Insight

The nation’s predictions for 2012

The nation’s predictions for 2012

The nation?s top five predictions for 2012

  1. Youth unemployment continues to rise (53%)
  2. One or more countries leave(s) the Eurozone (47%)
  3. Prince William and Kate announce pregnancy / have a baby (44%)
  4. More riots / unrest in the UK (34%)
  5. Conservative / Liberal Democrat coalition splits up (27%)

Respondents also gave their views on events in the capital when asked if they believed London?s transport system would break down to due to the Olympics (27%) and whether the ?Occupy LSE? protesters would finally be evicted from St Pauls (25%). Interestingly, only 19% of the nation said there would be a terrorism attack in London in 2012, dropping from an alarming 50% who said it would happen in 2011.

2011 predictions ? was the nation correct?
A year ago, Opinium Research asked the nation for their predictions for 2011 and we can reveal that the two thirds of the nation (63%) who believed Katie Price and Alex Reid would divorce were correct, as well half of Brits (44%) who stated that Robbie Williams would leave Take That again.

When asked about the economy in 2011, 36% of the nation predicted that the economy would start to get worse during the year.

Heroes and villains of 2011
After an incredibly eventful year (which included the capture of Osama Bin Laden, riots across the UK, protests across the globe, the News of the World phone hacking scandal, the Eurozone crisis, and the Royal Wedding to name but a few), Opinium Research also asked Britain to rate it?s biggest heroes, villains and victims of 2011.

Top three heroes:

  1. Soldiers in Afghanistan (51%)
  2. People clearing up after riots in summer of 2011 (33%)
  3. Protestors in Egypt, Tunisia and Syria (19%)

Despite the hysteria of the Royal Wedding, interestingly only one in ten named Prince William a hero of 2011.

Top three villains:

  1. Osama bin Laden (52%)
  2. Colonel Gadaffi (52%)
  3. Rioters in summer of 2011 (51%)

Other villains included bankers (47%), and energy companies (36%), which is unsurprising following the last year of price hikes.

Top three victims:

  1. People whose phones were hacked by newspapers (56%)
  2. Amy Winehouse (18%)
  3. News of the World staff (16%)

The nation was certainly outraged by the News of the World phone hacking scandal; Brits also deemed Rupert and James Murdoch (40%) and Rebekah Brooks (29%) as villains. Despite the media spectacle surrounding her dramatic termination from USA?s X Factor, it was a shock to see that only six per cent of the nation named Cheryl Cole as a victim of 2011.

James Endersby, Managing Director of Opinium Research said: ?To say that 2011 was an eventful year would most certainly be an understatement! With the year we?ve had 2012 looks set to be just as hectic, and we watch and wait to see if the nation?s predictions come true.?

Opinium Research carried out an online survey of 2010 UK adults aged 18+ from 23rd to 28th December 2011. Results have been weighted to nationally representative criteria.

This survey is conducted online by CAWI (computer aided web interviewing), using Opinium?s online research panel of circa 25,000 individuals. This research is run from a representative sample of UK adults (aged 18+ in England, Scotland and Wales). The sample is scientifically defined from pre-collected registration data containing gender, age (18-34, 35-54, and 55+), region (North East, North West, Yorkshire and Humberside, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South East, South West, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland), working status and social grade to match the latest published ONS figures.

Opinium also takes into account differential response rates from the different demographic groups, to ensure the sample is representative.