Pandemic stalls growth in the global middle class

Plus, Americans' views on who faces discrimination March 20, 2021 Weekly Roundup The latest findings from Pew Research Center · Subscribe ↗ Majorities of Americans see at least some discrimination against Black, Hispanic and Asian people in the U.S. Large shares of Americans say there is at least some discrimination against Black (80%), Hispanic (76%) and Asian people (70%), according to a survey conducted before a gunman killed six Asian women in the Atlanta area. Views of discrimination vary widely by race and ethnicity, as well as along partisan lines. Sizable majorities across racial and ethnic groups say Asian people face at least some discrimination; 42% of Asian adults say Asian people face a lot of discrimination. From July 2020: Many Black and Asian Americans say they have experienced discrimination amid the COVID-19 outbreak Large majority of the public views prosecution of Capitol rioters as ‘very important’ A wide majority of Americans (69%) say it is “very important” for federal law enforcement agencies to find and prosecute the people responsible for the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. There are sizable partisan differences in attitudes about the event, with Democrats far more likely than Republicans to view prosecution of the rioters as very important and to say that penalties for the rioters are likely to be less severe than they should be. From January 2021: How Americans reacted to the rioting at the U.S. Capitol, in their own words Looking back at Trump’s impeachment and acquittal Knowledge of QAnon and views of its supporters The pandemic stalls growth in the global middle class, pushes poverty up sharply The COVID-19 pandemic is having a deep effect on the global economy. The global middle class encompassed 54 million fewer people in 2020 than the number projected prior to the onset of the pandemic. Meanwhile, the number of poor people is estimated to have been 131 million higher. The drop-off in the global middle class was centered in South Asia and in the East Asia and Pacific region, and it stalled the expansion seen in the years preceding the outbreak. In the pandemic, India’s middle class shrinks and poverty spreads while China sees smaller changes See all coronavirus research Many Americans continue to experience mental health difficulties as pandemic enters second year One year into the pandemic, about a fifth of U.S. adults are experiencing high levels of psychological distress, including nearly three-in-ten among those who say the outbreak has changed their lives in “a major way.” The share of the public experiencing psychological distress has edged down slightly since March 2020 but remains elevated among some groups in the population. Psychological distress is especially common among adults ages 18 to 29 (32%), those with lower family incomes (31%) and those who have a disability (36%). Cable and satellite TV use has dropped dramatically in the U.S. since 2015 The share of Americans who say they watch television via cable or satellite has plunged from 76% in 2015 to 56% this year. Some 71% of those who do not use cable or satellite services say it’s because they can access the content they want online, while 69% say the cost of cable and satellite services is too high and 45% say they do not often watch TV. Among those who do not currently subscribe to cable or satellite TV, 61% report that they had done so in the past, while 39% say they have never been subscribers. Migrant apprehensions at U.S.-Mexico border are surging again The U.S. Border Patrol apprehended nearly 100,000 migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in February, the tenth consecutive month of increased apprehensions and a return to levels last seen in mid-2019. The number of monthly apprehensions had fallen to just 16,182 in April 2020, shortly after the coronavirus outbreak began, but apprehensions have climbed every month since then and reached 96,974 in February. Venezuelans, Burmese among more than 600,000 immigrants eligible for Temporary Protected Status in U.S. The pandemic has highlighted many challenges for mothers, but they aren’t necessarily new Nine-in-ten Black ‘nones’ believe in God, but fewer pray or attend services From our research 34% The share of Americans ages 18 to 29 who now get TV through cable or satellite, down from 65% in 2015. Support Pew Research Center In times of uncertainty, good decisions demand good data. Please support Pew Research Center with a contribution on the Center's behalf to our parent organization, The Pew Charitable Trusts. DONATE Newsletter preferences View in browser Unsubscribe Facebook Twitter Instagram Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank. As a neutral source of data and analysis, Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. © 2021 Pew Research Center