Events of the Year 2024
We take a look at the past twelve months through the rear-view mirror. For each month, we review an event that helped shape 2024, and reflect on its wider implications. Along the way, we provide links to some of our key research reports, if you want to dive deeper.
JANUARY – TECHNOLOGY
Brain chip implant in human
We live in wonder of technology: our Ipsos Global Trends 2024 survey reveals 71% of us believe that “we need modern technologies because only this can help to solve future problems”. Yet, we also worry: 57% think “technical progress is destroying our lives”.
In January, Elon Musk announced that one of his companies, Neuralink, had implanted its first brain chip in a human exemplifying the potential of technology to enhance lives, particularly for individuals with severe disabilities, while also accelerating innovation in neuroprosthetics and augmented reality. However, it raises serious ethical and privacy concerns.
From a philosophical perspective, Musk questions transhumanism in a context where scientists are, after doctors, those who inspire the most trust according to the Ipsos Global Trustworthiness Index 2024 (58% and 56%, respectively).
FEBRUARY – HEALTH
King Charles' cancer diagnosis
In February, Buckingham Palace announced that The British monarch had been diagnosed with cancer and was receiving treatment. Just a few weeks later, Catherine, Princess of Wales, announced her own cancer diagnosis.
Despite the threat cancer poses, Ipsos’ Health Service Report reveals that, across 31 countries, it is mental health which is the biggest health concern across the world (45%). These elevated levels of worry appear to be a clear legacy of the pandemic. Cancer is the second top concern (38%), followed by stress (31%).
Mental health is an even bigger problem among women, with 51% of women saying it is the top health concern, vs 40% of men. And this gap is much greater among the younger generation with 55% of Gen Z women choosing mental health compared to 37% of their male counterparts.
MARCH – EQUALITY
International Women's Day
In March 1911, the first 'International Women's Day' demanded women's right to vote and to work, and an end to discrimination. 113 years later, our 2024 International Women’s Day survey shows that gender equality is far from achieved.
Around half of people across 31 countries think that men are now being asked to do “too much” to support gender equality (51%), while 46% think that we have gone so far in promoting women’s equality that we are discriminating against men.
The issue of gender equality reflects the divide between 'progressive' countries and those remaining faithful to a traditional vision, or even a retreat to old systems. Ipsos Global Trends 2024 reveals that, on average globally, 40% agree that “the main role of women is to be wives and mothers” – this ranges from 82% in Pakistan and 79% in Indonesia through to 19% in Sweden and 18% in Portugal.
APRIL – DISPARITIES
Ipsos Equalities Index 2024
April saw Taylor Swift officially join the annual Forbes billionaire list, which now stands at a record 2,781 billionaires with a combined fortune of $14.2 trillion (+$2 trillion from last year). This marked rise in wealth exacerbates public sensitivity to economic disparities.
According to the Ipsos Equalities Index 2024, one in two people (52%) across 29 countries say inequality is one of the most important problems facing their country.
Meanwhile, young people feel less empowered: 49% of Baby Boomers believe that, in their country, people’s chances of success depend mostly on their own merit and efforts, but for Gen Z this figure falls to 38%.
MAY – POPULISM
Parliamentary elections in India
2024 was an exceptional year for politics, with over 60 national elections, involving half of the world's population, highlighting the ongoing debate between so-called 'populist' and 'democratic' candidates. In India, Prime Minister Modi faced criticism over his electoral promises, reflecting broader populist themes that have been prominent since Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign in the US.
Populism is often characterised by a dichotomy between the 'elites' and 'the people', concerns about national identity, and a perception of national decline. While critics view populism as nationalist and divisive, supporters see it as a necessary response to systemic failures.
Ipsos’ Populism survey finds three in five (57%) people across 28 countries feel the system is broken, and 63% tell us their country needs “a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”.
JUNE – NOUVEAU NIHILISM
Did you have a Brat summer?
In June, popstar Charli XCX dropped her sixth album 'Brat' – a clash of nihilism, hyperpop, and electronic dance that dominated not just the charts but also popular culture. Brat was such a marketing success and resonated so broadly that it was named word of the year and was even used by Kamala Harris’ campaign.
