42 per cent of people optimistic about 2023
Dynata, the world’s largest first-party data company for insights, activation, and measurement, today released its latest Global Consumer Trends survey, which explores the attitudes and behaviors of 11,000 people across 11 countries, aiming to better understand how evolving economic and social factors are impacting consumers across the world.
This installment of the research series focuses on people’s feelings about the year ahead, their personal finances and mental health. A deeper dive into all key findings, including country- and demographic-specific data, is illustrated in more detail in the infographics below. Full data tables are also available.
2023 Outlooks
- Globally, people are more optimistic (42 per cent) than pessimistic (34 per cent) about the year ahead.
- Optimism is highest in China(76 per cent), the United States (49 per cent), Australia (47 per cent) and Canada (46 per cent). In the U.S., 26 per cent are ‘”very optimistic,” compared to France (9 per cent), Netherlands (8 per cent) and Italy (7 per cent).
- Gen Z (60 per cent) and Millennials (52 per cent) feel more optimistic than Gen X (36 per cent) and Baby Boomers (28 per cent).
- Inflation is the No. 1 concern for consumers globally and across all age groups — except in China, where consumers are worried most about the ongoing impacts of COVID-19.
- Younger generations worry more than older generations about unemployment (41 per cent of Gen Z vs. just one in five Baby Boomers), gender equality (36 per cent of Gen Z vs. 17 per cent of Baby Boomers) and LGBTQ+ rights (29 per cent of Gen Z vs. 13 per cent of Baby Boomers).
Personal finances
- Globally, more than six in 10 people (61 per cent) say their personal finances have changed during the past year — and of those, more are likely to say their finances have worsened (33 per cent) than improved (28 per cent).
- Across the world, an increasing proportion of consumers are struggling to make ends meet — and more are falling into debt. The percentages of those who agree with these statements increased in every country between August 2022and January 2023.
- People in the U.S. (48 per cent), Japan(47 per cent), Australia (44 per cent) and Spain (43 per cent) were most likely to be struggling to make ends meet as the year began.
- Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X are experiencing more financial hardship than Baby Boomers — and at higher levels than last summer.
Mental health
- Half of people globally (49 per cent) say their mental health has changed since before the pandemic. Of those:
- Slightly more people self-report feeling better (26 per cent) than worse off (23 per cent) mentally, with the most positive improvements found in China(59 per cent), the U.S. (34 per cent) and Canada (28 per cent).
- Financial problems (43 per cent) are the top-cited factor globally for those whose mental health has declined — including by more than half of consumers in the U.S. and Spain(both 53 per cent), and Australia (52 per cent).
- Talking about mental health was once considered taboo. Now, half of people globally (50 per cent) are comfortable discussing it openly. The highest figures are found in China(61 per cent), the U.K. and U.S. (both 58 per cent).
- Compared to 2019, women of all ages (26 per cent) report worse mental health than men (19 per cent).
