New Year, Same Goals: What the World Wants in 2025

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Hello, and happy Sunday! Today we cover the pulse of global trends, from holiday shopping shifts to next year’s bold predictions. Here’s what’s on the radar:

• Digital holiday boom: Online shopping dominates retail, driving logistics growth.

• 2025 predictions: Expect hotter weather, virtual worlds, and job changes driven by AI.

• Resolutions for 2025: Americans prioritize saving money and health, while 40% skip resolutions altogether.

• 2024 reflections: The year wasn’t great, but global optimism edged higher.

• Google’s 2024 search trends: Politics, extreme heat, and celebrity drama topped the charts.

Holiday Shopping Is Going Digital – And Fast

Online shopping has taken over more retail space than ever, hitting a record 17% of all retail sales in Q4 2023. That means one out of every six dollars spent found its way through an online checkout. 📱🛒

Over the past 15 years, e-commerce has more than tripled, with the holiday season consistently pushing those numbers higher. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Prime Day have solidified Q4 as the busiest time of year for online retailers, with Cyber Monday alone drawing 64 million shoppers in 2024—nearly triple the number of in-store shoppers.

Consumers are all about convenience and deals, but speed and shipping costs matter, too. Nearly 40% of shoppers abandon purchases if shipping costs are too high, and 32% walk away from retailers that can’t deliver on time.

This growing demand is reshaping logistics, driving investment in warehouses and fulfillment centers to keep up with soaring online orders.

The World’s 2025 Predictions – Hotter, Wetter, and More Virtual

Ipsos surveyed 23,700 people across 33 countries to see what they expect next year.

Climate change tops the list 🍃 🌏 – 80% think the planet will keep heating up, with 72% predicting more extreme weather. Indonesia (91%), the Philippines (89%), and Malaysia (88%) are the most convinced.

Confidence in government action is low – only 52% expect stronger carbon targets, though China (84%) is more hopeful.

On global conflicts, just 20% see peace in the Middle East and 30% in Ukraine.

In tech, two-thirds expect AI to take jobs, but 43% believe it will create new ones. Plus, 59% think more people will live in virtual worlds.

Americans’ 2025 Goal: More Savings, Less Weight

For 2025, saving money is the top resolution for 1 in 5 Americans, according to a survey. Goals like eating healthier, exercising more, and losing weight followed closely, chosen by 15-19% of respondents.

Interestingly, 40% of U.S. adults said they aren’t making any resolutions at all. 📝 🙅‍♂️

2024: Not Great, But Better Than Before

After years of crisis, 2024 felt slightly less grim for many people around the world.😌According to an Ipsos survey, 65% of adults in 33 countries said it was a bad year for their country, while 51% felt the same for their family.

Despite ongoing conflicts and economic struggles, this is the most optimistic outlook since 2019. The mood improved notably in Argentina, Sweden, Belgium, Poland, and China, while India, South Korea, and France reported feeling worse than last year.

Still, for most, 2024 wasn’t exactly a win – over 70% of respondents in France, Germany, South Korea, and Canada felt their year wasn’t great. Only Singapore, Switzerland, and China had a more positive outlook.

From Trump to TikTok: What We Googled in 2024

2024 was unforgettable, and Google searches prove it. From politics to heat waves and celebrity drama, the year’s biggest stories reflect the events that shaped the world.

At the top? The U.S. election. With Donald Trump defeating Kamala Harris, it wasn’t just the most searched topic in America but globally significant. Other elections, like Narendra Modi’s third term in India and Keir Starmer’s victory in the UK, also trended.

The second biggest search? Extreme heat. 🥵 2024 was on track to be the hottest year ever, with tragedies like the deaths of over 1,300 pilgrims at Hajj underscoring the global impact.

In entertainment, Diddy (Sean Combs) topped music searches, fueled by legal controversies. He was followed by Usher, Linkin Park, and Sabrina Carpenter. In movies, Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, and Saltburn captured the most attention.

Even songs hummed into Google revealed eclectic tastes, with Benson Boone’s "Beautiful Things" and Lady Gaga’s "Die With a Smile" leading.

Among notable figures, Princess Kate’s cancer battle drew massive interest, alongside searches for Trump, Harris, and the late Liam Payne — one of the year’s most searched losses.

China, Iran, and North Korea were left out of the data, but even without them, 2024’s search history tells the story of a year packed with drama, change, and headlines.