As the polycrisis continues, and people feel stressed and overwhelmed, Brat says it’s okay to be a bit messy, a bit chaotic, as long as you party through and don’t give yourself a hard time.
We see the rise of this 'living for the moment' sentiment in Ipsos Global Trends under the trend of Nouveau Nihilism. Across 50 countries, 64% say they “live for today because the future is uncertain”.
JULY – REFUGEES
Venice Biennale in Italy
The 60th International Art Exhibition in Venice, titled 'Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere', explores themes of colonialism, imperialism, and migration, reflecting contemporary geopolitical issues. It sought to critique societal models and address public fears tied to migration, which fuel populism.
Ipsos’ Global Attitudes Towards Refugees survey finds enduring support for refugees, with a global average of 73% in favour of offering refuge to those fleeing war and persecution. However, there also remains scepticism about refugees' intentions, with 61% viewing them as economic opportunists rather than genuine asylum seekers, and 44% advocating for border closures. The data also reveals significant regional disparities, highlighting the complex societal challenges in managing diversity and displacement.
AUGUST – SPORT
The Paris Games
In spite of the world's economic and political conflicts, almost three in four (72%) agreed that the 2024 Paris Games should have gone ahead. For the vast majority (also 72% on average across 33 countries), Paris 2024 was an opportunity to bring their country together.
The Games were a welcome distraction; watching the best and brightest compete was a chance to forget all problems and be swept up in the spectacle. Eight in ten (80%) also say the Games help inspire tomorrow’s generation to take part in sport. However, rather fewer (55%) say the Games "inspires me to participate in sport".
SEPTEMBER – MISINFORMATION
WHO partners with TikTok
The World Health Organisation’s Fides network was founded in 2020 to push back against the ongoing threat of misinformation on social media. In September, they partnered with TikTok to promote evidence-based content, encourage positive health dialogues, and combat the increase of misinformation and malinformation on digital channels.
The spread of misinformation also poses a risk to global stability, as identified in the AXA/Ipsos Future Risks report. Four in five people (78%) feel they can distinguish between true and false information on social media – but only four in ten (40%) have the same confidence in others. Both risk experts and the general population alike think they are already seeing the consequences of misinformation whether looking at levels of violence, terrorism, education or the functioning of institutions.
OCTOBER – GEOPOLITICS
16th BRICS summit
In October, the 16th annual BRICS summit was held in Kazan, Russia, under the theme, 'Strengthening Multilateralism for Fair Global Development and Security'. Leaders from 24 nations attended the event, the largest summit Russia has hosted in years and a signal to the West amid the war in Ukraine.
At a time when global tensions are at their highest since the Cold War, the recent expansion of BRICS+ to include four new members (Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates) highlights the fragmented international dynamics at play. Ipsos’ Global Trends survey reveals a world divided between the 'disenchanted' in Europe, with low support for globalisation, and the 'optimists' in regions like Africa and Asia.
NOVEMBER – CLIMATE
COP29 in Baku
COP29 kicked off on 11 November, bringing together world leaders to agree on actions to tackle the climate crisis. Climate change remains a top concern: it is the #1 future risk for both insurance experts and the general public in all regions of the world, according to the AXA/Ipsos Future Risks 2024 Report.
But as we see yet more record-breaking natural disasters, and as the UN urges for “global mobilisation on a scale and pace never seen before”, are the public giving up hope?
The 2024 Ipsos Earth Day survey found fewer people, across 33 countries, agreeing they will be failing future generations by not taking action on climate change, down 13 points since 2021. There is also increasing fatalism among young men, with almost a third (30%) of Millennial and Gen Z men saying it is too late to do anything about climate change, compared to a general average of 25%.
DECEMBER – TRUST
International Anti-Corruption Day
International Anti-Corruption Day falls on 9 December. While concern about financial or political corruption has fallen over the past eight years in our What Worries the World survey, it consistently remains a top five worry across the 29 countries.
The 2024 Ipsos Trustworthiness Index finds politicians the least trusted of 21 professions, with just 15% across 32 countries saying they find them trustworthy. Business leaders fare a little better at 26%.
This context of mistrust affects public perceptions more broadly. The 2024 Ipsos Perils of Perception report found one in four people across 30 countries believe elites in their country are trying to replace the original population, and the same proportion think it’s untrue that election results in their country are reliable.
