Japan Data

Survey Finds 85% of Japanese Respondents Believe Pandemic Will Change Society

Society Economy Lifestyle

A survey revealed that over 85% of Japanese people feel that society will change in the COVID-19 era, and that their greatest expectation from the government was acceleration of vaccine development.
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A survey on public attitudes to COVID-19 conducted by Japanese Internet service provider Biglobe asked, “Do you think the COVID-19 pandemic will change Japanese society?” As 33.5% of respondents said it would change greatly and 52.2% somewhat, a total of over 85% anticipate transformation. Meanwhile, 11.7% said that it would not change greatly, while only 2.6% said that it would not change at all.

The online survey of 1,000 Japanese workers, aged 20 to 69, was conducted on May 26 and 27, immediately after the Japanese government lifted the state of emergency declared due to the spread of COVID-19.

When asked whether society should focus on economic growth or social welfare, close to 60% believed strongly or on balance that the emphasis should be on economic growth. Just over 40% of respondents favored emphasizing social welfare.

By age group, 60% of those in their twenties favored an economic focus, while those in their sixties were more evenly split, with 48% favoring the economy, and 52% social welfare.

In the future, what should we focus on as a society?

Economic growth On balance, economic growth On balance, social welfare Social welfare
Total 15.4% 39.8% 33.9% 10.9%
By age
20–29 23.0% 37.0% 25.0% 15.0%
30–39 19.5% 38.5% 30.5% 11.5%
40–49 16.0% 42.5% 29.5% 12.0%
50–59 11.0% 40.5% 39.0% 9.5%
60–69 7.5% 40.5% 45.5% 6.5%

Created by Nippon.com based on data from Biglobe.

In response to the question, “What are your expectations in the government response to COVID-19?” in which multiple answers were possible, the highest scoring option was “Acceleration of vaccine development” (72.3%). This was followed by “Support for people who lose employment and businesses that undergo temporary suspensions” (49.2%), “Support for people in the medical field” (43.5%), “Digitization of various procedures” (42.2%), “Reduction of consumption tax” (42.2%), and “Promotion of telework and other workplace reforms” (40.4%).

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo: Customer service at Hanshin Kōshien Stadium in the age of COVID-19, on July 10, 2020. © Jiji.)

coronavirus COVID-19