Arab/Muslim Public Opinion Polls: Opinion of Arab Youth
How important are each of the following to you? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
2011 | 2012 | |
| being paid a fair wage | 63% | 82% |
| owning my own home | 61% | 65% |
| living in a democratic country | 68% | 58% |
| living without fear of terrorism | 62% | 58% |
| having access to high speed internet | 55% | 55% |
| having access to the best colleges/universities | 57% | 54% |
| being able to afford luxuries | 58% | 51% |
| living in a safe neighborhood | 64% | 51% |
| being able to get married and start a family | 62% | 50% |
| having access to reliable healthcare | 70% | 50% |
How concerned would you say you are about each of the following issues? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
2011 | 2012 | |
| rising cost of living | 57% | 63% |
| dangers of drugs | 39% | 49% |
| the economy | 35% | 48% |
| threat of terrorism* | n/a | 46% |
| the loss of traditional values | 32% | 44% |
| unemployment | 42% | 44% |
| standard of living | 43% | 43% |
| opportunities for women | 40% | 43% |
| Middle East conflicts | 28% | 41% |
| human rights | 38% | 41% |
| corruption in government and | 16% | 42% |
| rise of Islamist movements/role of | 40% | 40% |
| civil unrest* | n/a | 40% |
| transport and road safety | 31% | 39% |
| personal debt | 27% | 38% |
| the quality of education | 31% | 37% |
Which of the following would you say is the biggest challenge facing the Middle East today? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
2011 | 2012 | |
| rising cost of living | 46% | 54% |
| corruption in government and public life | 16% | 42% |
| the economy | 24% | 33% |
| unemployment | 33% | 27% |
| human rights | 26% | 25% |
| Middle East conflicts | 12% | 22% |
| personal debt | 15% | 19% |
| loss of traditional values & culture | 16% | 19% |
| dangers of drugs | 21% | 18% |
| international conflicts | 12% | 15% |
| crime/law and order | 13% | 15% |
| the gap between rich and poor | 21% | 14% |
| standard of living in your country | 10% | 14% |
| civil unrest | n/a | 11% |
| transport and road safety | 10% | 11% |
| shortage of affordable housing | 11% | 10% |
| quality of education | 15% | 10% |
| rise of Islamist movements/role of Islam | 6% | 9% |
| opportunities for women | 18% | 9% |
| shortage of good quality health care | 7% | 8% |
| lack of political franchise | 6% | 8% |
| access to clean water | 8% | 7% |
| reliable electricity supply | 11% | 6% |
| censorship/lack of press freedom | 9% | 6% |
| climate change & environment | 12% | 6% |
Thinking about the last five years, do you think things in your country of residence are going in the right direction or are they going in the wrong direction? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
2011 | 2012 | |
| Right direction | 58% | 62% |
| Wrong direction | 30% | 27% |
| Don't know | 12% | 11% |
Do you agree or disagree with the following? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
Following the uprisings across the Arab world I feel the Arab world is better off
| agree a lot/somewhat | 72% |
| disagree somewhat/a lot | 24% |
| don't know | 4% |
As a result of the uprising, I feel I will be better off in five years
| agree a lot/somewhat | 71% |
| disagree somewhat/a lot | 24% |
| don't know | 5% |
Following the uprising, I am personally better off now than I was a year ago
| agree a lot/somewhat | 68% |
| disagree somewhat/a lot | 28% |
| don't know | 4% |
How far do you agree or disagree with the following? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
agree a lot/somewhat | |
| Following the uprisings across the Arab world, I feel the Arab world is better off | 72% |
| As a result of the uprising, I feel I will be better off in five years | 71% |
| Following the uprising, I am personally better off now than I was a year ago | 68% |
| Recent changes in my country make me feel anxious about what the future holds | 46% |
| Following the uprising in the Arab world, I feel uncertain about the future of my country | 40% |
Which of the following statements is closer to your view? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
| I feel optimistic about what the future holds for my country | 66% |
| I feel anxious about what the future will bring | 28% |
| Don't know | 6% |
Which of the following statements is closer to your view? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
| I feel like I have more opportunities than I did a year ago | 60% |
| I feel like I have fewer opportunities now than I did a year ago | 31% |
| Don't know | 10% |
Which of the following statements is closer to your view? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
| Our best days are ahead of us | 72% |
| Our best days are behind us | 20% |
| Don't know | 8% |
How far do you agree or disagree with the following? Your government has become more trustworthy and transparent since the Arab Spring. (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
| agree a lot/somewhat | 72% |
| disagree a lot/somewhat | 18% |
| don't know | 10% |
Do you think the protests will spread to any new Arab countries? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
| Yes | 24% |
