As the current IMAS New Year’s survey shows, the proportion of those who are not looking to the coming year in good spirits is at an all-time high of 70 percent. In retrospect, only two percent felt that 2021 was a very good year. For the 50th time, the Linz market research institute IMAS asked Austrians about their expectations and resolutions as well as about the past year. In this year’s survey, the trend of last year intensified, the general mood has never been so pessimistic. 38 percent look to the coming year with concern and 32 percent with skepticism. Only 26 percent were confident. As in the previous year, women and people aged 60 and over have a particularly high number of worry lines.
The positive quarter either sees itself as fundamentally optimistic or is in good spirits with regard to Corona – especially because of the vaccination. The pandemic generally depresses the skeptics as well as the concerned (46 percent and 41 percent). One in five of them also feels severely restricted by the measures taken to combat corona. In retrospect, only two out of a hundred consider the year 2021 to be a very good year, 28 percent as a pretty good one – after all, that is a slight increase compared to 2020 (20 percent). The majority, however, did not think 2021 was a very good year (45 percent) or even a bad one (22 percent).
One in five hopes for normalcy in the coming year
Four out of five Austrians believe that the Corona crisis will keep the population busy “very intensely” or “rather intensely” over the coming year. Nevertheless, almost one in five people weigh in hopes of a return to normality and just as many in an end to the pandemic. 21 percent hope to stay healthy. The compulsory vaccination is not a dominant topic, five out of a hundred long for this or a higher vaccination quota, one in a hundred wishes that the compulsory vaccination would not come.
Upper Austrians with consistent resolutions
The resolutions of Upper Austrians survived the pandemic unscathed: The same number of people as in 2019 – namely 37 percent – have set certain goals for 2022. Of them, 48 percent want to do more exercise or sport (previous year: 44 percent). In addition, 36 percent plan to spend more time with family or friends and to live more consciously. At the lower end of the good intentions, each with six percent, the search for a new job and more political commitment ranked. On average, Austrians make four good resolutions, almost one in five even seven or more. Almost a quarter were unsuccessful in meeting these goals in 2021, one in five was able to largely implement their goals and 56 percent at least partially.
Between November 10th and December 5th, 1,013 representatively selected people aged 16 and over were questioned in personal interviews. The omicron virus mutation was not yet a broad public issue at the time.
Source: Nachrichten
