Survey: Rising prices and war top Czech fears for the next five years

Rising living costs and the prospect of war spreading further across Europe are the greatest concerns facing Czechs over the next five years, according to a new Ipsos survey.

Half of respondents identified high prices and increasing costs among their main worries, while nearly half cited war in Europe. Approximately one-third were concerned about a broader economic crisis.

The Covid-19 pandemic, which dominated public debate and government policy earlier this decade, now barely registers among the principal threats identified by respondents.

“The survey results reveal two main concerns among Czechs,” said Michal Kormanak, director of Ipsos Public Affairs.

“One relates to the economic situation, whether personal or from the perspective of global economic trends. The other concerns the potential spread of war further into Europe.”

Other commonly cited risks included the misuse of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, climate-related and natural disasters, misinformation, an energy crisis, political instability and cyberattacks.

The priorities varied across generations. Younger respondents were more likely to worry about AI misuse, technological developments and climate-related disasters.

Older people more frequently cited economic uncertainty, war and security threats.

Despite listing rising prices as their greatest concern, respondents generally felt capable of adapting to higher costs. They were much less confident about their ability to cope with the consequences of a war.

Respondents were even more critical of the preparedness of Czech society and public institutions than of their own personal readiness.

“People feel that the government is not very well prepared for major crises, yet at the same time, eight out of 10 Czechs rely on it,” Kormanak said.

Almost 80 percent said the state and public institutions should bear primary responsibility for managing major emergencies.

Younger respondents were more likely than older generations to see the European Union and international organizations as sharing responsibility.

The survey also found that recent crises have left many people skeptical about Czech society’s resilience. Approximately two-thirds said those experiences had divided society rather than brought it closer together.

Young people were somewhat more optimistic. They were more likely to agree that the difficulties of recent years had taught society how to handle emergencies and that Czechia would manage another crisis better than it would have five years ago.

Ipsos conducted the survey in September among 1,084 Czech residents age 18 and older.