ISLAMABAD: Around 43% Pakistanis have expressed hope about the new year while 45% believe 2022 will be a year of "economic difficulty," according to Gallup International’s Global Hope, Happiness and Economic Prosperity Index released this week.

The findings have emerged out of an annual, 44 country research conducted by Gallup International. The survey in Pakistan was done by Gallup Pakistan, which has been working in the country since 1979.

“According to a Gallup International Survey at the end of the year 2021, 43% Pakistanis feel optimistic about the coming year 2022, 41% feel pessimistic, and 9% expect the new year 2022 to be the same as 2021,” the survey said. “Pakistan’s net hope of 2% is significantly less compared to global net hope of 10%. Net optimism about Pakistan’s economic situation in the coming year 2022 is -5%.”

A nationally representative sample of adult men and women from across the four provinces of Pakistan was asked the following question, “As far as you are concerned, do you think that 2022 will be better, worse or the same as 2021?”

In response to the question, 43% Pakistanis said they are optimistic about 2022, 41% believe 2022 will be worse than 2021, 9% said will be the same and 7% did not know or did not wish to respond.

Globally, 38% said 2022 will be better than 2021, 28% said it will be worse, and 27% think it will be the same as 2021. 7% did not know or did not wish to respond.

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%.

In India, 54% said they are hopeful about 2022, 24% said they are not hopeful about the upcoming year and 19% think that 2022 will be the same as 2021. The study computed net hope for India as 30%.

In Afghanistan, 24% said they are optimistic about 2022, 56% think that it will be worse than 2021, and 4% think that it will be same. The study computed net hope for Afghanistan as -32%.