In New Zealand, a cross-section of 956 men and women aged 14 or over were interviewed by telephone in July 2013.
Economic issues are clearly the most important issue facing New Zealand and the World today and since surveying began in November 2010 according to the latest Roy Morgan Research conducted in July 2013.
New Zealand views on Problems facing New Zealand
When asked about the most important problem facing New Zealand, Economic issues are mentioned by 51% (up 5% since May 2013) well ahead of Social issues (18%, unchanged), Government and Public Policy Issues (14%, down 2%) and Environmental issues (7%, up 1%).
The most important Economic issues facing New Zealand include Poverty /Gap between the Rich and the Poor (15%, up 6%), the Economy/ Financial crisis/ Recession/ Inflation/ Exchange rate/ High dollar (13%, unchanged), Unemployment/ Job security (13%, down 2%) and the Cost of living/ Increasing prices/ Financial hardship/ Household debt (7%, up 3%).
Another important issue mentioned by New Zealanders is the Government/ Politicians/ Leadership/ Government Spending (7%, down 2%). Important Social Issues according to New Zealanders are Social Apathy/ Lack of values/ Lack of empathy towards others/ Intolerance (4%, up 1%) and Racism/ Racial tension (3%, up 1%).
New Zealand views on Problems facing the World
The biggest World problems are Economic issues again, (45%, up 10% since May 2013), in front of Social Issues (15%, up 1%). Terrorism/ Wars/ Security (14%, down 6%) and Environmental issues (13%, down 1%).
The most important Economic issues facing the World mentioned by New Zealanders are Poverty/ The gap between the Rich and the Poor/ Imbalance of wealth (17%, up 7%), the Economy/ Financial Crisis/ Recession (15%, up 4%), Over-population (4%, unchanged), Unemployment/ Job security (4%, unchanged), Cost of Living/ Increasing Prices/ Financial Hardship/ Household Debt (3%, down 1%) and Food Shortage/ Feeding the People (3%, unchanged).
Other important issues facing the World mentioned by New Zealanders include Wars and Conflicts/ Unrest (7%, down 3%), Social Apathy/ Lack of Values/ Lack of Empathy towards others/ Intolerance (7%, up 1%), Climate Change/ Global Warming (6%, unchanged), Government/ Politicians/ Political unrest/ Instability/ Greedy and Corrupt Governments (4%, up 1%), Religion/ Religious conflict (4%, unchanged) and Famine/ Hunger/ Starvation (3%, down 1%).
Michele Levine says, CEO Roy Morgan says:
“This latest NZ Roy Morgan Issues Research shows that Economic issues dominate concerns facing both New Zealand (51%, up 5%) and the World (45%, up 10%).
“The dominant Economic issues facing New Zealand are Poverty/ Gap between the Rich and Poor (15%, up 6%), Unemployment/ Job Security (13%, down 2%), the Economy/ Financial crisis/ Recession/ Inflation/ Exchange rate/ High dollar (13%, unchanged) and Cost of Living/ Increasing Prices/ Financial Hardship/ Household Debt (7%, up 3%).
“Other important issues facing New Zealand include Government/ Politicians/ Leadership/ Government Spending (7%, down 2%), Social Apathy/ Lack of Values/ Lack of empathy toward others/ Intolerance (4%, up 1%), Racism/ Racial tension (3%, up 1%), Housing shortages/ Housing affordability (3%, up 1%) and Natural Disasters/ Earthquakes/ Tsunamis/ Floods/ Volcanic eruptions (3%, up 2%).
“When asked about World issues, the most important Economic issues are Poverty/ The gap between the Rich and the Poor/ Imbalance of wealth (17%, up 7%) Economy/ Financial crisis/ Recession (15%, up 4%), Over-population (4%, unchanged) and Unemployment/ Job Security (4%, unchanged).
“The next most important issues facing the World are Social apathy/ Lack of values/ Lack of empathy toward others/ Intolerance (7%, up 1%), Wars & Conflicts/ Unrest (7%, down 3%), Climate Change/ Global Warming/ Ozone Layer/ Greenhouse Effect (6%, unchanged), Religion/ Religious Conflict (4%, unchanged) and Government/ Politicians/ Political unrest/ Instability/ Greedy and Corrupt Governments (4%, down 1%).”
