A Gateway to a Better Life Education Aspirations Around the World September 2013
Education Is an Investment in the Future RESOLUTE AGREEMENT AROUND THE WORLD ON THE VALUE OF HIGHER EDUCATION HALF OF ALL RESPONDENTS CANNOT AFFORD AN EDUCATION CONFIDENCE IN PRIMARY/SECONDARY EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES EXCEEDS HIGHER EDUCATION PROSPECTS PERCEPTIONS OF UPWARD MOBILITY IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO EDUCATION ATTAINMENT CORPORATE EDUCATION INITIATIVES ENJOY BROAD SUPPORT AMONG RESPONDENTS WORLDWIDE 2 Education Aspirations Around the World
The road to better jobs, more money and improved lifestyle is all paved by education, according to a new Nielsen survey. More than threequarters (78%) of global online respondents agreed that receiving a higher education is important. Likewise, three-quarters also believed that better employment (75%) and higher income (72%) are accessible because of educational opportunities. The Nielsen Global Survey of Education Aspirations polled more than 29,000 Internet respondents in 58 countries to measure consumer sentiment on the availability of educational opportunities at all levels of study and the resulting opportunity for job and salary advancement. While the opportunity to receive a quality education is a multidimensional topic with underlying socio-economic factors to consider, the findings help shed light on what the future holds for both consumers and companies alike in the context of driving innovation, economic advancement and social development. Investing in education is critical to fostering growth and innovation for generations to come, said Susan Whiting, vice chair, Nielsen. The head-spinning pace of technological change is creating new opportunities and presenting new challenges. Improving our children s education is the surest way to ensure a brighter future. Investing in education is critical to fostering growth and innovation for generations to come About the Global Survey Methodology The findings in this survey are based on respondents with online access across 58 countries. While an online survey methodology allows for tremendous scale and global reach, it provides a perspective only on the habits of existing Internet users, not total populations. In developing markets where online penetration has not reached majority potential, audiences may be younger and more affluent than the general population of that country. Additionally, survey responses are based on claimed behavior, rather than actual metered data. Copyright 2013 The Nielsen Company 3
Disconnect Between Desire and Dollars The vast majority of respondents said they value education, with Latin Americans among the most ardent supporters. More than 90 percent of respondents in Brazil (94%), Mexico (92%), Chile (92%) and Venezuela (91%) believed that higher education was vital. Only one-quarter (23%) of global respondents believed that finishing secondary education was good enough. But education costs can be a barrier to entry. According to the Nielsen survey, education costs comprised 8 percent of global monthly household budget allocations, on average, which is among the top four expenses after food and beverages (18%), housing (16%) and phone/internet services (9%). Monthly spending on education expenses exceeded the global average in many developing countries across Latin America, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East/Africa regions. Respondents in Peru, the Philippines, Pakistan, Chile, Mexico, Indonesia and Colombia said they allocated 14 percent or more of their monthly budget to education expenses. Conversely, due largely to subsidized education programs, many European respondents said they allotted the least amount to monthly spending on education, with Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, United Kingdom and Norway allocating 2 percent or less of their monthly household budget to education costs. Half of respondents around the world said they simply could not afford an education where they lived, with more than three-quarters of Brazilians (76%) at the top of the list, followed by respondents in the United Arab Emirates (66%) and Saudi Arabia (64%). 4 Education Aspirations Around the World
MONTHLY HOUSEHOLD BUDGET ALLOCATION SPENT ON EDUCATION 33% 8% GLOBAL AVERAGE 18% BIGGEST EDUCATION ALLOCATION PERU 18.6% PHILIPPINES 15.4% PAKISTAN 14.8% CHILE 14.4% MEXICO 14.3% INDONESIA 14.1% COLOMBIA 13.8% 8% GLOBAL AVERAGE 20% 8% 8% 9% 16% SMALLEST EDUCATION ALLOCATION AUSTRIA 2.6% NORWAY 2.4% UNITED KINGDOM 2.2% GERMANY 2.1% DENMARK 1.9% SWEDEN 1.4% FINLAND 1.3% Source: Nielsen Global Survey of Consumer Demand, Q1 2013 I CANNOT AFFORD EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES WHERE I LIVe Highest percent who agree and strongly agree BRAZIL UNITED ARAB EMIRATES SAUDI ARABIA GREECE HUNGARY NETHERLANDS PAKISTAN EGYPT SOUTH AFRICA UNITED STATES UNITED KINDGOM Source: Nielsen Global Survey of Education Aspirations, Q1 2013 0 66 64 62 60 60 59 58 58 58 58 76 Copyright 2013 The Nielsen Company 5
