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The main results of the fourth round of the Social Impact of COVID-19 survey are presented below.
Compliance with Restrictions during Christmas
- More than one in five (21.1%) respondents reported that they are Very unlikely or Unlikely to comply with restrictions preventing them from seeing their family and friends during Christmas.
- A similar percentage (21.3%) reported that they are Unsure if they would comply with such restrictions and 57.5% reported that they are Likely or Very likely to comply.
- Almost two in three (65.3%) of male respondents stated they were Likely or Very likely to comply compared to one in two (50.0%) of females.
- More than eight in ten (81.8%) respondents aged 70 and over stated that they would be Likely or Very likely to comply with restrictions preventing them from seeing their family and friends during Christmas compared to four in ten (41.9%) of respondents aged 18 to 34.
International Travel
- More than one in two (53.9%) respondents reported that they will fly before the end of 2021, 36.0% stated they will fly abroad Sometime in 2022 and 6.8% said in 2023 or later.
- More than six in ten (62.4%) male respondents stated that they think they will fly before the end of 2021, compared with less than half (45.1%) of female respondents.
- Respondents aged 18 to 34 were most likely to think they will fly abroad Within the next 2 months (6.7%) compared to 0.1% of respondents aged 70 and over.
- More than six in ten (63.0%) respondents with an immediate family member living abroad expect to take their next international flight before the end of 2021, compared with 43.5% of respondents that do not have an immediate family member living abroad.
Travel restrictions
- More than one in two (53.7%) respondents reported that persons travelling to Ireland from RED regions should Not be allowed enter the country.
- More than two in ten (22.9%) respondents reported that persons travelling to Ireland from ORANGE regions should Not be allowed enter the country.
- More than three in ten (31.3%) respondents believe that travellers from ORANGE regions should Restrict movements for 14 days.
- In relation to persons travelling to Ireland from GREEN regions, just over one in ten (10.3%) respondents reported that they should Not be allowed enter the country, with a similar percentage (10.9%) reporting that they should Have No restrictions and almost eight in ten (78.9%) reporting that they should be subject to some restrictions (e.g. a pre or post arrival negative COVID-19 test or movements restricted on arrival).
- Almost one in six (15.3%) respondents With immediate family living abroad agreed that passengers entering Ireland from GREEN regions should Have No restrictions, compared to 6.4% of respondents with No immediate family living abroad.
Expenditure this Christmas
- Almost nine in ten (88.6%) of respondents either reported that they expect to spend Less than last year (46.2%) or The same as last year (42.4%).
- Fewer than one in ten (9.4%) stated that they expect to spend More than last year.
- Female respondents were more likely to report that they expect to spend More than last year (11.3%) this Christmas compared to males (7.5%).
- Younger respondents were more likely to report that they expect to spend More than last year when compared to older age groups.
- Respondents living in households with children were more likely to report that they will spend More than last year (15.6%), compared with 6.5% of respondents living in households with two or more adults and no children.
Worries about Christmas
- Over one in ten (11.5%) of respondents reported that they were Not worried about Christmas.
- Not being able to mix with other households or see friends or family was the most cited worry amongst respondents, with three in four (74.5%) reporting this, followed by Being unable to plan ahead, not knowing what restrictions will be in place (54.2%) and Household confinement over the Christmas period (41.9%).
- Male respondents were more likely to be worried about Pubs and restaurants being closed (25.3% compared with 15.2% of females).
- Female respondents were more likely to be worried about Not being able to mix with other households or see friends or family (79.4% compared with 69.4% of males) and Household confinement over the Christmas period (45.2% compared with 38.6% of males).
- More than one in three (35.8%) respondents aged 70 and over were worried about Churches, places of worship closed over Christmas period compared to 14.2% of respondents aged 18 to 34.
- Respondents living in rented accommodation were more likely to be worried about Inability to afford Christmas presents (23.0%) compared to respondents living in owner-occupied dwellings (8.4%).
Methodological Note
The results presented in this publication have been weighted to best reflect the population. Due to time and resource constraints, there were limitations on the sample size and selection methodology. Consequently, caution must be exercised when making inferences to the entire population from these results. Nonetheless, this data provides a valuable insight into the impact of COVID-19 on the lives of many people in Ireland. For further details on the survey methodology, see Background Notes.
A second publication focusing on survey questions related to Social Impact of COVID-19 Survey November 2020: Well-being and Lifestyle under Level 5 Restrictions was published on Monday 30 November.
