4 in 10 urban Indians felt lonely, friendless at most times during COVID: Ipsos

A new global survey by Paris-based market research and consulting firm Ipsos shows a new downside of COVID. At least four in 10 urban Indians (45 per cent) felt lonelier due to the pandemic, and four in 10 (43 per cent) felt lonely and friendless at most times (during the pandemic).

Forty-two per cent of urban Indians said that their spirits were up, despite the gloom. Though one in four (28 per cent) felt depressed and sad.

Global citizens were more deeply impacted, with four in 10 being in a gloomy state of mind, and two in 10 (22 per cent) feeling positive.

“(COVID-induced) lockdowns and restrictions put the brakes on socialising and people to people close interactions. This made people experience a new kind of loneliness, turning them into forced reclusiveness, which many had to deal with in different ways,” said Amit Adarkar, CEO, Ipsos India.

“Digital connectivity and new hobbies made many re-access happiness, and people found their own ways of staying motivated. Like some were glued to social media and OTT for entertainment. While some took solace in close family bonding, with everyone homebound,” added Adarkar.

Local community support

The biggest upside was that at least one in two urban Indians (55 per cent) believed their local community became more supportive during the pandemic. China (55 per cent) and Saudi Arabia (51 per cent) too held similar views. Only one in three global citizens (32 per cent) felt their local community was more helpful now, after the pandemic struck.

The countries which experienced the least support of local communities during the pandemic were Japan (10 per cent) and Russia (13 per cent). In fact, 43 per cent of the Japanese polled and 38 per cent of the Russians polled found the local community support lacking.

Technical details

These are the results of a 28-market survey conducted by Ipsos on its global advisor online platform. Ipsos interviewed a total of 23,004 adults aged 18-74 in Singapore, 18-74 in the United States, Canada, Malaysia, South Africa and Turkey, 21-74 in Singapore, and 16-74 in 22 other markets between December 23, 2020 and January 8, 2021.

The sample included approximately 1,000 individuals each from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, mainland China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Spain and the US. And, 500 individuals each from Argentina, Chile, Hungary, India, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden and Turkey.

The samples in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and the US can be taken as representative of their general adult population under the age of 75.

The samples in Brazil, Chile, mainland China, India, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa and Turkey are more urban, educated, and/or affluent.