Table of Contents
Introduction
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- Regional definitions
- Conversion factors
- Exchange rate
- Population 2005
- BMRB Target Group Index (TGI) sample sizes
- Sample sizes for Millward Brown data
- Abbreviations
Insights and Opportunities
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- New types of health insurance
- Health and fitness
- Taking a break from worries
- Women and savings
- On-target savings accounts for young people
- A ‘can do’ message for consumers and the environment
- Recruitment agencies and the ‘right job’
Summary of Key Findings
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- Question: Is Ireland an Anxiety Society?
- Question: What do Irish adults worry about?
- Question: What is the impact of the cost of living?
- Question: What will people spend money on in 2007?
- Question: Does understanding consumer concern aid targeting?
- Question: Do people care about the environment?
- Question: How will interest rate rises affect consumers?
- Question: What is the biggest work-related concern?
- Question: Is debt a major worry?
- Question: Has economic growth affected NI and RoI differently?
- Question: Is the gender savings gap narrowing?
What Influences Society’s Anxieties?
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- Economy booming…but for how long?
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- Figure 1: Health of the economy, NI and RoI, 2002-07
- Prolonged growth
- A feeling of general prosperity…
- …but not equally felt
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- Figure 2: Agreement with lifestyle statements by socio-economic status (percentage point difference from average), NI and RoI, 2004
- But all consumers faced with the same rise in prices
- RoI slowdown expected
- Interest rates rise: good for savers, bad for borrowers
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- Figure 3: UK and eurozone interest rates, 1998-2006
- What’s happening?
- With what effect?
- Who will it affect?
- Impact on worry?
- Will consumers be left with large debts they can’t pay?
- Bye bye ‘BUY BUY BUY’?
- Work, work and more work … or maybe not
- Working hours haven’t changed
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- Figure 4: Average number of hours worked a week, by gender and working status, NI and RoI, 1998-2005
- A perception of less time brought on by stress and responsibility
- But people want more time
- More employment…
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- Figure 5: Percentage in employment, by age group, NI and RoI, 2000 and 2005
- …but fewer jobs-for-life…
- …meaning more worries about job security
- More job security in NI
- Job satisfaction is important, but not widespread
- More work stress?
- The ‘right’ job
- Long-term responsibilities start later…as do worries
- ‘Kidulthood’ lasts longer
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- Figure 6: Average age at marriage, men and women, NI and RoI, 2000-05
- Parenthood starts later but lasts longer
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- Figure 7: Average age of women at birth of first child, NI and RoI, 1991-2005
- Mortgages last longer
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- Figure 8: Average age of first time buyers, UK, 1974-2005
- Environmental issues and climate change
- The media and children’s eating habits
- Watching TV – bad for children’s health
- Codes of conduct established
- Children not watching more TV…
- …but additional time is spent on the Internet
- Illness and hospital treatment
- Waiting lists are shorter in NI
- Cost of healthcare up 6% annually in RoI
- Ireland happier than the UK
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- Figure 9: Life satisfaction and happiness, UK and RoI, 2003
What Are People Worrying About?
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- Three in five adults worried about personal issues
- Half of adults worried about the work-life balance
- Money matters for 50%
- Who worries the most?
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- Figure 10: Number of worries by adults, NI and RoI, 2006
- Age concern
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- Figure 11: Types of worry by age group, NI and RoI, 2006
- What are we worried about?
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- Figure 12: Worries, NI and RoI, 2006
- “As long as you have your health…”
- Foothold on the property ladder the top concern for under-35s
- More money rather than less stress
- Job security less important than money
- Voter apathy and the NI peace process
- The media and our children
- Retirement funds: can’t save, won’t save!
- “It’s important to look good, but let’s not dwell on it!”
- Does getting older lead to a loss of control?
- Weight watchers
- Our effect on the environment
- Only 7% (NI) and 10% (RoI) worried about debt…
- …but will more people be concerned about debt in 2007?
- ‘Am I bovvered?’
- Two in three workers want ‘balance’
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- Figure 13: Life worries, by full-time workers, NI & RoI, 2006
What is the Impact of Time, Work and Money?
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- The cost of being Irish 2005
- The work-life balance 2006
- A clear link
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- Figure 14: Cost of living, work-life statements, NI and RoI, 2006
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- Figure 15: Percentage of adults affected by the work-life balance and the cost of living, NI and RoI, 2006
- Are women feeling the pinch more than men?
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- Figure 16: Work-life statements, by gender, NI & RoI, 2006
- Freedom from responsibility leads to happiness?
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- Figure 17: Work-life statements, by age, NI, 2006
- Economic prosperity STILL not equally felt
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- Figure 18: Work-life statements, by socio-economic status, NI and RoI, 2006
What Will People Spend Money On In 2007?
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- Figure 19: Spending priorities, NI and RoI, 2006
- Holidays continue to top the bill
- Consumers increase home value rather than reduce mortgage
- Financial spending
- The gender savings gap narrowing?
- Home decoration led by women
- Holidays for men
- Women attribute low importance to pensions
- High desire to save among young adults
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- Figure 20: Spending choice groups, by age, NI and RoI, 2006
- Over-45s focus on home spending the most
- Home decoration the top focus of less affluent adults
- Equal interest in savings
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How Do These Issues Impact Lifestyles?
