People are more positive towards socialism than capitalism

According to a survey conducted by MMR for the Socialist Party of Iceland (Sósíalistaflokkur Íslands), people are more positive towards socialism than capitalism. However, the difference is not significant. 31% say they are very or rather positive towards socialism, while 29% are very or rather positive towards capitalism.

Women want socialism

However, when the answers are divided by gender, it is revealed that 37% of men are positive towards capitalism, compared to only 18% of women. Conversely, 41% of women are positive towards socialism, compared to only 24% of men.

Men are fairly evenly split in their attitude towards capitalism, with 37% positive and 36% negative. Only 18% of women are positive towards capitalism, while 51% are negative. And 24% of men are positive towards socialism, while 49% are negative, whereas 41% of women are positive towards socialism, while only 28% are negative.

Younger people more favorable to socialism

A similar significant difference cannot be seen by age, residence, or income. The younger age group, 18 to 29 years old, is more positive towards socialism (38%) than capitalism (31%). And they are also less negative towards socialism, 33% compared to 48% negativity towards capitalism. However, this difference can also be seen in the next age group, 30-49 years old, although it is smaller. And although slightly more older people are negative towards socialism than capitalism, more among the oldest are positive towards socialism, 30%, compared to 25% who are positive towards capitalism.

There is little difference in attitudes by residence. A similar number of people are positive towards socialism and capitalism in the capital region, but slightly more are positive towards socialism in rural areas.

More positive attitude towards socialism with higher education

24% of people with a primary school certificate say they are positive towards capitalism, the same number as are positive towards socialism. Among people with secondary education, 29% are positive towards capitalism, while 26% are positive towards socialism. 33% of people with university education are positive towards capitalism, while 40% are positive towards socialism. The more education, the more positive the attitude towards socialism.

All income brackets under one million per month are more positive towards socialism than capitalism, with the largest difference among those with the lowest incomes; there, 37% are positive towards socialism, while 24% are positive towards capitalism. For people earning one million or more, this reverses; 37% are positive towards capitalism, while 28% are positive towards socialism.

And a similar pattern can be seen regarding professions. 42% of managers are positive towards capitalism, while only 17% are positive towards socialism. Among specialists, students, and homemakers, conversely, there is more positivity towards socialism than capitalism.

Those who thrive are more content with capitalism

In summary, men, higher-paid people, and those in high positions are more favorable to capitalism than socialism. But women, lower-paid people, and those in lower positions in the labor market are more favorable to socialism than capitalism. This should come as no surprise. Those who thrive in the capitalist system are more positive towards the system than those who are disadvantaged by it. And despite relentless propaganda against socialism within the capitalist societal structure, the fact is that people in general, apart from the group of the best-off, have a more positive attitude towards socialism than capitalism.

Sjálfstæðisflokkur supporters in a league of their own

MMR also categorizes the answers by what people voted for last. It shows that a positive attitude towards capitalism is limited to Sjálfstæðisflokkur and Viðreisn. 62% of Sjálfstæðisflokkur voters are positive towards capitalism, and 50% of Viðreisn voters. Next come Framsókn and Miðflokkur with 27%, and Píratar with 20%. 12% of Samfylking and Flokkur fólksins voters are positive towards capitalism, and 5% of VG voters.

The opposite is true for socialism. 64% of VG voters are positive towards socialism, 60% of Samfylking voters, and 51% of Píratar. Then comes Viðreisn with 19%, Framsókn with 13%, Flokkur fólksins with 12%, and Miðflokkur and Sjálfstæðisflokkur with 6%.

Capitalism with little support outside Valhöll

Since Sjálfstæðisflokkur supporters have a decisive and different attitude from other people, it is tempting to exclude them. When we do so, it turns out that among Sjálfstæðisflokkur supporters, 62% are positive towards capitalism, while 18% are negative. Whereas among all others, only 20% are positive towards capitalism, while 51% are negative.

And towards socialism, only 6% of Sjálfstæðisflokkur voters are positive, while 70% are negative, whereas among all others, 39% are positive, while 32% are negative.

It is therefore not primarily well-paid men in high positions who lift capitalism out of the dirt and hold back socialism in public discourse, but rather men in Sjálfstæðisflokkur, who have ideas about society that are thoroughly at odds with the ideas of most others. The amazing thing is that this small group of Sjálfstæðisflokkur supporters with strange views then controls the direction of society.

Neoliberalism consigned to the ash heap

MMR also asked about people's attitudes towards neoliberalism. Only 14% of the population have a positive attitude towards it, while 52% have a negative one. There is therefore no reason to spend many words on this political view. It is only among Sjálfstæðisflokkur voters that a decisively greater positivity towards neoliberalism than socialism can be found. Among managers, 18% stated they were positive towards neoliberalism, while 17% were positive towards socialism, but among all other groups, there was much greater positivity towards socialism than neoliberalism.

If we again exclude the peculiar Sjálfstæðisflokkur supporters, it turns out that among Sjálfstæðisflokkur voters, 20% are positive towards neoliberalism, while 39% are negative, whereas among all others, only 11% are positive towards neoliberalism, while 57% are negative.

Americans are considerably more positive towards capitalism

This spring, the survey company Survey Monkey published a comparable survey on people's attitudes towards capitalism and socialism in the United States. It showed that 68% of men in the United States had a positive attitude towards capitalism, while 28% had a negative one. Here, men's attitude was 37% positive and 36% negative. Among women in the United States, 48% were positive compared to 43% negative. Icelandic women, however, are only 18% positive, while 51% are negative. The difference in attitude towards capitalism is significant; American men are almost twice as positive, and women are 2.7 times more positive towards capitalism than Icelandic women.

The attitude towards socialism, however, is more similar. 36% of American men were positive towards socialism, while 59% were negative. Here at home, only 24% of men were positive, while 49% were negative. Of American women, 45% were positive towards socialism, while 46% were negative, whereas here at home, 41% were positive, while only 28% are negative. Fewer Icelanders are therefore positive towards socialism, but also fewer are negative, with more in between compared to the United States, where attitudes are more divided into two extremes.

Here you can see MMR's report on the survey:MMR_SocialismCapitalismThe survey is an online survey and was conducted from July 8 to 14, 2021. Results were weighted with respect to population distribution. The sample consists of Icelanders aged 18 and older, randomly selected from MMR's panel of respondents. Number of responses: 945 individuals.