Confidence in Educational Programs is Strong Around the world, respondents were most confident in local education programs at the primary level (grades 1 8) and secondary level (grades 9 12), while opportunities for the more advanced years and higher education level lagged behind. Eighty-eight percent of global respondents said that outstanding education services were abundant at the primary level, and 86 percent for the secondary level, but that percentage dropped more than 10 points to 75 percent for higher education opportunities. North America was the only region to exceed the higher education average at 84 percent. Perceptions of educational opportunities in several developing markets in Asia-Pacific were stand-outs, far exceeding the global average for all levels of educational programs, with Indonesia, India, Thailand, and the Philippines rising to the top of the list. China surpassed the global average at the primary (91%) and secondary (88%) levels, but was below par for higher education opportunities (72%). In North America, Canadians were more confident about educational opportunities than Americans. In Europe, Scandinavian, Northern and Baltic countries were most satisfied with education services. Substantial percentages of respondents from Argentina, Chile and Peru showed dissatisfaction with the education system. Responses from the Middle East/African countries measured closely reflected the global average at all levels of education. 6 Education Aspirations Around the World
OPPORTUNITIES TO RECEIVE AN OUTSTANDING EDUCATION ARE ABUNDANT WHERE I LIVE Percent who agree and strongly agree 88% 88% 88% 86% 87% 86% 86% 86% 85% 85% 85% 86% PRIMARY EDUCATION (GRADES 1 8) SECONDARY EDUCATION (GRADES 9 12) 75% 75% 71% 75% 75% 84% HIGHER EDUCATION (COLLEGE AND BEYOND) GLOBAL AVERAGE ASIA-PACIFIC EUROPE MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA LATIN AMERICA NORTH AMERICA Source: Nielsen Global Survey of Education Aspirations, Q1 2013 Copyright 2013 The Nielsen Company 7
Education Leads to Upward Mobility Globally, three-quarters of respondents agreed that better employment and higher salaries go hand in hand with education attainment, with online survey takers in India, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and China among the most confident. High percentages of respondents in Latin America also agreed that better jobs and higher incomes were available because of educational opportunities, with consumers in Chile, Brazil, Peru and Venezuela reporting above the global average. While one-quarter of global respondents did not believe that better employment (25%) or higher salaries (28%) were accessible because of education attainment, there was a strong correlation between Nielsen Consumer Confidence Index scores which measures perceptions of job prospects, personal finances and spending ability and perceptions for advancement opportunities. Respondents in countries where consumer confidence scores were at 95 or above (scores over 100 show economic optimism) showed the highest percent agreement that better employment and higher income were available because of education attainment. Likewise, respondents in countries where consumer confidence scores were below an index of 70 showed the most pessimism that education would lead to better jobs and salaries. 8 Education Aspirations Around the World
CONFIDENCE IN THE ECONOMY AND PERCEPTIONS OF ADVANCEMENT GO HAND IN HAND Percent who agree and mostly agree that education leads to better employment and higher income HIGHEST CONSUMER CONFIDENCE SCORES 122 120 118 115 INDONESIA INDIA PHILIPPINES THAILAND 89 90 90 89 90 87 90 89 112 108 107 105 BRAZIL CHINA MALAYSIA NORWAY 81 78 82 80 80 77 87 83 LOWEST CONSUMER CONFIDENCE SCORES 73 JAPAN 31 42 62 POLAND 51 61 51 SOUTH KOREA 57 64 46 SPAIN 57 65 44 ITALY 50 62 43 42 CROATIA HUNGARY 40 42 60 60 EDUCATION LEADS TO BETTER EMPLOYMENT 40 GREECE 51 62 EDUCATION LEADS TO HIGHER INCOME 33 PORTUGAL 48 60 Source: Nielsen Global Survey of Consumer Confidence, Q1 2013 Nielsen Global Survey of Education Aspirations, Q1 2013 Copyright 2013 The Nielsen Company 9
Corporate Support for Education is a Winning Proposition 78% Around the world, companies appear to be getting more involved in educational development initiatives. Companies support educational initiatives for a variety of reasons among them altruism, talent pipeline development even at young ages, and brand reputation. Do consumers care? More than two-thirds (68%) of respondents around the world said they would be more likely to buy products from a company that supports education initiatives, with consumers in the Latin American region (85%) most eager, aligning with their strong sentiment around the importance of education. Nearly three-quarters of respondents from Asia-Pacific (74%) and 64 percent from the Middle East/Africa region said they would make a purchase from a company that supported education initiatives. While North Americans (50%) and Europeans (56%) showed the most skepticism in their education-supported buying propensity, still half reported a willingness to do so. When companies share their resources, which go beyond monetary contributions, they have the power to help bring innovation to the classroom by helping young people gain access to the tools they need to realize their full potential, said Whiting. It s a winning situation for both corporations and students. Corporations can bring employees together in a powerful way to share in this common purpose, and students reap the benefits of an enhanced learning experience. 10 Education Aspirations Around the World
