Bogotá — Sixty-two percent of people surveyed in 29 markets by Ipsos this month believe their country is on the wrong track, compared to 38% who believed the opposite, results that are stable compared to those of the previous month’s report.
The What Worries the World report shows that the top global concerns are inflation (38%), followed by crime and violence (31%), poverty and social inequality (30%), unemployment (26%) and financial and political corruption (26%).
Ipsos highlights that inflation has been the top global concern in the survey for the past 16 months.
However, the level of concern about inflation reported in July is the lowest score since June 2022, as the cost of living has been moderating through a prescription based primarily on interest rate hikes by the central banks of the world’s largest economies.
Regarding the economic situation in their countries, 36% described it as good in July, unchanged from the previous report.
Perceptions regarding the health of the economy increased the most since last month in Colombia (+12 points), followed by the US (+9).
Ipsos also highlights that Spain recorded a new high level of economic optimism after a two-point increase to 36%.
But the results also reflect a decrease in optimism about the economy, especially in Turkey (-9 points) and the Netherlands (-7).
The What Worries the World survey was conducted between June 23 and July 7 based on responses from citizens in 29 countries. In total, 20,570 online interviews were conducted.
In Latin America, Ipsos conducted the survey in five countries, namely Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Argentina.
In Latin America, the most negative countries regarding the direction they are taking are:
· Argentina: 87% of those polled say the country is passing through a bad economic period
· Peru: 86%
· Colombia: 62%
· Mexico: 46%
· Brazil: 40%
The countries with the most negative perception of their economies are:
· Argentina: where 93% describe the economic situation as bad
· Chile: 75%
· Peru: 75%
· Colombia: 68%
· Brazil: 53%
· Mexico: 52%
Thee greatest concern in Argentina is inflation, with 68%, in Chile it is crime and violence with 59%, as well as in Peru with 57% and in Mexico with 53%.
In Brazil, poverty and social inequality is what worries 41% of the citizens consulted, while in Colombia it is unemployment with 41%.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts that in 2023 Latin America’s GDP will grow by 1.9%, which is an improvement compared to its July report, when it projected an increase of 1.6%.
By 2024, it expects the region’s economy to grow by 2.2%, maintaining the projections of the previous edition.
