Multi-country

Many more had trouble paying for food, shelter last year
Iranians are increasingly struggling to afford food and shelter, and 65% say sanctions imposed by the United Nations, the U.S., and Western Europe will hurt the livelihoods of the country's residents "a great deal" or "somewhat."

Faith in banks and financial institutions remains low
Europeans' and Americans' confidence in their financial institutions has followed a similar trajectory throughout the global economic crisis, suggesting a strong link between the two struggling economies.

In most countries, pluralities say it is a bad time to find a job
A median of 12% of EU residents in 2011 said it was a good time to find a job where they live, while a median of 80% said it was a bad time. Residents of Greece were most pessimistic, while Germans were most optimistic.

A median of 36% confident in government; 43% confident in financial institutions
Europeans had little faith in their national governments and financial institutions in 2011 compared with other key institutions, likely reflecting dissatisfaction with the economic turmoil gripping the EU. Europeans trusted their military (69%) and honesty of elections (59%) the most.

Standard of living perceived as "getting worse" across much of EU
More Europeans are "suffering" than "thriving" in several countries hard-hit by the financial crisis. More than one in five residents rate their lives poorly enough to be considered suffering in Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Romania, and Portugal.

Assistance usually does not come from both sources
Households worldwide are three times more likely get financial help from individuals within the same country (9%) than from outside the country (3%), according to Gallup's surveys in 135 countries between 2009 and 2010.

More approve of China's and Turkey's leadership, but still more disapprove than approve
Nine percent of Iranians approved of U.K. and U.S. leadership when Gallup surveyed there in early 2011 and not many more approved of the EU's leadership (12%). The most educated Iranians are more likely to approve of these foreign leaderships than less educated Iranians, regardless of income.

Greeks are by far the most negative; pessimism soars Portugal and Italy
Views about local economic situations are deteriorating in several EU countries hard-hit by the European debt crisis, including Italy and Portugal. Those in Greece, Portugal, and Ireland are among the most negative, while views in Finland, Germany, Luxembourg are the most positive.

But their safe-sex behaviors are out of sync with their knowledge
While the vast majority of residents across 19 sub-Saharan African countries know how to prevent HIV/AIDS, their reported use of condoms is much lower, including in countries with high HIV rates.

Relationship is significant in the developing world and among young people
Gallup surveys in 83 countries indicate that adults who have access to a mentor are nearly three times more likely to say they are planning to start a business (14%) than those who do not have a mentor (5%).

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