When asked “How would you evaluate political freedoms in your country today”, globally 42% believe that political freedoms are sufficient and 50% that they are insufficient. There is a 8-points spread between positive and negative views.

The most positive assessments are in Europe – Sweden (74% “sufficient”, 17% “insufficient” or +57 points), Portugal (74% “sufficient”, 23% “insufficient”) and Switzerland (69% “sufficient”, 23% “insufficient” or +46 points). The United Arab Emirates are a kind of an exception (75% “sufficient”, 22% “insufficient” or +53 points).

Countries with limited political freedoms according to their citizens seem to be Nigeria (13% “sufficient” but 86% “insufficient” forming a negative spread of -73 points), Peru and Libya (equal spreads though different shares: -69 points), Ecuador (-62 points), Bosnia and Herzegovina (-59 points) and Sierra Leone (-50 points).

Positive attitudes dominate in regions like South Asia (+18 points), the EU (+14 points) and North America (49% “sufficient”, 39% “insufficient” or +10 points), while negative attitudes prevail in Latin America (27% “sufficient”, 67% “insufficient” or -40 points), Sub-Saharan Africa (-39 points) and Afghanistan (29% “sufficient”, 67% “insufficient”).

Women (39% “sufficient”, 51% “insufficient”), lower age, lower income and lower education groups, as well as poorer countries, are more likely to believe that their political freedoms are insufficient – as it might be expected. On the contrary – higher age, education and income groups are rather satisfied.

When asked about economic opportunities in their country today, 29% globally believe that opportunities are sufficient. 64% believe that they are insufficient.

The most negative evaluations are registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina (6% “sufficient”, 92% “insufficient” forming a negative spread of -86 points), Argentina (-84 points), Peru (7% “sufficient”, 90% “insufficient”), Nigeria (-82 points), North Macedonia (-80 points) and Georgia (9% “sufficient”, 88% “insufficient”).

Comparison between regions reveals that only in North America people have slightly positive attitude (46% “sufficient”, 44% “insufficient” or +2 points). Sub-Saharan Africa (-62 points) and Latin America (-61 points) are the most pessimistic. They are followed by West Asia (-58 points), MENA (25% “sufficient”, 72% “insufficient”), non-EU countries (-46 points), East Asia and Oceania (-25 points), EU (-21 points) and South Asia (-5 points).

Women (26% “sufficient”, 66% “insufficient”) again seem more vulnerable than men (33% “sufficient”, 62% “insufficient”). Low-income economies and people are expectedly more negative.

Expectations for the future seem more optimistic than assessments of the present in terms of freedom. 45% of the people around the world believe that their political freedoms will increase in the coming quarter of a century. 19% believe that their political rights will decrease and 27% believe that they will stay the same.

The most optimistic countries in that respect are Vietnam (86% “increase”, 3% “decrease”), Nigeria (80% “increase”, 12 “decrease”), Sierra Leone and Indonesia (77% “increase”, 12% “decrease”; 74% “increase”; 9% “decrease” – equal spreads though different shares), Kosovo (68% “increase”, 4% “decrease”) and Ivory Coast (+62 points).

Some of the regions that today show the most negative attitudes, are actually among the ones with more hopes for tomorrow. Developing regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia (68% “increase”, 16% “decrease”; 62% “increase”, 10% “decrease” or +52 points – equal spreads though different shares) and East Asia and Oceania (56% “increase”, 13% “decrease”) are the most optimistic about their political freedoms in 25 years. They are followed by MENA (+27 points) and Latin America (+24 points). The developed regions such as North America (37% “increase, 29% “decrease”) and the EU (+8 points) are the most skeptical.

“The younger, the more optimistic”, the pattern seems to be. Which usually means “not enough money, still educating and rather having hope”. And younger people are not so many in richest countries – usually Christian or atheist – so, such countries are not among the most optimistic. Having more to lose is apparently a problem sometimes for some countries. But indicators like this show as well that when it comes to personal income, the richest people are still the ones with the bright prospects expected. Unlike richest countries. 

People around the globe are rather optimistic about economic opportunities after 25 years. 48% believe that economic opportunities will increase in 25 years. 23% believe they will decrease and 21% think they will stay the same. 7% could not answer.

The most optimistic countries are outside North America and the EU. Vietnam (97% “increase”, 2% “decrease” or +95 points), Ivory Coast (81% “increase”, 3% “decrease”), Kosovo and Nigeria (both: +73 points) and Indonesia (77% “increase”; 10% “decrease”).

The most optimistic regions are Sub-Saharan Africa (72% “increase”, 13% “decrease” or +59 points), South Asia (+50 points), East Asia and Oceania (+39 points), Latin America (+37 points). They are followed by non-EU countries (+33 points). The most skeptical are in the EU (+8 points), West Asia (46% “increase”, 29% “decrease”) and North America (+16 points).

The youngest and the richest people – not surprisingly – are the most optimistic. The richest – that usually means oldest nations are the most pessimistic.

The index, which combines both positive and both negative responses about freedom and economic opportunities for present and the future, shows that countries with a higher standard of living are – as expected – more optimistic about their economic and political prospects nowadays than those with a lower standard of living (not without exceptions, of course). Rounding out the top five are Sweden (share of answers “sufficient” for political freedoms today + share of answers “sufficient” for economic opportunities today = 135), Switzerland (132), UAE (129), India (114) and Germany (113). Poorer countries are also the most pessimistic today - Nigeria (177), Libya and Peru (172), Bosnia and Herzegovina (169), Ecuador (161) and North Macedonia (158).

Countries that are more pessimistic today are optimistic about the future, with some exceptions. Vietnam (183), Nigeria (162), Cote d'Ivoire (153), Sierra Leone (153) and Indonesia (151) lead the ranking in anticipation of better economic and political opportunities. EU countries have the lowest expectations. North Macedonia (82), Greece (75), Ecuador (74), the Czech Republic (68) and Iraq (68) are leading countries in pessimism about the future.