These findings come from a special New Zealand Roy Morgan survey conducted with New Zealanders aged 14+ asked what are the most important issues facing New Zealand and the World today.
In New Zealand, a cross-section of 956 men and women aged 14 or over were interviewed by telephone in July 2013. Respondents were asked: “Firstly, what do you think is the most important problem facing the World today?” and “What do you think is the most important problem facing New Zealand today?” The research conducted was both qualitative (in that people were asked to use their own words) and quantitative (in that the ‘open-ended’ responses were analysed and ‘coded’ so that the results could be counted and reported as percentages).
|
Most Important Problem Facing New Zealand
|
New Zealand
|
|
|
Jan
2012
|
April
2012
|
July
2012
|
Oct
2012
|
Jan
2013
|
May
2013
|
July
2013
|
|
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
|
Poverty/ The Gap Between Rich & Poor/ Imbalance of Wealth
|
8
|
10
|
8
|
13
|
11
|
9
|
15
|
|
Economy/ Financial Crisis/ Recession/ Inflation/ Exchange Rate/ High Dollar
|
18
|
16
|
15
|
16
|
18
|
13
|
13
|
|
Unemployment/ Job Security
|
12
|
13
|
13
|
19
|
13
|
15
|
13
|
|
Cost of Living/ Increasing Prices/ Financial Hardship/ Household Debt
|
9
|
10
|
7
|
4
|
3
|
4
|
7
|
|
^Christchurch Recovery & Rebuilding
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
*
|
1
|
|
Foreign Ownership/ Selling our Assets
|
*
|
2
|
5
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
1
|
|
Low Wages
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
|
Need to Increase Exports
|
1
|
*
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
*
|
1
|
|
TOTAL ECONOMIC ISSUES
|
51
|
55
|
52
|
57
|
49
|
46
|
51
|
|
Social Apathy/ Lack of Values/ Lack of Empathy Toward Others/ Intolerance
|
2
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
4
|
|
Racism/ Racial Tension
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
|
Child Abuse/ Lack of Care of Children/ Bringing up Children Wrongly
|
5
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
|
Drugs/ Alcohol Issues/ Drink Driving
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
|
Social Welfare System
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
|
Youth Issues such as Behaviour/ Pregnancies/ Crime/
Drinking/ Drugs/ Lack of Discipline
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
|
Breakdown of Family Unit/ Family Violence
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
*
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
|
Crime/ Law & Order
|
5
|
2
|
3
|
2
|
4
|
3
|
1
|
|
Greed/ Materialism
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
*
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
|
Violence/ Gangs
|
1
|
1
|
*
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
|
TOTAL SOCIAL ISSUES
|
21
|
18
|
19
|
13
|
20
|
18
|
18
|
|
Government/ Politicians/ Leadership/ Government Spending
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
6
|
5
|
9
|
7
|
|
Housing shortage/ Housing affordability
|
-
|
1
|
*
|
*
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
|
Immigration/ Refugees
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
|
Benefits Given to the Maori/ Inequality Between Maori and Other Ethnic Groups
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
*
|
2
|
1
|
|
Education
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
|
Not enough people/ People leaving New Zealand
|
-
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
*
|
|
TOTAL GOVERNMENT/ PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES
|
6
|
9
|
12
|
13
|
10
|
16
|
14
|
|
^Christchurch Recovery & Rebuilding
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
*
|
1
|
|
Christchurch Earthquake & Damage
|
2
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
|
TOTAL CHRISTCHURCH ISSUES
|
4
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
|
(Other) Natural Disasters/ Earthquakes/ Tsunamis/ Floods/ Volcanic Eruptions
|
4
|
3
|
1
|
*
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
|
Climate Change/ Global Warming
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
*
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
|
Environmental Issues/ Degradation
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
|
Environmental Pollution/ Water Pollution
|
1
|
*
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
*
|
|
Rena Oil Spill
|
*
|
*
|
-
|
*
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
TOTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES (INCLUDING CHRISTCHURCH)
|
11
|
8
|
6
|
4
|
7
|
6
|
7
|
|
Health Issues/ Disease/ Obesity/ Poor Health
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
|
Health System/ Shortage of Doctors/ Health Services
|
*
|
1
|
1
|
*
|
*
|
1
|
1
|
|
TOTAL HEALTH ISSUES
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
|
Other
|
6
|
5
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
|
Can’t say
|
2
|
5
|
6
|
8
|
11
|
10
|
8
|
|
TOTAL
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
*Less than 1%. ^ (Christchurch Recovery & Rebuilding included in both Economic & Environmental Issues).
