Consumers have set improving physical, mental and financial health as key goals in 2022, a New Year’s resolution survey from market research firm Numerator revealed, but half of resolution makers worry that inflation might keep them from reaching their goals.
As the pandemic enters a third year, 48% of resolution makers in the Numerator survey said the COVID-19 crisis affected the goals they had set themselves, particularly those regarding mental health.
Improving physical wellness is the top goal among the 43% of consumers who plan to make a resolution this year, according to Numerator. In second place, 47% of resolution-makers indicated that they would focus on financial security in 2022. Rounding out the top three, 37% of resolution-makers intend to improve their mental health in the New Year, with more than half of Gen Z/Millennials survey respondents looking to boost psychological well being.
For the 75% of resolution makers focused on physical wellbeing, cooking and baking at home were priorities, with 64% saying they would cook at home more frequently this year and 23% saying they would bake more frequently, according to Numerator. Also popular among wellness-oriented resolution makers are low-carb and low-fat diets, and eating more produce and seafood. At the same time, they said plan to cut restaurant visits and lower alcohol consumption a bit.
Differences in New Year’s resolutions among the Numerator survey respondents can be seen when looking at consumers by generation and geographic region:
- Gen Z and Millennials, by 12%, were more likely to make a resolution related to mental health versus all consumers.
- Older generations were more likely to make physical health-related resolutions.
- Midwesterners were more likely to make resolutions related to charities, with one in five including charities on their list of priorities versus 13% on average.
- Asian and Black consumers, at 52% and 35%, respectively, led consumers who planned to make career- or education-related resolutions, up significantly from other groups.
- Men, at 54%, were more likely to make finance-related resolutions than women but less likely to make resolutions regarding productivity/organization or charity.
Numerator noted that consumers were willing to spend on groceries, subscriptions and supplies to make their resolutions successful.
