2026 will be a year of economic prosperity, most Pakistanis believe: survey

Global Economic Gallup Survey highlights that 53 percent of Pakistanis consider 2026 a year of economic prosperity and 52 percent deem it a year of peace, as Islamabad records higher optimism than global average on economy and peace.

According to the survey findings, 51 percent of Pakistanis are optimistic and 20 percent others pessimistic about the New Year, indicating a net positive outlook for 2026. Pakistani optimism is significantly higher than India’s 39 percent and also surpasses the global average of 24 percent.

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Peace expectations are also significantly higher here as 52 percent of Pakistanis believe that world peace will improve. In India, this figure is only 26 percent.

This represents one of the highest levels of optimism in Pakistan since 1994, Gallup’s press release for the End of Year Survey said, adding that the optimism level surpassed only during a few peak periods, notably the late 1990s and the mid-2010s.

Across the three measures, overall hope, economic optimism, and hope for peace, Pakistan ranks ahead of India on two and exceeds the global average on all three, it said.

“The End of Year Survey conducted by the Gallup International Association covered 60 countries, including Pakistan, with a total sample size of 59,636 respondents.

“This annual survey is a long-standing tradition of the association, and represents the largest global study of its kind carried out by independent polling organisations. In Pakistan, the survey has been implemented by Gallup Pakistan since 1994, ensuring continuity and comparability of public opinion trends over time,” the survey report said.

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