GLOBAL – UNITED STATES, AUGUST 26, 2013 JWT’s 27-country Anxiety Index study has revealed that cost of living is primarily driven by concern about the price of everyday essentials like food and gas, followed by unemployment.
Of the 27 countries surveyed, Pakistan stands out as most anxious country with nearly 9 in 10 respondents answering positively.
Anxieties in Western Europe vary considerably. Concerns about the economy and the cost of living are highest in France and Spain, where they are nearly universal among adults. Finland, Germany and the U.K. are significantly less anxious.
In Eastern Europe, Czechs are more nervous than Russians about food prices, their government’s budget deficit and corruption. Russians, meanwhile, are among the most worried in the world about the safety of their food supply.
In Japan, anxiety is high over the budget deficit and, understandably, natural disasters. South Koreans worry most about gas prices and employment, while anxieties in China and Hong Kong mirror those seen in the rest of the globe.
In the Middle East and Africa, anxieties around the rate of crime peak among South Africans and Pakistanis. Prices around everyday essentials, like gasoline and food, as well as unemployment are also driving anxiety in these markets.
In South Asia, Indonesians are among the most concerned worldwide about corruption, while Indians worry not only about factors that impact them directly (gas prices and their government’s deficit) but also about greater social concerns like global warming.
The economy and the current cost of living are the greatest drivers of anxiety in North America, with Americans significantly more worried about the state of the economy than Canadians and others across the globe.
JWT’s 10-year-old AnxietyIndex tracks consumer anxiety and, importantly, the drivers of that anxiety, using SONAR, JWT’s proprietary online research tool. It covered 225 polled 225 adults aged 18-plus in each of counties from October 1–10, 2012.
“Navigating consumer anxieties is not about exploiting fear—it’s about finding better ways to connect with consumers looking for trust, credibility, reassurance and answers,” said Ann Mack, director of Trendspotting at JWT.
“Anxiety frequently informs brand and product choices, which means brands must understand those anxieties and address them proactively," added Mack.
