Better education and healthcare are the most important issues for the people in the United Arab Emirates, according to the results of a new poll. The United Nation is conducting a massive global survey off and online to discover people’s priorities in different regions and demographic groups.
In order to determine and set up a new agenda for global development, United Nations launched a worldwide survey examining the top priorities in the lives of thousands of people. “My World. The United Nations Global Survey for a Better World” is still ongoing in every corner of the world, conducted online and on place. It gathers people’s opinion on the most important things in their lives, asking which six of 16 possible issues matter the most. Globally, the biggest priority is education, while climate change is almost irrelevant to those surveyed. So far, more than 1.5 million people have voted, but some leading trends are already visible.
Logically, young people are more likely to prioritize job opportunities. And while men’s and women’s top agendas are not that different, men care more about transport and roads, while for women, protecting the planet is more important. People living in countries with higher Human Development Index ratings (it measures life expectancy, income and education) are more likely to prioritize an honest and responsive government. People in countries with lower HDI say job opportunities are the most important. And those who live in countries with very high HDI prioritize protecting forests, rivers and oceans over health care.
However, the big winner is education, with more than 1 million people voting for it. It is followed by “better healthcare”, “better job opportunities”, “an honest and responsive government”, affordable and nutritious food”, access to clean water and sanitation”, and “protection against crime and violence”.
For people living in the UAE, better education also comes first. 1,531 people have voted so far, and for them, the second most important thing is better healthcare. The need for an honest and responsive government follows, with protection against crime and violence and better job opportunities rounding up the top five priorities.
Interestingly, the countries with the largest number of votes are India with more than 250,000, people, Nigeria (175,000+), Yemen (123,000+), Philippines (70,000+), Thailand (69,000+) and Ghana with over 58,000 people. Of course, this is influencing the results, as these countries’ economic and political development is still experiencing issues.
