SINGAPORE, Jan 13, 2009 (AFP) - That dream holiday may have been shelved by the economic downturn, but consumers worldwide say they will still be spending on some things that count more -- beauty and health-care products.

Photo : Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP

An international survey by market research firm Synovate showed spending on cosmetics and health care appears resilient in the face of the downturn, which has altered consumer attitudes worldwide.

It found 41 percent of people plan to spend the same amount on cosmetics as they did before the downturn began, while only 27 percent said they would cut down.

For health-care products, 55 percent said they would spend the same amount, while only 17 percent would spend less.

The survey questioned 11,500 people in more than a dozen countries including Brazil, Greece, Mexico, the Netherlands, Russia, Turkey and the United States.