APAC countries optimistic about 2022: Survey

Most countries in the Asia Pacific region are optimistic about what the new year will bring despite continued concern over rising prices and the consequences of climate change, according to “Global Predictions for 2022”, an Ipsos survey of 33 countries.

Why it matters

Even as COVID-19 remains prevalent, people in APAC are generally confident that vaccination rates will go up although they expect air travel to still be less than what it was in 2019. 

Key insights

• Most of APAC expect a better year in 2022, with China the most optimistic at 94%, followed by India (83%), Australia and Malaysia (both 82%), and Singapore (79%). Only South Korea (71%) and Japan (54%) were lower than the global average of 77%.
• When asked if 2021 was a bad year for them and their families, the countries that most agreed were South Korea (74%), India (63%), Malaysia (62%), Singapore (60%), and Australia (59%); only Japan (49%) and China (39%) were below the global average of 58%.
• But APAC is confident the global economy will be stronger in 2022 than it was in 2021, surpassing the global average of 61%, with China at 87%, India 80%, Malaysia 75%, Singapore 71%, Australia 69%, South Korea 63%, and Japan 62%.
• APAC believes that more than 80% of the world’s population will receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in 2022, with China at 80%, followed by Malaysia (79%), India (75%), Singapore (70%), Australia (65%), and South Korea (64%); only Japan (45%) polled below the global average of 56%.
• But APAC is pessimistic about travel and 68% in China expect people will fly less in 2022, followed by Singapore (67%), Malaysia (66%), Australia (57%), and India (52%); with the global average at 45%, Japan (36%) and South Korea (35%) are more hopeful.

Background

The Ipsos online survey was conducted from October 22nd to November 5th 2021 among 22,023 adults aged 16-74 in 33 countries.