48% Pakistanis optimistic about improvement in economy: Survey

ISLAMABAD: Almost half of Pakistanis are optimistic about improvement in the country’s economy and are looking forward to 2021 despite the difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the latest survey conducted by Gallup Pakistan, 48 percent of Pakistanis are looking forward to 2021 as the year of economic prosperity. Over 1,000 respondents between 9th October to 2nd November 2020 believed the economic situation will deteriorate further, while on other hand, 12 percent of respondents said the situation will remain the same.

According to the survey, the net score of those confident about good future prospects of the Pakistani economy is 18 percent. When the PPP government came to power, the net score was at -38 percent. Some improvement was witnessed in 2009, but the net score was still at -8 percent.

However, when the PML-N came into power, the net score increased to 47 percent in 2014 and 50 percent in 2015. However, it is reducing since then and in 2020 it stands at 18 percent.

The survey showed that Pakistan’s score is much better than the global average score which stands at -21 percent. If the net score of Pakistan is compared to the collective opinion of 46 countries, then the survey shows that 25 percent of people on a global level are confident about improvement in the economic situation, while 46 percent said it is likely to deteriorate further, and 24 percent people said the situation will remain the same.