Gallup Embarks on Massive Global Poll

Gallup has announced the official launch of its 'World Poll', an annual global survey of opinions and behaviours via interviews in 140 countries representing 95% of the world's adult population. The firm says it has has committed to conducting the study for the next 100 years.

Translated into dozens of languages, its questionnaire has been designed to cover a broad variety of issues and be meaningful in every culture. It also contains a set of core questions and region-specific questions which were developed in collaboration with behavioural economists, and which will be asked across countries over time to enable comparison of data and trend spotting.

'Our biggest challenge was choosing a methodology to ensure the whole set is comparable,' Jon Clifton, Deputy Director of The Gallup World Poll, explained: 'For instance, when we ask about life satisfaction, everyone from a Manhattan socialite to a Masai mother has to be asked the same question every time in the same way with the same meaning and in their own languages so the answers can be statistically comparable.'

As part of the study, Gallup has created a set of benchmarks so leaders can see trends and patterns emerging on issues such as wellbeing, war and peace, law and order, healthcare, personal economics, poverty, and the environment. These are correlated with world developments such as GDP, to help leaders understand the broad context of national interests.

Having now completed the design, engineering, and first year of global data collection, Gallup says it is using 'every statistical technique known to man' to analyze exactly what the world is thinking.

Clifton says the conclusions are complex. 'For instance, when you dig deeply into the hopes, fears, motivations, and satisfactions of 1 billion Muslims, you realize how much more complicated their attitudes and opinions are than conventional wisdom would lead us to believe. It's the same with the 3 billion people who live on $2 a day or less. What they're thinking is very different from what most government agencies and NGOs understand and report.'

Access to World Poll data and analysis is available through web-based applications that allow users to retrieve, compare, and track country data and monitor key indexes. Gallup consultants and regional experts are also on hand to provide customized analysis and actionable strategies based on the data.

Earlier this month, Gallup and healthcare support provider Healthways launched the Well-Being Index to help leaders across government and businesses collaboratively address the health, wellness and prevention needs of the population (www.mrweb.com/drno/news8063.htm ).

The firm is online at www.gallup.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.