What do people PREDICT for 2026?

Every year, Core Research speaks to 1,000 adults across Ireland, carefully selected to represent the nation as a whole. We ask people to look ahead - to share what they expect for the world, for Ireland, and for their own lives in the year to come.

From housing and health to retail habits and personal relationships, PREDICT reveals the issues the public care about most, and the expectations shaping their hopes and fears for the future.

This isn’t trend-spotting based on anecdotes or hunches. It’s grounded, rigorous listening: real data from real people, telling us where confidence is rising, where concerns are deepening, and where change feels possible.

By analysing these public predictions, Core gives organisations a clear evidence base for smarter communication strategies - ones that resonate with people’s lived realities, align with the future they want, and uncover new opportunities for brands to grow.

MICRO MAP

Every Day Predictions

This map shows how likely people are to take part in different activities in 2026 - public intention % from bottom to top - and the extent to which they believe others will also take part - public prediction % from left to right - highlighting the consumer demand.

Click on each dot to reveal more information.

AFFORDABILITY

AFFORDABILITY

1. Make Value Impossible to Miss
Showcase price, savings and own-brand quality clearly and consistently. Help consumers feel smart, not frugal, in choosing better value.

2. Win the Research Moment
Optimise search, reviews and comparison content. Ensure your brand is the most helpful and transparent source during pre-purchase evaluation.

3. Turn Cautious Browsers into Confident Buyers
Use personalised offers, timely promotions and reassuring messaging to nudge delayed or hesitant shoppers toward action without adding pressure.

People are responding to the continued cost-of-living pressures with clear, deliberate shifts in how they plan to shop in 2026. A majority intend to be more price-conscious: 68% plan to delay purchases for sales or price drops, 64% plan to research purchases online more often, and 58% plan to buy more own-brand products. Even behaviours with lower personal intention, such as shopping online more for non-food goods (48%), still reflect a move toward value-seeking. Crucially, people also believe these behaviours will be widespread, with public predictions ranging from 47% to 53%, signalling a shared cultural mindset of caution and cost control.

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What People Told Us

“I hope we can get the cost of living crisis significantly down. I hope to move out of grandparents house, get my own place for me and my son”

— Woman, 32 years old.

“I hope that we don't go in to a recession and people can afford to get on to the property ladder.”

— Man, 46 years old.

“I would really hope the price of food and electricity will drop significantly because its causing some people a lot of distress and making them struggle week from week because of the growing price rises.”

— Woman, 59 years old.

Between Pressure and Possibility:
Ireland’s Social Crossroads in 2026

Ireland enters 2026 with social tensions running high and expectations pulling in different directions. Housing is the flashpoint: 61% want better affordability, yet only 28% think it will improve.

Public pressure is set to rise, with 56% interested in more housing protests and 68% expecting them to increase, signalling a year of growing frustration.

Migration is also deeply charged. 60% believe migrants will face greater barriers, and 64% expect attacks on migrant communities to continue, reflecting real anxiety about misinformation and local tensions. Yet there is still a quieter hope for compassion - 41% want communities to welcome and support migrants, even if few believe this shift will happen soon.

Culturally, Ireland is moving on two tracks at once. 48% are interested in a revival of Irish arts and culture, and 44% think it will take hold. At the same time, 50% believe conservative traditions will gain value, with 43% expecting that trend to grow. Together, these forces show a nation navigating pressure, identity and the possibility of renewal in 2026.

  • In a year marked by tension around housing and migration, brands can win trust by spotlighting shared experiences, local resilience and community connection - positioning themselves as calm, constructive forces rather than contributors to division.

  • With consumers expecting both a revival of Irish creativity and a rise in traditional values, brands can blend heritage with modernity - elevating Irish arts, language and makers while anchoring campaigns in authenticity, continuity and belonging.

  • With many hoping for a more welcoming society but doubting it will happen, brands can fill the gap by backing real initiatives - skills programmes, inclusive community partnerships, or storytelling that humanises rather than polarises - showing leadership where people expect inaction.

Danny McCoy, CEO, IBEC:
Intolerance is an evil that threatens Irish society, and our prosperity too

“The us versus them ideology is the antithesis of the collaboration required for a modern economy. Our economic model thrives because we effectively merge our strong homegrown talent pool with leading international expertise, fuelling economic growth.”

Read Article

Public Predicts Political Volatility at Home and Abroad in 2026

As Ireland enters 2026, political expectations are defined by global turmoil and domestic uncertainty. The conflict in Gaza looms large, with only 35% believing a ceasefire will hold, feeding into wider distrust in global systems. Anxiety is further heightened by 56% predicting more political assassinations and global violence, signalling a public braced for instability.

At home, confidence in political direction is equally low. Interest in a left-leaning alliance is notable, but only 36% see it as a credible option, and belief in the current coalition is similarly muted, with just 37% expecting Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to govern well together. The sense of political ambiguity is widespread.

Looking to Ireland’s EU Presidency, expectations remain subdued. Only 32% believe Ireland will show strong leadership, reflecting a cautious national mood. Overall, the public anticipates a year where political systems - global and domestic - struggle to deliver clarity, stability, or meaningful progress.

  • With people bracing for global and domestic instability, brands that communicate with consistency, calm and clarity become anchors of reassurance - offering the predictability the public are looking for.

  • Low confidence in leadership creates space for brands to stand out by being open about decisions, values and commitments. Clear explanations, honest updates and evidence-backed claims signal integrity in a climate of doubt.

  • Rather than leaning into political divides, brands can highlight the issues people agree on - universalism, wellbeing, fairness, compassion - using campaigns and partnerships that unite rather than polarise, and positioning themselves as contributors to national progress.

What People Told Us

“I hope the extreme global nationalism and general lunacy being fuelled by social media and big tech corporations will somehow lose momentum and quickly recede and good, reasonable people will take leadership.”

— Man, 26 years old.

“People will be willing to look beyond the superficial information available and make considered decisions.”

— Woman, 52 years old.

“The AI bubble will pop resulting in a massive decrease of AI being used to replace workers and a reduction of misinformation being spread by people asking ChatGPT/Grok/Google AI/other AI chatbots.”

— Man, 32 years old.

Truth, Tech, and Turbulence: How the Public Expects Media to Shift in 2026

Ireland’s expectations for technology and media in 2026 revolve around truth, trust and rapid disruption. Many want higher standards in journalism, but only 36% believe reporting will become less opinion-driven, signalling deep scepticism. Confidence in oversight is also limited: despite interest in regulation, just 42% think social platforms will face stricter rules next year.

AI, however, is viewed as unavoidable. 57% believe AI-generated content will become a major source of online news, and concerns about misinformation remain high, with 40% expecting someone they know to share false or conspiracy content. The sense of an unstable information environment is clear.

Elsewhere, expectations are modest. Only 23% think parents will stop buying teens mobile phones, and 36% expect Irish media to become more diverse and inclusive. Overall, the public sees 2026 as a year where tech change outpaces regulation, and where questions about truth and trust remain wide open.

  • With doubts about fact-based reporting and rising misinformation, marketers should double down on authenticity, verification and source transparency. Clear proof points, behind-the-scenes clarity and consistent truth-first storytelling make your brand a trusted port in a chaotic media tide.

  • As people expect AI-generated news to dominate, the opportunity is to elevate your content by pairing smart automation with visible human oversight. Highlight your editorial standards, ethical guardrails and human creative leadership to stand apart from the noise.

  • With low faith in regulation and modest expectations for media inclusivity, brands can build their own credibility by championing diverse voices, moderated communities, and high-quality information environments where people feel informed, not manipulated.

Curious?

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