Deloitte: "Japan and India Show Highest Health and Economic Anxiety Since COVID-19 Outbreak"

[Asia Economy Reporter Minji Lee] Amid the global spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), opinions have emerged that the anxiety about health and the economy among the people of India and Japan is higher than in other countries.

According to the report titled ‘Global Consumer Behavior Survey: COVID-19 Recovery Timing and Direction Prediction’ published by Deloitte Korea Group on the 19th, a survey was conducted over three days starting April 29 targeting 13,000 people across 13 countries including Korea, China, and the United States. The anxiety levels by country showed that respondents from India and Japan recorded the highest rates at 57% and 20%, respectively.

Following them were Spain (14%), Italy (14%), France (12%), Canada (11%), and the United Kingdom (9%) in order of high anxiety levels. Countries that disagreed with feeling anxious included Germany (-21%), the Netherlands (-19%), Korea (-19%), and China (-1%). It was judged that respondents from these countries reflected expectations for adaptation to the new normal or new plans being announced for economic reopening in their answers.

The report stated that across all surveyed countries, there was significant concern for the health of individuals, families, and others. Regarding concerns about physical health, China and India recorded the highest levels at 89% and 81%, respectively.

With rising unemployment due to the chain effects of economic paralysis following COVID-19, countries with the greatest concern about job loss were India (72%), Spain (54%), and Korea (49%). The United States, where 22 million people have enrolled in unemployment insurance over the past four weeks, wiping out all job gains made in the past decade, was estimated at 33%.

Additionally, the report explained that when asked about the sense of security in daily activities, only 40% of all respondents said it was okay to use offline stores. For hotel stays, 29% responded affirmatively, and only 25% said it was okay to board airplanes. Among these, Japan was identified as the country with the lowest sense of security in daily activities. Only 15% and 12% of Japanese respondents said they felt secure visiting stores and staying at hotels, respectively.

Meanwhile, Deloitte Global conducts the Global Consumer Behavior Survey on a biweekly basis. Through this report, it is possible to track the latest trends and causes of changes in consumer behavior analyzed by date, country, and age group.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.