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- Figure 21: Market size of cluster groups, NI and RoI, 2006
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- Figure 22: Worry groups of cluster groups, NI and RoI, 2006
- Care Aware – 28% (NI) 33% (RoI)
- Targeting opportunities
- Money on the Mind – 24% (NI) 20% (NI)
- Targeting opportunities
- Ageing Concerned – 27% (NI) 30% (RoI)
- Targeting opportunities
- Few Worries – 21% (NI) 17% (RoI)
- Targeting opportunities
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Conclusions
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- Do good finances and lifestyles equal no worries?
- Are we more able to address our concerns?
- So are we an anxiety society?
- A final thought
Appendix: Additional Data Tables
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- Social and demographic changes
- Household composition
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- Figure 23: Number of households, by size, NI and RoI, 2000-05
- Figure 24: Growth in number of households with children, RoI and NI, 2000-06
- Employment statistics
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- Figure 25: Percentage in employment, by age group, NI and RoI, 2000-05
- Population statistics
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- Figure 26: Population change by age group, NI, 2000-20
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- Figure 27: Population change by age group, RoI, 2000-20
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- Figure 28: Forecast population change, in thousands, by age, NI, 2000-20
- Figure 29: Forecast population change, in thousands, by age, RoI, 2000-20
- Average age at marriage
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- Figure 30: Average age at marriage, men and women, NI and RoI, 2000-05
- Notes on first time buyers
- Multicultural Ireland
- Immigration aids the economy
- But do people believe that?
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- Figure 31: Agreement with “A multi-cultural/multi-racial society is not good for the country”, by demographic groups, NI & RoI, 2006
- Sales opportunities exist
- Marketing to children – codes of conduct
- What are people worrying about?
- ‘Worry’ categories by demographic groupings
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- Figure 32: Types of worry by demographic groups, NI, 2006
- Figure 33: Types of worry by demographic groups, RoI, 2006
- Worries by demographic groupings
- Financial matters
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- Figure 34: Consumers who choose ‘financial matters’ as a concern, by demographic groups, NI, 2006
- Figure 35: Consumers who choose ‘financial matters’ as a concern, by demographic groups, RoI, 2006
- Societal Worries
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- Figure 36: Consumers who choose ‘societal worries’ as a concern, by demographic groups, NI, 2006
- Figure 37: Consumers who choose ‘societal worries’ as a concern, by demographic groups, RoI, 2006
- Personal Concerns
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- Figure 38: Consumers who choose ‘personal concerns’ as a concern, by demographic groups, NI, 2006
- Figure 39: Consumers who choose ‘personal concerns’ as a concern, by demographic groups, RoI, 2006
- Work-Life Balance
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- Figure 40: Consumers who choose ‘Work-Life Balance’ as a concern, by demographic groups, NI, 2006
- Figure 41: Consumers who choose ‘Work-Life Balance’ as a concern, by demographic groups, RoI, 2006
- No concerns
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- Figure 42: consumers who did not choose any concerns, by demographic groups, NI and RoI, 2006
- What is the impact of time, work and money?
- Northern Ireland
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- Figure 43: Work-life statements, by gender, NI, 2006
- Figure 44: Work-life statements, by age, NI, 2006
- Figure 45: Work-life statements, by socio-economic status, NI, 2006
- Figure 46: Work-life statements, by working status and marital status, NI, 2006
- Figure 47: Work-life statements, by region, NI, 2006
- Republic of Ireland
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- Figure 48: Work-life statements, by gender, RoI, 2006
- Figure 49: Work-life statements, by age, RoI, 2006
- Figure 50: Work-life statements, by socio-economic status, RoI, 2006
- Figure 51: Work-life statements, by working status and marital status, RoI, 2006
- Figure 52: Work-life statements, by region, RoI, 2006
- What will people spend money on in 2007?
- Northern Ireland
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- Figure 53: Spending priorities, by gender, NI, 2006
- Figure 54: Top ten spending priorities, by age, NI, 2006
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- Figure 55: Top ten spending priorities, by socio-economic status, NI, 2006
- Figure 56: Top ten spending priorities, by working status, NI, 2005
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- Figure 57: Top ten spending priorities, by region, NI, 2005
- Republic of Ireland
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- Figure 58: Spending priorities, by gender, RoI, 2006
- Figure 59: Top ten spending priorities, by age, RoI, 2006
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- Figure 60: Top ten spending priorities, by socio-economic status, RoI, 2006
- Figure 61: Top ten spending priorities, by working status, RoI, 2006
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- Figure 62: Top ten spending priorities, by region, RoI, 2005
- How Do These Issues Impact Lifestyles?
- Worries of cluster groups
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- Figure 63: top ten worries of ‘Care Aware’ adults, NI and RoI, 2006
- Figure 64: top ten worries of adults with ‘Money on the mind’, RoI and RoI, 2006
- Figure 65: top ten worries of ‘Ageing Concerned’ adults, NI and RoI, 2006
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- Figure 66: top ten worries of adults with ‘Few worries’, NI and RoI, 2006
- Spending priorities of cluster groups
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- Figure 67: Spending priorities, by cluster group, NI, 2006
- Figure 68: Spending priorities, by cluster group, NI, 2006
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- Figure 69: Spending priorities, by cluster group, RoI, 2006
- Demographic makeup of cluster groups
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- Figure 70: Demographic makeup of cluster groups, NI, 2006
- Figure 71: Demographic makeup of cluster groups, RoI, 2006
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