Majority of adults globally believe children will be economically worse off than parents: study

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Thursday, January 16, 2025

Adults in 36 international locations all over the world, together with the USA, maintain a bleak view of what the long run holds for his or her kids economically, with greater than half anticipating that children in the present day will probably be worse off than their dad and mom amid rising earnings inequality, based on a brand new research from the Pew Analysis Middle.

Information collected by way of the Pew Analysis Middle’s Spring 2024 International Attitudes Survey suggests {that a} median of 57% of adults count on kids of their nation to be worse off financially than their dad and mom after they develop up.

The research is predicated on phone, face-to-face and on-line interviews performed underneath the path of Gallup, Langer Analysis Associates, Social Analysis Centre and Verian. 

The international locations that participated within the survey had been the U.S., Canada, Poland, Germany, Sweden, Hungary, Netherlands, Greece, Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, France, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Australia, Japan, Israel, Tunisia, Turkey, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Colombia.

“In lots of international locations, there may be extra financial pessimism in the present day than earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic — which damage many individuals economically. In 15 of 31 international locations the place developments can be found, the share of the general public who thinks kids will probably be worse off financially than their dad and mom is greater in the present day than in pre-pandemic surveys,” researchers observe.

Simply 34% of adults within the international locations surveyed consider the kids will probably be higher off than their dad and mom.

At 81%, France had the best share of adults who say their kids will probably be worse of economically. Italy, the U.Ok., and Australia adopted in second place at 79%. The U.S. and Canada had been listed amongst a number of high-income international locations the place roughly three-quarters or extra of adults say kids will probably be economically worse off than their dad and mom.

In Europe for instance, Poland and Hungary had been the one international locations the place most adults didn’t count on kids to be worse off than their dad and mom.

Over half of adults within the international locations surveyed pointed to the rising hole between the wealthy and poor as a “very large drawback,” whereas one other 30% say it’s a reasonably large drawback. About 60% of respondents cited the affect of the wealthy in politics as a major issue contributing to earnings inequality, which is seen as a pronounced issue amongst Latin American adults.

“The view that the political affect of the rich contributes to financial inequality, whereas frequent throughout most survey international locations, is especially widespread in Latin America. About seven-in-ten or extra say this issue contributes an important deal in 5 of the six Latin American international locations polled,” researchers observe.

To a lesser diploma, respondents additionally blamed different components for rising earnings inequality together with issues with their nation’s training system (48%), folks being born with extra alternatives than others (40%); some folks working more durable than others (39%), the influence of robots and computer systems doing work beforehand achieved by people (31%), and discrimination towards racial or ethnic minorities (29%).

“Issues about these points are sometimes tied to respondents’ demographic traits, background and experiences,” researchers clarify.

“For instance, in some nations, folks with decrease incomes are particularly anxious about financial inequality; racial and ethnic minorities are extra involved about racial and ethnic discrimination; girls are extra involved about gender inequality; and individuals who prioritize faith usually tend to see non secular discrimination as a really large drawback.”