Who are the world's most ethical shoppers?

Emerging market consumers are more likely to choose a product based on whether it's perceived as socially responsible than their developed market counterparts, according to a new survey.

Over 70 percent of Indonesian, Chinese, Malaysian, Thai, Indian and Filipino consumers surveyed by Mastercard (NYSE:MA - News) said they consider whether a product is fair trade, environmentally friendly or donates a portion of proceeds to charity when shopping.

This compares with below 30 percent of consumers in Australia, 34 percent in New Zealand, 38 percent in Hong Kong and Korea and 39 percent in Japan, according to MasterCard's Ethical Shopping Survey 2015 published on Thursday.

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"People in emerging markets are increasingly concerned about the impact of rapid growth on the environment and society. It is not surprising that they are more likely to think of the supply chain and ethics of a merchant when deciding what to buy and where to shop," said Georgette Tan, group head, communications, Asia-Pacific at Mastercard.

The most important ethical issue for shoppers in the region when choosing where to buy from is whether the merchant is environmentally responsible.

The survey results are based on interviews with more than 7,000 consumers aged 18-64 across 14 markets in the region.



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