Survey: Lebanon Optimistic About 2009
Hong Kong people are more gloomy about the prospects for 2009 than anyone else in the world, while the Lebanese are among the most optimistic, a worldwide survey said.
Sixty-seven percent of the 1,013 people polled in Hong Kong by research firms TNS and Gallup International between October and December believed that 2009 would be worse than 2008 — almost double the global figure of 35 percent.
However, Lebanon was among the top ten optimistic countries with 48% of Lebanese saying this year will be better than 2008.
Kosovo is number one (60%), followed by China”s main cities (53%) and Australia (49%).
Russia (42%), India (42%), Bahrain (41%) and Macedonia (40%) are also countries within the top ten.
The survey interviewed 45,700 people in 46 countries and regions.
The downbeat mood in Hong Kong is in stark contrast to findings from a similar survey conducted by the same organizations 12 months earlier, which ranked people in the Chinese territory as the most optimistic in Asia.
"Interestingly, Lebanon and Indonesia are among the exceptions, showing a growth in optimism compared to last year (14 and 10 points) in a context where for most countries the trend is the opposite," the survey which was released on Thursday said.