Countries Which Europeans Admire for Their Systems of Government, Quality of Life, Environment, Economies and Health Care Systems

ROCHESTER, N.Y. and LONDON – June 29, 2004 – A new survey conducted by HI Europe measured public perceptions, among the five largest European countries, of different aspects of life and government in their own countries as well as in the U.S., Canada, Japan, China and Russia. Specifically, the survey asked people in the five countries to say if they felt positively towards the systems of government, the present governments, the quality of life, the environment, the economies and the health care systems of these ten large countries.

Overall, Canada tops the list on quality of life and environment while the United States is perceived as number one for its economy; France has the most respected health care system, and there is no clear leader on the constitution and systems of government, or the present governments—though respondents across countries were consistent in their very positive feelings toward their own country’s constitution and system of government.

These are the results of nationwide surveys of adults conducted by HI Europe, based on 2,330 interviews in Britain, 2,018 in France, 2,078 in Germany, 2,012 in Italy, and 1,382 in Spain. The surveys, which were conducted online between June 3 and 8, 2004, were designed to be representative of all adults in each country.

Canada receives some of the highest ratings by the European countries. Britain (45%), France (52%), Germany (42%) and Italy (33%) feel very positive about Canada’s quality of life. Spaniards (34%) also feel very positive towards the Canadian quality of life, but more of them felt that way towards their own country (53%).

On the environment, Canada again tops the list with France (52%), Italy (43%), Spain (42%) and Britain (37%) feeling very positive about Canada’s environment. Canada’s environment also fares well among Germans (31%), though more Germans (42%) feel very positive towards their own country’s environment.

France is in first place overall for its health care system, but that is mainly because fully 65% of French adults feel good about their system; not because other countries feel very positively about it. This was the highest positive response percentage given in any country on any criterion.

France is in second place overall for quality of life, getting particularly high marks in France itself (48%) and Germany (40%). And, overall, France (23%) is also in virtual tie with Canada (23%), Germany (22%) and Britain (21%) for very positive feelings toward its constitution and system of government.

France (13%) does notably less well overall on its economy, trailing the U.S. (31%), Japan (26%), Canada (23%), Great Britain (22%) and Germany (20%).

Germany (22%) does reasonably well overall on its health care system, second to France (28%) and its environment (29%) is second to Canada (41%).

Apart from a tie for first place on its system of government, Great Britain does not do very well on any other criteria. On quality of life, Britain (22%), along with Italy (23%) and the United States (24%) comes well below Canada, France, Spain and Germany. It does better on the economy, ahead of all the other European countries and nearly ties with Canada; but Britain falls well below the United States and Japan overall for its economy. Great Britain gets fewer positive marks for its environment than France, overall, falling far behind both Canada and Germany. Its health care system is less well regarded than those systems in France and Germany, but the other countries on the list get even smaller proportions of positive responses.

Spain has the highest of marks overall for its present government (reflecting the popularity of Prime Minister Zapatero’s opposition to the invasion of Iraq); but across the board, the positive perceptions towards present governments, in any country, is very low.

Spain is in third place (virtually tied with Germany, and behind Canada and France) for its quality of life. Elsewhere, it is in fourth place or lower.

Italy receives lower proportions of very positive ratings than the other five large European countries and does particularly badly on its economy and its constitution and system of government where it is well below the European countries, Canada and the United States.

The United States tops the list, with the highest marks for its economy, with a clear lead over Japan and a much larger lead over other countries. However, on all the other criteria it is generally less well regarded than most of the European countries and Canada. It is in fourth position, virtually tied with Spain, for its constitution and system of government, and in fourth position, about equal with Italy and Great Britain for its quality of life.

The United States trails all of the European countries and Canada on the environment. It does less well than four European countries (Italy being the exception) and Canada on its health care system, and for its present government.

Japan does well for its economy, where it is second only to the United States, but not for anything else. It may be that many people in Europe do not know enough about Japan to have strong feelings of any kind.

Perceptions of Russia and China are even lower, and, with one exception, they come at the bottom of the list of countries. The exception is China’s rating on the economy, where it is about even with France and Spain and well ahead of Italy and Russia.

On average, the Spanish, with the French not far behind, have the highest positive perception overall of their own country whilst the Italians have the lowest.

"The relatively low percentages of very positive feelings of all countries toward their own nations, across all of the criteria, are arguably more noteworthy," stated Caroline North, Research Director at HI Europe. "In only two instances do responses rise above fifty percent."

Table 7 shows the proportion of people in each of the five European countries who feel very positive to their own countries on each of the six criteria.

"For each of the following please indicate which countries you feel very positive about – the quality of life."

Base: All Adults

"For each of the following please indicate which countries you feel very positive about – the constitution and system of government."

Base: All Adults

"For each of the following please indicate which countries you feel very positive about – the economy."

Base: All Adults

"For each of the following please indicate which countries you feel very positive about – the environment."

Base: All Adults

"For each of the following please indicate which countries you feel very positive about – the health care system."

Base: All Adults

"For each of the following please indicate which countries you feel very positive about – the present government."

Base: All Adults

Base: All Adults

This survey was conducted online by HI Europe between June 3 and June 8 2004, among the following nationwide cross sections of adults aged 16 and over: 2,339 in Great Britain; 2,018 in France; 2,078 in Germany; 2,120 in Italy and 1,382 in Spain. Figures for region, age, sex, education and income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

In theory, with probability samples of these sizes, one could say with 95 percent certainty that:

• The results In Great Britain, France, Germany and Italy have a statistical precision of plus or minus 2 percentage points of what they would be if the entire adult populations in those countries had been polled with complete accuracy.
• The results in Spain have a statistical precision of plus or minus 3 percentage points of what they would be if the entire adult populations in Spain had been polled with complete accuracy.

Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include refusals to be interviewed (non-response), question wording and question order, and weighting. It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors. These online samples were not probability samples.

About Harris Interactive^®

Harris Interactive (www.harrisinteractive.com) is a worldwide market research and consulting firm best known for The Harris Poll^®, and for pioneering the Internet method to conduct scientifically accurate market research. Headquartered in Rochester, New York, Harris Interactive combines proprietary methodologies and technology with expertise in predictive, custom and strategic research. The Company conducts international research from its U.S. offices and through wholly owned subsidiaries—London-based HI Europe (www.hieurope.com), Paris-based Novatris and Tokyo-based Harris Interactive Japan—as well as through the Harris Interactive Global Network of independent market- and opinion-research firms. EOE M/F/D/V

To become a member of the Harris Poll Online^SM and be invited to participate in future online surveys, visit www.harrispollonline.com.

HI Europe (www.hieurope.com) is a market research and consulting firm known for its expertise in strategic business and consumer research, particularly in the IT and telecom industries. HI Europe plays a major role in solving its clients' complex business problems through thoughtful application of innovative methodologies and sophisticated technologies, focusing on those that are Internet-based. Headquartered in London, HI Europe is a subsidiary of US-based Harris Interactive^®, one of the world’s largest market research companies, known for The Harris Poll^® and for pioneering the Internet method to conduct scientifically accurate market research.

Carole Holland
HI Europe
+44 (0) 20-8263-5268
cholland@hieurope.com

Nancy Wong
Harris Interactive
+1-585-214-7316
nwong@harrisinteractive.com