Almost half of people stick to a New Year’s resolution

DECEMBER 31ST is always a day for bleary-eyed resolutions to adopt better habits, as people raise a glass to a new year (and in 2019, to a new decade). Many of those promises seem outlandish when nursing a hangover the next morning. But it seems that people really do change their behaviour.

Good intentions abound. Each year Google reports a global surge in searches about weight loss and dieting (although the overall rate at which users look up these topics has been gradually declining over time). Gyms see a spike in new memberships at the turn of the year. A recent poll of Americans by Ipsos found that they were especially keen to save more money in 2020. One in 12 even resolved to be more conscious about the environment.