What Worried the World in 2024

The Ipsos "What Worries the World" survey, conducted monthly in 29 countries among 20,000 adults for over a decade, offers insights into global public opinion on social, political, and other pressing issues. Throughout 2024 and into December, inflation, rising prices, and crime were the most prominent concerns reported globally.

Annual Highlights

Inflation dominated as the top concern in 29 countries for 11 out of 12 months in 2024. In September, concern over inflation dropped to 30%, the lowest level since March 2022 (27%). Cost of living was the second-most pressing issue, ranking highly for 11 months as well, with concern decreasing slightly from 36% in January to 32% in December. Argentina experienced the most significant shift in priorities: inflation, the country's leading issue for 18 consecutive months, was overtaken by unemployment in September. Inflation concern in Argentina fell from 68% in January to 38% in December.



Globally, the proportion of people who believe their country is “heading in the right direction” dropped by four percentage points—from 41% to 37%—over the year, with December recording the lowest level. Peru remained the most pessimistic country for 16 consecutive months, with only 10% of respondents in December believing the country was on the right track.

France saw a notable decline in optimism, from 27% in January to just 10% in December. Similarly, optimism in Poland decreased from 57% to 38% (-19 percentage points), likely due to fading post-election enthusiasm from October 2023. Conversely, South Africa showed the largest improvement in sentiment, rising from 19% in January (the lowest globally) to 38% in December (+19 points), moving to 11th place among 29 countries.

Concern over crime and violence increased slightly, from 29% to 31%, over the year. In September, crime surpassed inflation as the top global concern, with 31% of respondents identifying it as their country’s most pressing issue. This concern was particularly acute in Latin America and Sweden. By December, all six Latin American countries in the Ipsos survey ranked crime as their top issue.

Economic optimism also declined, with the share of people rating their country's economy as “very good” or “somewhat good” dropping from 38% in January to 36% in December. The G7 average fell even further, from 32% to 25%. Argentina saw the most significant improvement, with economic optimism jumping by 27 points, from 5% to 32%. Meanwhile, France experienced a 20-point decline, from 30% to 10%, joined by Belgium (-14 points) and Germany (-13 points).

December Insights

In December 2024, inflation remained the leading global concern, with 32% of respondents citing it as their primary worry. Although this marked a 5% drop compared to December 2023, eight countries (up from six) named cost of living as their top concern. Notably, concern over prices surged in Canada and France, where inflation became a more significant issue.

In Canada, the percentage of respondents worried about prices increased by seven points in one month to 49%. Similarly, in France, inflation concern rose by six points, reaching 37%. Meanwhile, inflation concerns in Argentina were 32 percentage points lower than in December 2023, dropping to 38%.



Crime and violence, the top concern in September, fell to second place by December, reflecting a moderate decrease in global worry levels. In Peru, however, crime surged to become the leading issue, with 65% of respondents expressing concern, up 7% from December 2023. This marked the highest level of concern since March 2020 (71%).

Mentions of corruption also rose slightly in December, reaching 27%. In Israel, corruption overtook economic concerns, with 36% of respondents identifying it as the primary issue, up 15 percentage points from the previous month. Meanwhile, Turkey saw a 10-point decline in mentions of crime, though it remained 11 points higher than in December 2023.

Poverty and inequality, while still significant issues, saw a slight decrease in mentions to 29%. In Belgium, inequality became the leading concern, overtaking taxes for the first time in eight months, with 31% of respondents identifying it as the main issue (+7 percentage points compared to 2023).

Argentina experienced a notable rebound in economic sentiment, with the proportion of respondents rating the economy positively rising from 6% in December 2023 to 32% in December 2024. This improvement lifted Argentina to 15th place among the 29 surveyed countries, its highest position since January 2018. By contrast, France fell to last place, with only 10% rating its economy positively, the lowest figure since February 2016.

Key Takeaways

The Ipsos survey underscores persistent global concerns over inflation, crime, and economic instability, with significant regional variations. While some countries, like Argentina, showed improvements in economic optimism, others, such as France, saw sharp declines in public confidence. Rising concerns over corruption, inequality, and social issues indicate shifting public priorities.

In 2024, economic pessimism remained pronounced, particularly in advanced economies like the G7, where public satisfaction with economic conditions declined substantially. The interplay between inflation and crime as top global concerns highlights the complex challenges facing governments worldwide.