Top 5 global worries: May 2024

Inflation is the No. 1 concern for the 26th month in a row.

Is the cost-of-living crisis over?

Yes, as many experts and politicians have pointed out, red-hot inflation has cooled considerably over the past year or so in several countries. No, that doesn't mean consumers around the globe are no longer worried about high prices and other pocketbook issues.

Concern about inflation has come down from 41% (on average across 29 countries) in May 2023 to 34% in May 2024 — but it remains the top topic. Crime & violence (30%, +1pp year-over-year), poverty & social inequality (30%, no change y-o-y), unemployment (27%, no change y-o-y) and financial/political corruption (26%, -1pp y-o-y) round out the top five issues people are most worried about right now.

Struggling to make ends meet

The latest wave of the Ipsos Cost of Living Monitor finds just under three in five (59% on average across 32 countries) say they're either just about getting by or finding it quite/very difficult to manage financially these days. That's barely budged from 61%, on average across 29 countries, who said the same last spring.

But, there's shafts of light poking through the dark clouds. The proportion of people who think the rate of inflation will rise is down slightly (58% in March/April 2024 versus 63% a year earlier) and it's well down from a high of 75% (on average across 28 countries) in May/June 2022 when inflation was running much hotter globally than it is now. Plus, just under half (48%) think interest rates will rise, down 12 points from March/April 2023 and a much lower proportion vs. two years ago when 64% thought interest rates would rise.

Pointing a finger at politicians

Who, or what's, to blame for the sticky cost-of-living crisis?

The top three culprits are currently considered to be: the state of the global economy (70%), followed very closely by the policies of one's national government (68%) and the interest rate in one's country (68%).

2024 is a historic election year, with people in at least 64 countries set to go the polls. Will voters who are still feeling the pinch, from the U.K. to the U.S., punish the politicians that have been in power for the prolonged economic pain many have felt during this inflationary era? We're all about to find out.

Check out our latest report for a deeper dive on how concerns have changed over time everywhere from Australia to the United States of America: https://www.ipsos.com/en/what-worries-world.