Pew Research Center Report

5 findings: Income divide seen as global threat

Thursday, October 16, 2014 - 20:00 YT&Twebzine

If pushed to a wall, which is the bigger problem --religious and ethnic hatred, economic inequality, pollution, nuclear weapons or diseases such as AIDS?

     Your answer may depend on where you live -- and even your political party.
     A Pew Research Center study released Oct. 16 shows that Americans and Europeans believe the top global threat is inequality – and specifically, the gap between haves and have-nots.
     But roughly a third of respondents from the Middle East said the biggest danger is ethnic and religious hatred. Asians more often identified pollution as a global threat, and, unsurprisingly, nearly a third of Africans surveyed said AIDS and other diseases pose the greatest global threat.
     Pew conducted its survey in 44 countries earlier this year. Here are five findings from the report:

1. Across seven European nations, a median of 32 percent rated the gap between rich and poor as the greatest threat. In Spain, 54 percent of respondents said inequality is the biggest threat; in Greece, 43 percent said the same.

2. Americans offered mixed views, but more identified the economic gap as a top threat. While 27 percent said the gap between rich and poor is the greatest threat, 24 percent said religious and ethnic hatred is a bigger problem and 23 percent opted for the spread of nuclear weapons.

3. Political affiliation made a difference. In the U.S., approximately 35 percent of Republicans identified religious and ethnic hatred as the greatest global threat. Among Democrats, 35 percent identified inequality as the greatest threat. Independents held diverse views: 25 percent saw inequality as the top global threat, 23 percent identified religious and ethnic hatred as the top threat and another 23 percent said the problem is nuclear weapons.

4. In the Middle East, religious and ethnic hatred topped concerns. In Lebanon, an overwhelming 58 percent said this is the top global threat. “Religious hatred is the top concern among Lebanese Christians (56 percent), Shia Muslims (62 percent) and Sunni Muslims (58 percent) alike,” the report said.

5. To some degree, responses mirrored historical concerns. In Japan, the only country to experience nuclear attack, 49 percent of residents feel nuclear weapons are the greatest global threat. Similarly, in Pakistan – a country in nuclear contest with neighbor India – 30 percent say nuclear weapons pose the greatest threat.

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