% 22% 7%1% 70%
unable to deliver on their promises*

*not asked in China


For those that agree individual politicians in power are unable to deliver on their promises:
Which one factor most hampers a politician’s ability to deliver?*

Corruption 31%

Unrealistic or false promises 20%

Personal greed/ambition 17%

Party politics 9%

Bureaucracy 6%

Lobbyists 5%

Their relationship with businesses 5%

Lack of funds 5%

Other 2%

*not asked in China

Sustainable Development: Summary of findings

• There is a clear divide between developed and developing countries when considering the statement
‘Environmental problems are a price worth paying for economic prosperity’. China (82%) and India (68%) agree
with this sentiment, and those opposing are mostly from the UK (58% disagree) and Brazil (54% disagree).
― The rapid development of BRIC countries appears to highlight an inherent contradiction in Brazil’s
results, however, Yale University’s Environmental Sustainability Index ranks Brazil 11th in the world on a
series of measures for example reducing air pollution, resource management and Green House gas
emissions. By contrast India is ranked 101st , and China 133rd
• Although, there seems to be more consensus with the idea that developing countries should be bound by
environmental regulations as strong as those from developed countries, 70% agree.
• Many countries agree that a sustainable future is a realistic goal (68% agree), although 41% disagree that
politicians are going at the right speed to achieve affective agreements to combat climate change. China is the
exception with 65% agreeing politicians are going about the right speed
• Focusing on individuals contributing to a sustainable future, 54% stated they had taken ‘significant steps to live a
more sustainable life’
• On the issue of building nuclear power stations, 38% agreed with this. The most support came from India (63%)
and Egypt (61%), opposing the issue the most are Germany (62%) and Brazil (42%)

43

Sustainable Development

Total agree:

I am extremely concerned about climate change 33% 41% 17% 7%2% 74%

Developing countries should be bound by environmental regulations as strong as
those for developed countries 31% 39% 21% 7%2% 70%

A sustainable future is a realistic goal 23% 45% 23% 7%2% 68%

Multi-national businesses play a vital role in solving the world’s problems 19% 38% 31% 8%4% 57%

Fossil fuel subsidies should cease by 2020 25% 29% 34% 10%3% 54%

Maintaining a supply of clean water is a problem in my country 19% 27% 22% 20% 13% 46%

Environmental problems are a price worth paying for economic prosperity 18% 28% 22% 18% 13% 46%

The world’s leaders are going at the right speed to achieve effective agreements on
combatting climate change 8% 21% 31% 28% 13% 29%


Environmental problems are a price worth paying for economic prosperity
% answering agree or agree a lot

China 82%

India 68%

Russia 60%

Mexico 58%

Egypt 54%

Spain 47%

South Africa 46%

Germany 37%

France 37%

Brazil 27%

USA 26%

UK 16%



Please rate how influential you believe the following to be in bringing about sustainable
development, where 0 is not at all influential and 10 is very influential.? Mean score shown

Businesses 6.4

The younger generation 6.4

The UN/other international bodies 6.3

Individual governments 6.2

Individuals 5.8

NGOs 5.8

0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0


Total agree:

My country must do more to develop clean energy and lower its pollution levels 41% 38% 16% 3%
1% 79%

There is a lack of political will to implement sustainable development* 23% 41% 26% 8%2% 64%

In the past year I have taken significant steps to live a more sustainable lifestyle 14% 41% 31% 12% 3% 55%

Sustainable development is low on the list of political priorities in my country* 18% 36% 29% 16% 2% 54%

I support the building of new nuclear power stations 15% 22% 32% 16% 15% 37%

I think sustainable development should be low on the list of political priorities in my 24%
country* 7% 17% 23% 29% 24%

*not asked in China

I support the building of new nuclear power stations.

