Asians optimistic about economy, poll finds
2004-06-30 / Agence France-Presse /
Wealthy Asians are optimistic over their economic prospects but fear of terrorism is a widespread anxiety, according to a regional online survey released in the Philippines on Tuesday.
"Economic sentiment has improved and believed to strengthen further in the coming year," according to an April 28-May 11 online poll of 9,485 consumers from 13 countries and territories.
The market research outfit AC Nielsen polled Internet users from Australia, India, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand and Taiwan.
Many of these areas "recently had an election or are holding their elections this year," said Esther Capistrano, managing director of AC Nielsen in the Philippines.
"It seems that during this period, countries in these areas are optimistic, looking forward to better times with the elections," she told a news conference.
Capistrano said the respondents comprise the upper section of the region's economic classes who have access to the Internet.
The poll sought to gauge the region's sentiment in the context of its recent misfortunes, including terrorist attacks and health scares topped by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome viral epidemic and bird flu.
"While terrorism as a concern is overshadowed by job security, the economy, health and political stability, 61 percent have some anxiety about the possibility of being caught in a random terror attack," the study concluded.
It found that "Filipinos have the highest level of anxiety in the region over being caught in a random terror attack, either for themselves or for a family member."
Indians, at 86 percent, were the most optimistic over their economy, followed by Hong Kong (70 percent), Singapore (67 percent) and China (66 percent).
By contrast only 30 percent of respondents were optimistic in Japan; 19 percent in the Philippines and eight percent in South Korea.
The regional optimism average was measured at 56 percent, about the same as the 55 percent in the last AC Nielsen survey in October.
South Koreans (49 percent) were the people most concerned over job security, followed by Singaporeans (41 percent), and Filipinos (35 percent).
Across the region, the poll found more than half of respondents would change food purchases or consumption patterns "when a health scare strikes."
Almost half "are very likely or quite likely to travel by air for holiday in the next 12 months."