From enthusiasm to apathy: dwindling support for globalization among future generations

Abstract

This essay examines support for globalization in developing countries, challenging the prevailing intellectual and policy consensus that globalization predominantly benefits less developed countries (LDCs). While globalization has been linked to economic growth and poverty reduction, rising inequality and discontent in both developing and developed countries raise critical questions about its long-term sustainability. In developed nations, populist leaders channel discontent with job precarity and wage pressures to criticize globalization, often portraying developing countries as the beneficiaries of global markets at the expense of blue-collar workers in richer nations. Conversely, in LDCs, scepticism about globalization is growing, particularly as income disparities widen and employment insecurity rises. We report three key findings: citizens in developing countries become more disillusioned with globalization over time, especially low-skilled workers and younger generations. This disenchantment mirrors the backlash seen in wealthy nations, suggesting that without substantial reforms to global trade systems, support for openness may erode across both developing and developed countries. A collapse of the international economic order, with negative global consequences, including supply chain disruptions and slower economic growth, is a potential outcome. The essay highlights the need for a reassessment of globalization’s role in developing economies to prevent further political and economic instability.