Are you in the global middle class?

Plus, regulation of tech companies, voting as a right or privilege, election polling problems in 2020 July 24, 2021 Weekly Roundup The latest findings from Pew Research Center · Subscribe ↗ Economic attitudes improve in many nations even as pandemic endures As the global economy shows signs of rebounding, positive assessments of the economic situation have risen in several countries since last year. Yet many also say that when children grow up, they will be worse off financially than their parents. The most pessimistic publics surveyed are France and Japan, where 77% say children will be worse off. Only in Singapore and Sweden do half or more expect children to be better off. Read more of our coronavirus research Are you in the global middle class? Find out with our income calculator The global middle class encompassed 54 million fewer people in 2020 than the number projected prior to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. In percentage terms, 17% of the global population could be considered middle income in 2020. Find out if you are in the global middle class with our just-updated income calculator. Decoded: ‘What’s the difference between income and wealth?’ and other common questions about economic concepts Wide partisan divide on whether voting is a fundamental right or a privilege with responsibilities Amid ongoing political battles over voting access and restrictions, 57% of Americans say voting is “a fundamental right for every adult U.S. citizen and should not be restricted in any way.” Fewer (42%) express the view that “voting is a privilege that comes with responsibilities and can be limited if adult U.S. citizens don’t meet some requirements.” While 78% of Democrats say voting is a fundamental right, two-thirds of Republicans say it is a privilege that comes with responsibilities. 56% of Americans support more regulation of major technology companies Some 56% of Americans think major technology companies should be regulated more than they are now, and 68% believe these firms have too much power and influence in the economy. Support for more regulation has increased across most partisan and ideological groups, particularly among liberal Democrats. Still, there is no strong consensus that it would be a good thing for the government to reduce the size of major tech firms. Sign up for our monthly Internet, Science and Tech newsletter On climate change, Republicans are open to some policy approaches, even as they assign the issue low priority Few Republicans express urgency over addressing climate change: Only 10% call it a top personal concern, compared with a much larger share of Democrats (49%). At the same time, Republicans are open to certain policy proposals to deal with climate change. And there are differences in views within the GOP, with moderates and younger adults generally more supportive of action than conservatives and older adults. Q&A: A conversation about U.S. election polling problems in 2020 This week, the major professional association of U.S. pollsters, the American Association for Public Opinion Research, released a comprehensive report about the polling errors of 2020. In this Q&A, we discuss the report’s findings and their implications for polling with Josh Clinton, the chair of the task force that produced the study. Tokyo Olympics reach the starting line even as most Japanese say country has handled pandemic poorly As border remains closed, Canadians are critical of U.S. pandemic response but still view their neighbor favorably For most of India’s Hindus, religious and national identities are closely linked 10 facts about the death penalty in the U.S. From our research 34% The percentage of eligible voters in Japan who said in June that the Tokyo Olympics should be held as planned this summer; most respondents preferred to postpone or cancel the Games. 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