India 63%

Egypt 61%

China 56%

UK 44%

USA 41%

South Africa 39%

Mexico 33%

Spain 29%

Russia 28%

Brazil 26%

France 20%

Germany 14%


Transparency: Summary of findings

• 6 out of 12 countries agree (with over 90%) that corruption is widespread in their country. The two countries that
disagree the most with this are Germany (69% disagree) and the UK (66% disagree)
• The type of corruption that comes at the top for each country in terms of the level of respondents’ concern are:
― Access to education: Brazil, India, Russia, Mexico, Egypt, South Africa
― The relationship between business and government: UK, Germany, USA
― False promises: France
― Tax evasion: Spain
• 6 of the 12 countries believe transparency is the most important thing to be in place before starting to fight
transparency. By contrast, Russia, Egypt and France consider the application of the rule of law to be most
important. Whilst, the UK and USA consider the most important thing to be democratic accountability
• The mainstream media are considered the most effective tool to fight corruption, chosen by 47%
• However, not all countries feel their media can report freely. For example Mexico (74%), Russia (68%), India
(60%), South Africa (59%) and Brazil (58%) agree that their media is not free to report as it wishes.
• The country with the lowest score is the UK where only 25% agree the media is not free

50

Transparency

Is corruption widespread in your country?*

Mexico 99%

India 97%

Russia 97%

South Africa 96%

Brazil 95%

Egypt 92%

Spain 89%

USA 69%

France 65%

UK 34%

Germany 31%

*not asked in China

Transparency

How concerned are you about the following types or areas of corruption in your country
where 0 is not at all concerned and 10 is very concerned.*

False promises 7.4

The relationship between business and government 7.3

Access to education 7.2

Access to health care 7.1

Tax evasion 6.9

Nepotism (favouritism shown on the basis of family relationship) 6.7

Electoral 6.2

NGOs 5.8

0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0
*not asked in China

Transparency

Which of the following do you believe need to be in place before starting to fight
corruption? Please select the top 3.*

Transparency 63%

Democratic accountability 53%

Application of the rule of law 52%

Freedom of speech 41%

Economic development 36%

Uncensored internet 15%


*not asked in China

Transparency

Which of the following do you think are effective tools for individuals to fight corruption?
Please select the top 3.*

Mainstream media 47%

Offline protest/demonstration (e.g. took
part in a political 43%
meeting, demonstration or other…

Social media eg Facebook, Twitter 43%

Local advocacy (e.g. local pressure
groups and charities/NGOs) 43%

International advocacy (e.g. NGOs such
as Amnesty International) 36%

Political lobbying 30%


*not asked in China

Transparency

Strongly agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly disagree Column1 Total agree:

The more transparent a business is, the more likely I am to trust it 38% 43% 16% 2% 81%
1%

Wealth, power and opportunity are in the hands of only a few people in my country* 42% 35% 15% 6%
2% 77%

The relationship between business and government in my country lacks transparency
and accountability* 30% 40% 25% 4%
1% 70%

News media are a critical way of scrutinising what public servants such as politicians
do in my country* 21% 39% 25% 10% 5% 60%

I do not feel the media in my country is free to report as it wishes* 20% 29% 25% 18% 8% 49%

I believe that national elections in my country are fair and not corrupt* 14% 29% 25% 16% 16% 43%

In the last year I have actively looked for information on the practices or ethics of a
company 13% 30% 31% 18% 7% 43%

*not asked in China

Transparency

I do not feel the media in my country is free to report as it wishes.*

Mexico 74%

Russia 68%

India 60%

South Africa 59%

Brazil 58%

Spain 53%

Egypt 41%

France 39%

USA 38%

Germany 30%

UK 25%

*not asked in China

Transparency

I believe that national elections in my country are fair and not corrupt*

UK 70%

Germany 70%

Egypt 56%

France 53%

Spain 45%

India 40%

South Africa 39%

USA 37%

Brazil 23%

Russia 18%

Mexico 15%

*not asked in China

General


Youth unemployment is a problem that is insufficiently
addressed in my country 44% 36% 12% 6%1% 80%

I am worried that it will take years before I will be able to get
the kind of job I want 35% 31% 16% 12% 6% 66%


General

Which is the best way to address youth unemployment?

