IMAS New Years Survey: A year with Corona has apparently resulted in only a third of the population going into the new year in a positive mood.
The Austrians' confidence evaporated in 2020. The Linz opinion research institute IMAS has never registered such a bad mood since the introduction of its New Year's survey in 1972. A year with Corona apparently has the effect that only a third of the population is positive about the new year. Looking back is also sobering: A mere 22 percent thought that 2020 would have been a good year, according to the current study.
For three quarters of those surveyed, the year that is coming to an end was even “bad” (29 percent) or “not particularly good” (46 percent), according to the study published on Monday. 60 percent started with confidence, if you use the result of the New Year's survey of 2019. The change in mood that occurred in the course of this year was also reflected in the assessment for 2021. Only 28 percent were confident. In contrast, 28 percent looked ahead with skepticism and 38 percent even with concern, six percent did not provide any information. Above all women (43 percent) and the age group 60-plus (48 percent) expressed fears.
Cause Corona
The pollsters also wanted to know why the Austrians are so negative. And it turned out, not surprisingly, that the all-dominant Corona issue is the cause. Those who are worried about the future do so mainly because of the prevailing crisis (27 percent), economic development (22 percent) and fear of their own job (17 percent). The situation is similar with the skeptics, but the main tormenting is uncertainty (28 percent). Corona also determines the basic attitude of optimists. However, they outweigh the hope for the vaccine (33 percent) and the opinion that it can only get better (24 percent).
According to the study, the pandemic also has an impact on personal resolutions for the coming year: those two goals – “move more” and “live more consciously” – that have been the top priority in recent years are even more important for 2021 won. Of the 35 percent of Austrians willing to change, 44 percent want to do more sports in the future – 35 percent said this in the previous year – and 40 percent want to lead a more conscious lifestyle, which means an increase of ten percentage points compared to the previous year. At the bottom of the personal to-do list are “drink less alcohol” (eleven percent) or “engage more politically” (9 percent).
On average, the group took on around four of them with good intentions. After all, 21 percent of those surveyed managed to largely implement the goals they had set in 2019 this year. A good half said that this was at least partially successful. On the other hand, 28 percent said it didn't work out. Two-thirds of the population have no special plans for 2021.
In November and December, IMAS surveyed 1,017 Austrians aged 16 and over.
