What Worries Indians Most in the COVID Crisis

According to YouGov, the new coronavirus wave in India has led to heightened worry about health while decreasing worry about finances. In a recent survey among 1,500 urban Indians, around two thirds said they worried about friends or family becoming seriously sick or dying, up from 56 percent in the first wave in May 2020. Just as many said that they worried about their finances being severely affected, down from 71 percent last year.

The worry about the COVID-19 pandemic having negative long-term effects on society remained consistently high and has been shared by almost three quarters of Indians in the last year.

Worry about oneself becoming ill or dying as a result of COVID-19 ranked just below worry about friends and family, but rose more steeply from last year, up more than 40 percent. The survey also included questions about job loss and education. At 54 percent, fewer people worried about being out of work than worried about financial repercussions as a whole. 58 percent worried about their children’s education suffering, up from 50 percent in May 2020.