Fault Lines: Global Perspectives on a World in Crisis

During the last days of July and early August, 2022, the Open Society Foundations commissioned polling of more than 21,000 people living in 22 countries to gauge public opinion on key issues facing the world today.

The polling, by Datapraxis, YouGov, and two local providers asked a series of questions that ranged from attitudes towards Russia’s war in Ukraine; the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic; the need for international climate action; and the current cost-of-living crisis. The survey also sought to gauge support across a range of ambitious policy options.

More than two-thirds of the respondents live in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, providing broad insights into how people around the world are reacting to this spiral of crisis. The findings suggest a high level of agreement regarding the most significant challenges facing the world today—and a common desire for effective global action in response. But they also show continuing divisions over Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and a lack of confidence in the international community’s ability to work together to address global threats.