In spite of crisis 64% of people in Kazakhstan are optimistic about EXPO-2017 in Astana

DEMOSCOPE Bureau for Express Monitoring of Public Opinion is conducting a public opinion poll to find out what the people in Kazakhstan think about EXPO 2017 Astana.
1760 respondents from Astana, Almaty and 14 regional centers of Kazakhstan took part in the poll.

73% of females and 27% of males aged over 18 were interviewed by phone and online.
The poll was conducted from 6 to 18 May 2016.
The statistical error does not exceed 2%.

According to the results of the opinion poll, people in Kazakhstan have different views of the upcoming large scale exhibition. But generally they feel positive about it.

So, 64% of the respondents named development of scientific and technological progress in the country and in the world, improvement of the country image, huge revenue and attraction of investments, mutually beneficial cooperation among key factors for the EXPO hosting country.

At the same time, 24% of the interviewees were not so positive, mentioning huge expenses, destruction of human sources and funds from more essential problems, as well as favorable conditions for potential corruption among negative factors of the EXPO.

It’s interesting that the citizens of Astana and East Kazakhstan region were the most optimistic about EXPO-2017. 69% of the respondents living in the capital see the upcoming super exhibition will have only advantages. While in East Kazakhstan the level of optimism has reached 86%.

The highest level of pessimism felt about the EXPO was demonstrated in Aktyubinskaya Oblast, where 45.5% of the respondents think that conducting the international exhibitions usually causes huge investments and contributes into corruption.

The poll has also discovered interesting correlation among age groups of the respondents and their perception of the exhibition. The most sceptic were the interviewees aged 40 to 49 and over 70 years old. If taking difference between positive and negative opinions about the EXPO, these two categories showed 27 and 32 correspondingly.

The other age groups have higher difference, ranging from 43 to 53. At the same time, the most optimistic about the upcoming event are young people aged from 16 to 29.

70% of the respondents think Energy of the Future – a theme chosen for EXPO 2017 to address issues of alternative energy – is important for global development and environmental improvement. And only 11% didn’t agree with that.

The poll also demonstrated high level of awareness about EXPO-2017: 80% of the respondents knows the event will take place in Astana. 15% of the interviewees didn’t hear about the upcoming exhibition. In average, 27% of the respondents are planning to visit the EXPO. Obviously, in Astana itself –  52% of the citizens have plans to visit the venue.

According to the poll results, young people are more interested in visiting the EXPO. And the number of people who want to visit the exhibition decreases, depending on how older the respondents are. Thus, the respondents mostly interested to visit Astana EXPO-2017 (38%) were young people aged from 18 to 29. 33% were people aged from 30 to 39. While 22% of the respondents that are 40-59 years old are planning to go to the international exhibition.

One third of the poll respondents don’t know that EXPOs have been conducted since 1851, and most of great inventions have been presented during such exhibitions: microscope, satellite, automobile, telephone, telegraph, TV set, computer, sensor screen. 26% of the poll respondents said they are aware of EXPO history, while 19% didn’t know about the majority of the facts.

North Kazakhstan has the highest level of pessimism among businessmen

Over the half of people in Kazakhstan think that friendly interethnic relations can develop into the conflicts only intentionally