I do not think it
needs addressing
6%

Private business
21%
State intervention
40%

Entrepreneurialism
33%


General


I am concerned that by using websites such as Facebook I am
losing my privacy* 19% 31% 27% 17% 5% 50%

I believe my life will be better than my parents' 15% 34% 33% 13% 5% 49%

Religion has too much influence on society in my country* 19% 29% 26% 18% 8% 48%

I feel positive about my country’s future 12% 34% 28% 19% 8% 46%

Organised religion plays a strong role in bettering my
10% 23% 29% 20% 18% 33%
community*

The worst of the economic crisis is over in my country 6% 21% 30% 31% 12% 27%

The worst of the global economic crisis is over 7% 17% 33% 33% 10% 24%

*not asked in China

General

I believe my life will be better than my parents'

China 72%

Brazil 69%

South Africa 66%

India 65%

Russia 62%

Mexico 58%

Egypt 54%

USA 43%

UK 30%

Germany 29%

Spain 24%

France 23%


General

Which will be the most influential country (or regional group) by 2030?

China 50%

USA 21%

European Union 9%

India 7%

Brazil 5%

Russia 4%

Other 3%


General

Who will dominate the online landscape in the next 5 years?

Google 51%

Facebook 33%

Twitter 15%

Other 2%


General


Ownership of the media is too concentrated into the hands of a
small amount of companies 32% 41% 21% 5% 73%
1%

Women’s rights need to be strengthened in my country 26% 35% 25% 11% 3% 61%

I trust global corporations 9% 24% 38% 19% 9% 33%


General

Do you know what the outcome was of the Rio +20 UN Conference on Sustainable
Development?

No
78%

Do you know what the outcome was of the Rio +20
UN Conference on Sustainable Development?
Yes
22%

For those answering yes (n=1393): How far do you agree or disagree with the following
statement: "I am satisfied with the outcome of the Rio +20 UN Conference on
Sustainable Development"

Total agree
15% 34% 23% 18% 10% 49%


General

In the recent (localised for each country) General Do you consider political candidates to be role
Election were you satisfied with the choice of models?*
candidates?*

Yes
Yes 28%
40%

No
60% No
72%

*not asked in China

General

In the recent (localised for each country) General Election were you satisfied
with the choice of candidates?* % answering ‘yes’

USA 52%

France 51%

Egypt 50%

Russia 45%

Germany 43%

South Africa 40%

India 39%

UK 37%

Brazil 35%

Spain 29%

Mexico 21%

*not asked in China

General

Do you consider political candidates to be role models?*

Egypt 56%

India 45%

Mexico 45%

USA 37%

South Africa 32%

UK 25%

Spain 24%

Russia 15%

Germany 14%

France 11%

Brazil 7%

*not asked in China

General

What are the greatest motivators for you to vote? Please select the top 3 that apply.

Economy/ Jobs 66%

Education 59%

Social issues 46%

Corruption 37%

Environment 26%

Taxation 25%

Foreign policy 18%

Immigration 17%

Other 4%

*not asked in China

Europe


There is a lack of competent leadership in Europe 22% 42% 26% 8%1% 64%

I am concerned about the rise of nationalist extremism in my
country 16% 32% 29% 17% 6% 48%

The Euro currency has a future 12% 32% 29% 19% 9% 44%

Germany’s role in Europe is too dominant 15% 26% 34% 19% 5% 41%

Austerity measures are the right approach to address the
financial crisis in Europe 9% 27% 38% 16% 10% 36%

There will be fewer opportunities for me in Europe in the next
five years than in countries outside Europe 10% 25% 40% 20% 5% 35%

Individual European leaders are able to work together for the
5% 24% 38% 24% 10% 29%
good of the European economy as a whole

72 Base: European countries n=2169

Europe

There is a lack of competent Germany’s role in Europe is too
leadership in Europe dominant
% answering agree or agree a lot % answering agree or agree a lot

France 71% Spain 70%

Germany 67% France 46%

UK 59% UK 29%

Spain 59% Germany 25%

73 Base: European countries n=2169

One Young World
Countries Research 2012

One Young World Countries Research 2012

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Editor's Notes