ITV News Index 6 December 2011

The latest ITV News Index published on 6th December 2011.

Date Published: 06 Dec 2011

Categories: Business | Consumer | Public and communities | Retail & Consumer | UK

Description

CHRISTMAS TOUGHER FINANCIALLY FOR SEVEN IN TEN THIS YEAR

The latest Index poll results, conducted by ComRes and to be broadcast on ITV News at Ten tonight, reveal that seven in ten of the British public (70%) expect Christmas ‘will be tougher financially this year than last’.  Fewer than a quarter, 23%, disagreed.  Those in the lowest income bracket (social groups DE) are gloomiest (75%), while men are decidedly more upbeat than women by 65% to 75%.

When asked whether people expect to spend more, less or the same as last Christmas, the same proportion as in 2010 – 12% - said they would be spending more, a similar proportion said they would be spending the same (47% this year compared to 48% last year), while marginally more people were found this year to be gloomier compared to last (39% expect to spend less compared to 36% last year).

There is evidence that those in middle age are reining in spending the most this year, 46% of people aged 45-54 spending less compared with just 31% of 18-24 year-olds.  However, it is those on the lowest incomes who have been hit hardest by the economic uncertainties: 44% of DEs plan to spend less this year compared to 32% of people in the highest income groups AB.  The gloomiest region of Britain is Wales, where just 8% say they plan to spend more compared to 42% who will be spending less, while the most generous region is East Midlands where 18% plan to spend more.

Methodology: ComRes interviewed 2031 GB adults online between 2nd and 4th December 2011.  Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all GB adults.  ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.