|
Most Important Problem Facing the World
|
The World
|
|
|
Jan
2012
|
April
2012
|
July
2012
|
Oct
2012
|
Jan
2013
|
May
2013
|
July
2013
|
|
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
|
Poverty/ The Gap Between Rich & Poor/ Imbalance of Wealth
|
11
|
16
|
13
|
17
|
16
|
10
|
17
|
|
Economy/ Financial Crisis/ Recession
|
29
|
20
|
25
|
20
|
19
|
11
|
15
|
|
Over-population
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
4
|
|
Unemployment/ Job Security
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
4
|
3
|
4
|
4
|
|
Cost of Living/ Increasing Prices/ Financial Hardship/ Household Debt
|
4
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
4
|
3
|
|
Food Shortages/ Feeding the People
|
-
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
|
TOTAL ECONOMIC ISSUES
|
51
|
47
|
48
|
48
|
43
|
35
|
45
|
|
Social Apathy/ Lack of Values/ Lack of Empathy Toward Others/ Intolerance
|
3
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
|
Crime/ Law & Order
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
|
Greed
|
3
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
4
|
2
|
2
|
|
Violence
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
|
Drug/ Alcohol Issues/ Drink Driving
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
|
Racism/ Racial Tension
|
*
|
*
|
1
|
1
|
*
|
1
|
*
|
|
TOTAL SOCIAL ISSUES
|
9
|
14
|
15
|
12
|
16
|
14
|
15
|
|
Wars & Conflicts/ Unrest
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
9
|
6
|
10
|
7
|
|
Religion/ Religious Conflict
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
5
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
|
Peace/ Lack of World Peace
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
|
Terrorism
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
6
|
2
|
|
TOTAL TERRORISM/ WARS/ SECURITY ISSUES
|
9
|
11
|
8
|
16
|
13
|
20
|
14
|
|
Climate Change/ Global Warming/ Ozone Layer/ Greenhouse Effect
|
5
|
3
|
5
|
4
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
|
Famine/ Hunger/ Starvation
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
3
|
3
|
4
|
3
|
|
Environmental Issues/ Changes/ Degradation
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
|
Natural Disasters – Earthquakes/ Tsunamis/ Floods/ Volcanic Eruptions
|
4
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
|
Environmental Pollution
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
|
TOTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
|
16
|
11
|
13
|
10
|
15
|
14
|
13
|
|
Government/ Politicians/ Political Unrest/ Instability/
Greedy & Corrupt Governments
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
4
|
|
TOTAL GOVERNMENT/ POLITICAL/ HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
4
|
|
Shortage of Resources/ Consumption of Resources
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
|
Water Shortage/ Clean Water
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
*
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
|
Energy Crisis/ Fuel Shortage/ Need Renewable Energy Sources
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
*
|
1
|
1
|
*
|
|
TOTAL ENERGY/ RESOURCE ISSUES
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
|
Health Issues/ Disease/ Obesity/ Poor Health
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
|
TOTAL HEALTH ISSUES
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
|
Education
|
*
|
1
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
1
|
|
Lack of Religious or Spiritual Values
|
1
|
*
|
*
|
*
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
|
Other
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
|
Can’t say
|
5
|
7
|
8
|
6
|
5
|
9
|
3
|
|
TOTAL
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
*Less than 1%.
For further information:
Gary Morgan: Office +61 3 9224 5213 Mobile +61 411 129 094
Michele Levine: Office +61 3 9224 5215 Mobile +61 411 129 093