2022 to be better: Pakistanis’ net hope declined to 2 per cent, reveals survey
Pakistanis appeared to be more pessimistic for 2022 as their net hope declined to 2 per cent in 2021 which is the lowest since 2013.
ISLAMABAD: A research firm’s survey has revealed that Pakistanis appeared to be more pessimistic for 2022 as their net hope declined to 2 per cent in 2021 which is the lowest since 2013.
Pakistanis appear to be more pessimistic now as compared to previous years as net hope declined to 2% in 2021; the lowest since 2013.
It was revealed in a survey conducted by Gallup Pakistan, a leading survey research and consultancy firm, in which Pakistanis were asked to express their hopes for the next year after the end of 2021.
According to Gallup International’s Global Hope, Happiness and Economic Prosperity Index, 43% of Pakistanis express hope about the coming year 2022. 65% of Pakistanis report being happy with their life in general. 45% of Pakistanis believe that 2022 will a year of economic difficulty.
Pakistan’s net hope of 2% is significantly less compared to the global net hope of 10%. Net optimism about Pakistan’s economic situation in the coming year 2022 is -5%, the survey reported.
The study comprised internationally of 41,560 respondents covering different ethnicities, regions, religions, ages, and genders. The study has been conducted every year in Pakistan and globally for the past 44 years and is unique in terms of sample size, coverage, and longitudinal analysis.
According to the global result, 38% of people said that 2022 will be better than 2021 while 28% thought it will be worse and 27% think it will be the same as 2021, whereas, 7% did not know or did not wish to respond.
Net hope declined to 2%
Comparing Pakistan’s figure with the global average figure, Pakistan’s net hope of 2% is significantly less compared to global net hope of 10%.
The results show that hope for the future has been fluctuating heavily with hope peaking in Pakistan in the year 2014 and lowest in 2008, whereas, the Hope for the upcoming year 2022 has fallen considerably since 2013.
In 2008, when the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) came to power, the net hope fell to an all-time low of -31% but rose to -6% in the following year.
With the initial six months of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) in power in 2013, the net hope for the coming year rose to 11%, and to an all-time high of 61% in 2014.
Later in 2018, the net hope rose to 37% with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in power.
However, the initial euphoria dulled, and net hope had fallen to 14% in 2019.
Despite a global pandemic disrupting the world, the net hope rose in 2020, albeit slightly, to 17%.
It seems, however, that Pakistanis are once again pessimistic about the upcoming year as net hope was decreased by 15%.
In Economic Optimism Index, Pakistan’s net economic optimism is -5% compared to global figure of -15%. 45% Pakistanis think that 2022 will be a year of economic difficulty, slightly above the global average of 41%.
Net happiness
Globally, 13% said that they feel very happy about their life, 44% said they are happy, 28% said neither happy nor unhappy, 9% said unhappy, and 4% said very unhappy. 2% did not know or did not wish to respond. Global figure for net happiness is computed as 43%.
Pakistan’s net happiness is almost equal to the global figure for net happiness.
It might be worth noting that 11% Pakistanis reported to be very unhappy while globally, 4% said they are very unhappy with their life.
Gallup Pakistan has been asking about general happiness for nearly three decades and the chart below shows net economic optimism (happy – unhappy) since 2003. The results show that net happiness has been fluctuating in Pakistan.
Net happiness was highest in 2016 after which it fell to 48% in 2017, then rose to 65% in 2019. 2020 however, saw a sharp decline as net happiness fell to 40%. In 2021, the net happiness has increased slightly to 42%.
