Unemployment is main concern in most of the countries
According to a global study on the challenges of the nations, conducted by GfK Verein, unemployment leads the list of concerns with 30 percent, followed by concerns about the health service and education policy. At the bottom of the top ten of challenges are corruption, poverty, and traffic policy. GfK Verein is a non-profit organization for the promotion of market research.
In the first study on a global scale, unemployment is expressed as the key concern by a third of the people questioned. In 11 of 17 countries surveyed, it is at the top of the rankings. The concern is most prominent in Spain, mentioned by 74 percent of respondents, closely followed by France with 67 percent. In Italy, Poland and Nigeria, at least half of the population see the need to improve the labour market situation.
Concern about health service is in second place, with 17 percent. This concern ranks highest in Brazil, with around 55 percent of people being concerned, making it their number 1 challenge. Poland follows suit with 24 percent, followed by Nigeria (17 percent) and the Netherlands (16 percent). By contrast, in Turkey and South Africa (both 3 percent), other problems are currently more prominent.
Education policy is in third place with 13 percent, a concern that stands out in Nigeria (35 percent) and Brazil (32 percent). Yet 24 percent of Swedes would also like improvements regarding education policy. Still, altogether in more than half of the countries surveyed, less than 10 percent of citizens are concerned about education; levels of concern are lowest in Poland (3 percent), Italy, and the Netherlands (each at 4 percent).
In the "Challenges of the Nations" study, the average number of problems discussed by the citizens of each country varies. With an average of 3.6 answers per person, the most problems are expressed by the Nigerians. In Brazil, where citizens mention an average of 2.4 topics, 3 topics are even mentioned by more than 30 percent of respondents. In all the other countries, such a high level of recognition is reserved for a maximum of one topic. The most critical Europeans are the Germans and the French, who cite an average of 2.6 and 2.5 problems, respectively.
Those countries with below-average levels of concern are Switzerland (1.7 challenges) and South Africa (1.6), as well as Turkey and the USA, each with an average of 1.5 answers per person. Sweden, traditionally the European country with fewest concerns - and now by global standards as well - keeps an unchanged figure of just 1.2 topics.