1. Bruce Stokes
Director, Global Economic Attitudes
Pew Research Center
June 2013
A Tale of Woe:
Middle Eastern Economic Attitudes

2. Spring 2013 Pew Global Attitudes Survey
Economic Conditions
2

3. Most in Middle East Dissatisfied
With Country Direction
Median percentages for Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestinian territories and Israel.
Q1.
29
24
42
34
69
74
55
60
0
20
40
60
80
100
2007 2009 2011 2013
Satisfied Dissatisfied
3

4. Notable Dissatisfaction in Egypt
4
51 Turkey
27
41 Israel
21
38 Jordan
55
30 Egypt
20
13 Tunisia
6
12 Palest. ter.7
11 Lebanon
0
20
40
60
80
100
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
% Satisfied
Q1.
4

5. Economies Are Not Doing Well
14
53 Turkey
46
43 Israel
33
27 Jordan
53
23 Egypt
10
22 Palest. ter.17
11 Tunisia
5 10 Lebanon
0
20
40
60
80
100
2002 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
% Good
Q4.
5

6. Little Optimism in Middle East
Over the next 12 months, ___ will improve
National economic
conditions
Personal economic
situation
% %
U.S. 44 43
Canada 29 34
Africa 60 68
Latin America 44 57
Asia/Pacific 40 48
Middle East 28 32
Europe 19 20
Q5 & Q7.
6

7. Few Say Economy Will Improve
Over the next 12 months, the economy will…
50
39
29
28
27
27
19
19
24
26
33
39
33
33
25
32
42
37
30
35
48
Tunisia
Turkey
Egypt
Jordan
Israel
Palest. ter.
Lebanon
Improve Remain the same Worsen
Q5.
7

8. Personal Finances Bad
38
46
50
57
69
70
79
59
52
48
42
30
30
21
Israel
Turkey
Palest. ter.
Tunisia
Jordan
Lebanon
Egypt
GoodBad
Q6.
8

9. Worried about Personal
Finances? Get an Education!
Personal economic situation is good
Less than college College degree Diff
% %
Egypt 10 65 +55
Jordan 24 65 +41
Lebanon 25 48 +23
Turkey 50 71 +21
Tunisia 40 60 +20
Palest. ter. 45 56 +11
Israel 57 66 +9
Q6.
9

10. Few Think Children Will Be
Better Off than Parents
49
41
39
31
26
23
22
4
22
8
22
20
29
29
39
27
43
43
47
38
42
Tunisia
Israel
Turkey
Jordan
Lebanon
Palest.…
Egypt
Better off Same (Vol) Worse off
Q8.
10

11. Better Educated Are Optimistic
about Future Generations
Children today will be better off than their parents
Less than
college degree College degree Diff
% %
Jordan 25 68 +43
Turkey 37 59 +22
Egypt 19 32 +13
Lebanon 24 33 +9
Palest. ter. 22 27 +5
Israel 41 41 0
Tunisia 50 49 -1
Q8.
11

12. Many Face Personal Deprivation
Could not afford
food
Could not afford
health care
Could not afford
clothes
2007 2013 Change 2007 2013 Change 2007 2013 Change
% % % % % %
Egypt 8 36 +28 44 48 +4 31 57 +26
Jordan 5 22 +17 16 36 +20 17 31 +14
Turkey 48 39 -9 47 36 -11 50 41 -9
Israel 14 5 -9 18 12 -6 21 12 -9
Lebanon 12 1 -11 22 13 -9 20 15 -5
Palest. ter. 43 27 -16 47 37 -10 50 37 -13
Tunisia -- 31 -- -- 39 -- -- 36 --
Q182a-c.
12

13. Many Low Income Sometimes
Go Hungry
% Could not
afford food
Low
income
Middle
income
High
income
High-low
gap
% % %
Jordan 52 9 5 -47
Tunisia 45 26 11 -34
Turkey 51 41 22 -29
Palest. ter. 38 13 13 -25
Israel 17 6 0 -17
Egypt 40 37 30 -10
Q182a.
13

14. Poor: More Than Half in 4 of 7
Nations Can’t Pay Health Care
% Could not
afford health care
Low
income
Middle
income
High
income
High-low
gap
% % %
Jordan 78 27 3 -75
Tunisia 59 29 12 -47
Lebanon 34 1 0 -34
Palest. ter. 52 19 22 -30
Israel 27 19 4 -23
Turkey 45 38 28 -17
Egypt 53 48 41 -12
Q182b.
14