DOES A COMPANY SUPPORTING EDUCATION INITIATIVES MAKE YOU MORE LIKELY TO BUY THEIR PRODUCTS? Top 10 Countries: Percent Saying Yes COLOMBIA THAILAND TURKEY BRAZIL VENEZUELA PERU 90 89 88 88 88 87 CHILE SPAIN INDONESIA CHINA 0 83 81 80 79 ASIA-PACIFIC EUROPE LATIN AMERICA Source: Nielsen Global Survey of Education Aspirations, Q1 2013 Copyright 2013 The Nielsen Company 11
High Marks for STEM Programs: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math In regards to consumer perceptions about educational programs offered at the secondary education level, three countries India, Lithuania and Singapore consistently ranked among the top five countries with the highest percentage of consumer-perceived above-average scores for Science, Technology, Mathematics, Language Arts and Engineering programs. The highest percentages of consumer-perceived below-average perceptions for all program areas were consistently found in Brazil, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. 12 Education Aspirations Around the World
CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL Countries with the highest above and below percentages ABOVE AVERAGE BELOW AVERAGE 27% 26% 25% 23% 22% 22% SCIENCE INDIA SINGAPORE LITHUANIA PHILIPPINES VIETNAM PAKISTAN TURKEY SLOVAKIA CROATIA CZECH REPUBLIC GREECE BRAZIL 38% 37% 37% 49% 46% 57% TECHNOLOGY 31% 31% 29% 28% 24% INDIA LITHUANIA SINGAPORE VIETNAM PHILIPPINES COLOMBIA SAUDI ARABIA BRAZIL EGYPT TURKEY UKRAINE 42% 39% 35% 34% 34% 52% MATHEMATICS 26% 25% 24% 22% 20% VIETNAM SINGAPORE LITHUANIA INDIA PHILIPPINES BULGARIA BRAZIL SOUTH AFRICA SAUDI ARABIA TURKEY SPAIN 39% 39% 54% 53% 53% 52% LANGUAGE ARTS 37% 27% 25% 25% 25% LITHUANIA VIETNAM ESTONIA INDIA BULGARIA BRAZIL PAKISTAN SAUDI ARABIA TURKEY MEXICO 40% 40% 38% 38% 50% ENGINEERING 44% 35% 35% 34% 32% INDIA LITHUANIA VIETNAM SINGAPORE EGYPT PAKISTAN BRAZIL SAUDI ARABIA TURKEY GREECE SPAIN 39% 35% 34% 29% 29% 48% Source: Nielsen Global Survey of Education Aspirations, Q1 2013 Copyright 2013 The Nielsen Company 13
Countries Included in this Study MARKET INTERNET PENETRATION MARKET INTERNET PENETRATION Argentina 66% Australia 89% Austria 80% Belgium 81% Brazil 46% Bulgaria 51% Canada 83% Chile 59% China 40% Colombia 60% Croatia 71% Czech Republic 73% Denmark 90% Egypt 36% Estonia 78% Finland 89% France 80% Germany 83% Greece 53% Hong Kong 75% Hungary 65% India 11% Indonesia 22% Ireland 77% Israel 70% Italy 58% Japan 80% Latvia 72% Lithuania 65% Malaysia 61% Mexico 37% Netherlands 93% New Zealand 88% Norway 97% Pakistan 15% Peru 37% Philippines 32% Poland 65% Portugal 55% Romania 44% Russia 48% Saudi Arabia 49% Singapore 75% Slovakia 79% South Africa 17% South Korea 83% Spain 67% Sweden 93% Switzerland 82% Taiwan 75% Thailand 30% Turkey 46% United Arab Emirates 71% United Kingdom 84% Ukraine 34% United States 78% Venezuela 41% Vietnam 34% Source: Internet World Stats, June 30, 2012 14 Education Aspirations Around the World
About the Nielsen Global Survey The Nielsen Global Survey of Education Aspirations was conducted between February 18 and March 8, 2013, and polled more than 29,000 consumers in 58 countries throughout Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and North America. The sample has quotas based on age and sex for each country based on their Internet users, and is weighted to be representative of Internet consumers and has a maximum margin of error of ±0.6%. This Nielsen survey is based on the behavior of respondents with online access only. Internet penetration rates vary by country. Nielsen uses a minimum reporting standard of 60 percent Internet penetration or 10M online population for survey inclusion. The Nielsen Global Survey, which includes the Global Consumer Confidence Survey, was established in 2005. About Nielsen Nielsen Holdings N.V. (NYSE: NLSN) is a global information and measurement company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence and mobile measurement. Nielsen has a presence in approximately 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA and Diemen, the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com. Copyright 2013 The Nielsen Company. All rights reserved. Nielsen and the Nielsen logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of CZT/ACN Trademarks, L.L.C. Other product and service names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. 13/6847 Copyright 2013 The Nielsen Company 15
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