Related to this unease is an even stronger view that the benefits and burdens of "the economic developments of the last few years" have not been shared fairly. Majorities in 27 out of 34 countries hold this view -- on average 64 percent.
In developed countries, those who have this view of unfairness are more likely to say that globalization is growing too quickly -- especially in France, Italy, Spain, South Korea, Japan and Germany (and to a lesser extent Britain and the US).
In contrast, in some developing countries, those who perceive such unfairness are more likely to say globalization is proceeding too slowly. These include Turkey, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil, Kenya, Mexico and the countries of Central America.
Only 19 percent overall say globalization is growing much too quickly, while 32 percent say it is growing a bit too quickly. Steven Kull of PIPA comments, "Few want to slam the brakes on globalization, though many want to press the brakes lightly. Also, people in some developing countries still want to accelerate globalization and appear to believe that this will help break down some of the inequities in their country."
The survey was conducted for the BBC World Service by the international polling firm GlobeScan together with the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland. GlobeScan coordinated fieldwork between October 31, 2007 and January 25, 2008.
GlobeScan President Doug Miller says, "There is real public unease about the direction of the economy, but it's not only about a downturn. It also has to do with how fairly benefits and burdens are shared, and the pace of globalization."