15. Spring 2013 Pew Global Attitudes Survey
Challenges and Policy Options
15

16. Everything is Economic Problem
73
72
63
60
Unemployment
Rising prices
Public debt
Rich-poor gap
% Very big problem
Median percentages for Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, Palestinian territories and Israel.
Q21a-d. 16

17. Prices, Jobs Biggest Challenges
% Very big problem
Lack of job
opportunities
Rising
prices
Public
debt
Gap between
rich and poor
% % % %
Lebanon 91 92 89 86
Tunisia 90 90 78 82
Palest. ter. 86 79 72 60
Turkey 73 72 63 68
Israel 62 70 46 51
Egypt 60 62 44 49
Jordan 56 59 46 44
MEDIAN 73 72 63 60
Q21a-d.
17

18. Curbing Inflation Top Priority
Most important for gov’t to address first
Rising
prices
Lack of job
opportunities
Gap between
rich and poor
Public
debt
% % % %
Tunisia 48 27 4 5
Jordan 44 20 9 11
Egypt 36 31 11 10
Israel 31 24 18 14
Lebanon 24 21 10 13
Turkey 21 43 11 8
Palest. ter. 18 40 3 9
MEDIAN 31 27 10 10
Q22.
18

19. Take Action on Inflation
Most important for gov’t to address first
Rising
prices
Lack of job
opportunities
Gap between
rich and poor
Public
debt
% % % %
U.S. 9 41 17 28
Canada 11 34 22 28
Europe 10 52 11 17
Middle East 31 27 10 10
Asia/Pacific 40 33 8 10
Latin America 29 46 10 4
Africa 30 47 5 3
Q22.
19

20. Most Say Inequality Has
Increased
Over the last five years, inequality has…
87
81
73
71
70
54
53
11
13
16
15
9
33
32
2
2
7
12
18
7
9
Lebanon
Israel
Palest. ter.
Tunisia
Turkey
Jordan
Egypt
Increased Stayed the same Decreased
Q24.
20

21. Economic System Seen As Unfair
Our economic system…
19
24
20
25
24
29
29
76
72
70
70
66
66
63
Israel
Lebanon
Palest. ter.
Tunisia
Turkey
Jordan
Egypt
Favors wealthyFair to most
Q56.
21

22. Spring 2013 Pew Global Attitudes Survey
Perspectives on Egypt, Jordan
22

23. Economy Top Egyptian Priority
83
81
62
60
56
51
47
42
32
27
Fair judiciary
Improved economic
conditions
Uncensored media
Law and order
Freedom of speech
Honest elections
Religious parties can
be part of gov't
Same rights for women
as men
Freedom of religion for
minorities
Civilian-controlled
military
% Very important
Q122a-j.
23

24. Nothing Seems to Be Getting
Better in Egypt
Compared to the past, __ is …
Getting
better
Getting
worse
Staying the
same DK
% % % %
Fairness of judicial system 35 35 23 8
Personal freedoms 33 36 28 3
Law and order 26 44 27 3
Morality 23 39 34 5
Standard of living 12 56 30 2
Q43EGYa-e.
24

25. Egypt: Economy Trumps
Democracy
Which is more important?
2007 2011 2012 2013
% % % %
Good democracy 42 47 48 45
Strong economy 53 49 49 52
Don’t know 5 4 4 4
Q89.
25

26. Huge Gender Gap in Jordan
Male Female Diff
% %
Country satisfaction 47 28 +19
National economy is good 33 19 +14
Personal economic situation is good 38 20 +18
Personal economic situation will improve 42 22 +20
Children will be better off than their parents 41 19 +22
Q1, Q4, Q6, Q7 & Q8.
26

27. And a Generation Gap Too
18-29 30-49 50+
Youngest-
oldest gap
% % %
Country satisfaction 48 35 21 +27
National economy is good 32 25 18 +14
Personal economic situation is good 35 29 17 +18
Personal economic situation will
improve 37 32 19 +18
Children will be better off than
their parents 37 30 18 +19
Q1, Q4, Q6, Q7 & Q8.
27

28. Jordanian Rich and Poor Differ
Widely on Priorities
% Most important for
government to address first
Low
income
Middle
income
High
income
High-low
gap
% % %
Rising prices 65 51 12 -53
Rich-poor gap 17 9 1 -16
Public debt 8 8 19 +11
Lack of job opportunities 7 24 29 +22
Q22.
28

29. All Pew Global Attitudes Project reports and data
are available online at www.pewglobal.org