Concerns About Terrorism Slide Away as Worries Turn to Crime & Health

Respondents also concerned about job security, with spare cash being spent on paying off credit cards

Oxford, 8 June 2005: The nation’s concern over terrorism has fallen significantly since last year, however our fears about crime have almost doubled and worries about our health have also grown considerably a survey released today by market research firm ACNielsen reveals. The Consumer Confidence Survey asked over 1,000 people in the UK, ‘What is your biggest concern over the next 6 months?’ Last October the UK’s no. 1 concern was terrorism with a huge quarter of respondents saying this. Only 9% of the respondents sited this when the survey was repeated in early May.

Eleni Nicholas, Managing Director of ACNielsen UK & Ireland commented, “Several years have now passed since the events of 9/11. There have been some well publicised thwartings of terrorist plots in the UK over the past few years. No threat has ever been more than that and I think the public have seen this and are feeling much more relaxed.” She added, “A shift from a quarter of the population being concerned about terrorism to less than 10% is a significant move towards returned confidence.”

In sharp contrast to our declining concern over terrorism, our worries about crime in general are up significantly. 8% of respondents sited crime as their main concern in October – this has now almost doubled to 14%. Overall crime figures in the UK have gradually decreased since a peak in 1995 (source: BCS) but a recent rise in street crime including muggings, ‘happy slapping’ attacks and general anti-social behaviour driven by ‘yob’ culture is perhaps responsible for driving the population’s concern over crime up. Ms Nicholas said, “The survey is reflective of peoples’ fears and worries and crime is obviously something which has been playing on many more minds in the past 6 months than previously.”

Though crime is the fastest growing concern, job security and health are our main concerns. Health ranks top with 22% of the UK seeing this as their main concern over the next 6 months, up from 14% last October. Almost half of respondents (44%) sited this within their top 2 worries.

“Recent media attention and government campaigns regarding the health of the nation are obviously hitting home. More people are assessing their health and wellbeing and what they are discovering is of growing concern.” Said Ms Nicholas.

The other big worry for the nation is job security. Though we are in a period of record low levels of unemployment, 19% of UK respondents picked job security as their main worry. It is felt that this has a direct relationship with another finding which emerged form the survey - that more respondents say they spend their ‘spare’ cash paying of debts & credit cards – than on anything else. “Though employment levels are strong, personal debt is at a record high level and growing. Should job security come under threat then this would have a considerable effect on peoples’ ability to maintain payments. We can only assume that it is these heavy debt burdens which are making people worried about job security.” Explained Ms Nicholas.

Other key findings include:

Source: ACNielsen Global Survey May 2005

About ACNielsen
ACNielsen, a VNU business, is the world's leading marketing information provider. Offering services in more than 100 countries, the unit provides measurement and analysis of marketplace dynamics and consumer attitudes and behavior. Clients rely on ACNielsen's market research, proprietary products, analytical tools and professional service to understand competitive performance, to uncover new opportunities and to raise the profitability of their marketing and sales campaigns. To learn more, visit www.acnielsen.com.