2020 has been a tough year for many as the COVID-19 pandemic took over the world, leaving almost no place spared. The pandemic has radically changed lives around the globe. Thus, many hopes for a better 2021 with an end to COVID-19.
Based on a survey by Ipsos –one of the largest market research company in the world – three out of four Malaysians (76%) believe 2020 was a bad year for them but eight out of 10 Malaysians (82%) believe that 2021 will be a better year than it was in 2020. Chinese are most optimistic (94%) while Japanese tends to be least optimistic about 2021 with only 44% believes it is going to be a better year.
“2020 was overwhelmingly bad for individuals and families, irrespective of the country they are from. However, global public is highly optimistic that 2021 will be a much better year. Especially if they are from China, India or Malaysia,” said managing director of Ipsos Malaysia Arun Menon.
Furthermore, only 4 in 10 (41%) say it is likely life in their country will have got back to normal after the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and only a third (32%) expect the economy to have fully recovered.
On the other hand, more than half of Malaysians (61%) believe that life in the country will have got back to normal after the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, Malaysians predict a long road for economic recovery and normal life with only three out of five expect a full recovery in 2021.
Globally, people seem optimistic that a successful vaccine will become widely available in their country in 2021; 60% of people around the world say this is likely to happen. In Malaysia, three out of four Malaysians (75%) are optimistic about the wide availability of the COVID-19 vaccine in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, majority of the global public (59%) believe the world won’t change for the better after the pandemic. However, Malaysians are much more positive as two out of four Malaysians (50%) believe the world will change for the better after this pandemic.
These results are from 31-market survey conducted by Ipsos on its Global Advisor online platform. Ipsos interviewed a total of 23,007 adults aged 21 to 74 in Singapore, 18 to 74 in the US, Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, New Zealand, Malaysia, South Africa, and Turkey, while adults aged 16 to74 in 22 other markets between October 23 and November 6, 2020. – Jan 5, 2021
