Pakistan outpaces India in economic and peace optimism for 2026: Global survey

ISLAMABAD: A majority of Pakistanis are entering 2026 with significantly higher expectations for economic prosperity and global peace than their neighbors in India, defying global trends of pessimism, according to a new survey.

The “End of Year Survey” by the Gallup International Association highlights a distinct divergence in South Asian sentiment. While India records higher levels of general hope for the new year, Pakistan has outperformed its eastern neighbor on specific measures of economic confidence and expectations for a more peaceful world.

Economic outlook
On the specific question of economic prosperity, Pakistan has emerged as a regional outlier. The poll found that 53% of Pakistani respondents believe 2026 will be a year of economic prosperity, compared with just 39% in India.

This confidence is particularly striking when viewed against the global backdrop. The world average for economic optimism sits at just 24%, meaning Pakistan’s positive sentiment is more than double the international norm.

The contrast deepens when looking at the overall balance of opinion. Instead of just counting the optimists, the survey calculates a "net score" by subtracting the pessimists. In Pakistan, the hopeful outnumber the fearful by a solid margin of 26 percentage points. In comparison, India’s lead is much slimmer, with optimists exceeding pessimists by only 13 points.

"Overall, the findings indicate that economic sentiment in Pakistan is notably stronger than both the global average and India, despite widespread global economic pessimism," the report noted.

Hope for peace
Pakistan’s lead is even more pronounced regarding global stability. According to the data, 52% of Pakistanis expect the world to be more peaceful in 2026. In sharp contrast, only 26% of respondents in India share this view, a figure that aligns with the low global average.

The divide is starkest when weighing hope against fear. While Pakistan remains firmly in positive territory (+31%), India actually slides into the negative. There, the pessimists outnumber the optimists by 9 points, meaning more Indians expect the world to become "more troubled" than "more peaceful."

General hope
While Pakistan leads on specific economic and peace metrics, the survey indicates that India holds a stronger sense of general hope for the year ahead.

When asked simply if 2026 will be generally "better" than 2025, 59% of respondents in India said yes, compared to 51% in Pakistan. However, the report noted that Pakistan’s outlook remains resilient; its 51% optimism rate places it well above the global average of 37%.

Drivers of optimism
The surge in Pakistani optimism appears to be primarily driven by younger demographics. The report details that optimism is concentrated among those aged 18-34, while older age groups expressed more caution regarding the coming year.

This year's figures represent a significant rebound in public sentiment. The report describes the current optimism as one of the highest recorded since tracking began in 1994, comparable only to peaks seen in the late 1990s and mid-2010s.

Methodology
The findings for Pakistan are based on a sample of 1,000 respondents interviewed via Random Digit Dialling across all four provinces by Gallup Pakistan, an affiliate of the Gallup International Association.

Globally, the survey interviewed 59,636 people across 60 countries.