December 21st, 2023, Lesley Simeon
One of the many things keeping people occupied as the year clocks to a close, apart from cakes, drinks and gifts, is jotting down resolutions to keep up with (or try to at least) in the coming year. We explore YouGov data to see what exactly respondents from across 17 international markets have on their minds when it comes to resolutions.
Getting into better physical shape and signing up at the gym next door is a New Year resolution staple. While people have stuck to tradition for 2024 as well, what’s interesting to note is that people are extending their health consciousness to other aspects of their wellbeing – namely, mental and financial health.
Nearly half of all consumers across markets (48%) say they plan to make a resolution to improve their physical health for the New Year and almost a third of them (32%) intend to improve their mental health. Further, over a third of all consumers (37%) say they resolve to manage their money better.
Spending more time with friends/family (31%) and travelling more (26%) are some of the other popular New Year’s resolution choices among consumers.
Resolutions for the New Year, by market.
Polling data shows that consumers in the Asian markets we survey are significantly more likely to make New Year resolutions this year than those in the European markets.
A majority of Indonesians (73%) say they resolve to manage their money better in the coming year, followed by Indians (60%), Mexicans (58%) and Emirates (57%). In Europe, over a third of Italians (35%) say the same - the most likely in the region to say so.
On the other hand, Swedes are the least likely (15%) to say they’ve pinned down better finance management as a New Year resolution. Improving physical health is the most popular resolution choice (27%), followed by improving mental health (17%) for consumers in this market.
Indians (65%) and Mexicans (65%) are most likely across markets to say they intend to improve their physical health as a New Year resolution. Indonesians (61%) and Singaporeans (61%) follow. As for improving mental health, Indonesians (51%) and Indians (50%) lead yet again.
Roughly half of the respondents in Indonesia (51%) say they intend to take up spending more time with their loved ones. Close to half of the respondents in India (48%) and UAE (46%) say the same. Italians (34%) account for the largest proportion of consumers in Europe who agree.
Post-pandemic, remote working died a corporate-induced death across a number of industries. Next year, commuting to their workplaces isn’t the only “travel” on people’s minds. Equal proportions of Hong Kongers and Italians (44% each) intend to travel more next year. Swedes (11%) and Americans (15%) are least likely to have travelling more as a New Years’ resolution.
Indians are the most likely across markets to say they aim at reducing their screen time in 2024 - to be specific, reducing time on their phone (41%) and spending less time on social media (40%).
Hong Kongers (15%) lead when it comes to resolving to reduce or stop drinking alcohol, followed by Indians (14%). In Europe, the Poles (13%) are most likely to say the same.
Sustainability also makes an appearance in our list of resolutions people might take up for 2024. Asians lead yet again, with Indians accounting for the largest share of consumers list (36%) who say they intend to make more sustainable purchases/decisions, followed by Hong Kongers at a distant second (28%). In Asia, Singaporeans (23%) are least likely to agree.
In Europe, Italians are most likely to choose making sustainable decisions as a resolution for the New Year (19%), while the Danes (8%) and French (9%) are least likely to follow suit.
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Methodology: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provide quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. The data is based on surveys of adults aged 18+ years in 17 markets with sample sizes varying between 501 and 2004 for each market. All surveys were conducted online in October 2023. Data from each market uses a nationally representative sample apart from Mexico and India, which use urban representative samples, and Indonesia and Hong Kong, which use online representative samples. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Serviced.
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