| No | 59% |
| Don't know | 17% |
Which of the following statements is closer to your view? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
2011 | 2012 | |
| Traditional values me a lot to me, and ought to be preserved for generations to come. | 83% | 65% |
| Traditional values are out-dated and belong in the past. I am keen to embrace modern values and beliefs. | 17% | 35% |
Which country in the world would you most like your country to be like? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
| United Arab Emirates | 40% |
| Turkey | 28% |
| Saudi Arabia | 18% |
| Qatar | 16% |
Which country in the world would you like to live in? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
| United Arab Emirates | 33% |
| France | 17% |
| United States | 16% |
| Turkey | 16% |
| Saudi Arabia | 14% |
As your country develops, which country's model of growth and development would you like your country to follow? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
| United Arab Emirates | 27% |
| United States | 19% |
| China | 19% |
| France | 17% |
| Germany | 17% |
| Turkey | 16% |
| United Kingdom | 12% |
How favorable are you to the following countries? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
| France | 30% | 39% | 46% |
| Germany | 29% | 34% | 44% |
| China | 28% | 27% | 41% |
| United Kingdom | 23% | 43% | 34% |
| United States | 29% | 41% | 31% |
| India | 20% | 25% | 28% |
How often do you update yourself on news and current affairs? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
| Daily | 33% | 18% | 52% |
Where do you get your news? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
| television | 76% | 79% | 62% |
| online | 47% | 42% | 51% |
| newspapers | 65% | 62% | 32% |
| friends and family | 31% | 15% | 14% |
| radio | 41% | 29% | 10% |
| magazines | 25% | 17% | 6% |
In your opinion, what is the most trusted source of news? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
| TV news channels | 52% | 60% | 49% |
| Newspapers | 26% | 19% | 18% |
| Websites | 9% | 11% | 18% |
| Social Media* | n/a | n/a | 9% |
| Radio shows | 4% | 1% | 3% |
| Magazines | 3% | 1% | 2% |
* response added in 2012
How often do you generally use the internet? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
56% | 80% | 82% |
What do you do when you are online? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
| reading/writing blogs | 12% | 29% | 61% |
| listen to music | 58% | 66% | 58% |
| social networking (Facebook, Friendster, etc.) | 32% | 62% | 56% |
60% | 43% | 47% | |
| download music | 36% | 41% | 37% |
| online gaming | 30% | 34% | 33% |
| read news | 28% | 24% | 28% |
| watching movies/video clips | 28% | 25% | 25% |
| upload videos/photos/music | 29% | 22% | 24% |
| search for information - personal | 27% | 23% | 19% |
| dating and meeting new friends | 15% | 20% | 18% |
5% | 8% | 16% | |
| search for information - school related | 14% | 12% | 16% |
| read about sports | 18% | 22% | 14% |
| search for information - brand/product related | 11% | 8% | 10% |
Of those who blog:
What do you do on blogs? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
| I read blogs | 48% |
| I post on a blog | 39% |
| I have my own blog | 15% |
| I comment on other people's blogs | 6% |
What kind of blogs do you read? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
| Fashion | 53% |
| News and current affairs | 45% |
| Technology | 30% |
| Celebrity news | 31% |
| Health and nutrition | 24% |
| Cookery | 20% |
| Politics | 18% |
Where do the blogs that you read come from? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
| My country | 90% |
| The Middle East | 58% |
| The West | 24% |
Of those who use Facebook:
Thinking about social networking, which of the following applies to you? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
| I have my own Facebook account that I actively update | 62% |
| I have a Facebook account but don't tend to post or upload | 22% |
| I don't have a Facebook account | 11% |
Who are the types of people that you are friends with on Facebook? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
| Friends | 92% |
| Celebrities | 26% |
| Social | 13% |
| Politicians | 8% |
| Journalists | 7% |
| Business leaders | 6% |
| Religious leaders | 5% |
| Political activists | 4% |
Where do the people you are friends with come from? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
| My country | 94% |
| The Middle East | 50% |
| The West | 19% |
Of those who use Twitter:
Thinking about Twitter, which of the following applies to you? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
| I will respond to other people's Tweets | 49% |
| I actively post Tweets | 39% |
| I follow but do not post | 15% |
Who are the types of people that you are friends with on Facebook? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
| Friends | 86% |
| Celebrities | 45% |
| Journalists | 21% |
| Religious leaders | 12% |
| Business leaders | 12% |
| Social comentators | 9% |
| Politicians | 9% |
Where do the people you follow on Twitter come from? (Arab Youth Survey, May 2012)
| My country | 92% |
| The Middle East | 67% |
| The West | 13% |
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