Natural disasters have taken the lead as the most perceived threat, with 70% of respondents expressing worry—a four-point increase, according to a recent IPSOS poll. This concern surpasses fears of a major health epidemic (63%, +3 pts), a terrorist attack (63%, +2 pts), personal safety/security violations (63%, +2 pts), violent conflicts between ethnic/minority groups (60%, +1 pt), and armed conflicts with other countries (49%, -1 pt). Perceived threats are on the rise across most metrics.
EASED CONCERNS ABOUT NUCLEAR ATTACK
Concerns about a nuclear, biological, or chemical attack have seen a decline, dropping four points to 71% in 2023. Despite this decrease, the apprehension remains widespread globally, with every surveyed country acknowledging it as a real threat, ranging from 58% (-5 pts) in France to 85% (+1 pt) in Thailand.
CYBERHACKING REGAINS TOP SPOT
Cyber hacking has returned as the primary global concern after briefly losing ground to fears of a nuclear attack in 2022. Consistently, hacking remains a leading worry, holding steady at 74%. Despite a slight decline in some countries, it remains a significant concern, with Argentina (+5 pts to 75%), the Netherlands (+6 pts to 70%), and Hungary (+6 pts to 56%) experiencing notable increases. Concern about hacking dropped to 79% (-2 pts) in the U.S. and rose to 77% (+2 pts) in Canada.
GLOBAL SENTIMENT AMID CHALLENGES
Despite facing challenges such as the pandemic, war, and inflation, the global sentiment about the state of the world hasn’t significantly changed. The proportion of people who believe things are getting better (47%) remained unchanged in 2023 but is four percentage points lower than in 2017.
CONCERNS ABOUT EPIDEMICS RISE SLIGHTLY
The belief that the COVID-19 outbreak has been contained and will soon end dropped slightly to 61% (-1 pt) in 2023. While optimism increased significantly in several countries, including the Netherlands, Poland, and Thailand, pessimism grew in others like Peru, Turkey, and Mexico. Concerns about a major health epidemic breaking out in their country rose by three percentage points globally to 63% in 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN GOVERNMENT RESPONSES
Despite rising concerns, there is a prevalent lack of confidence in governments’ abilities to effectively respond to perceived threats. For instance, while 63% globally view an epidemic breaking out as a real threat, only 51% express confidence in their government’s ability to respond effectively—a 12-point gap. A similar trend is observed for natural disasters, emphasizing a growing skepticism toward government responses.
