Indians are optimists

The French are the saddest people in the world while Indians are basically optimists, a world-wide survey has revealed. According to the BVA-Gallup poll of 53 countries, the French are the world champions of scepticism, with 61% of the French respondents saying 2011 will be “a year of economic difficulty”. Britons were not far behind at 52%, Spaniards at 48% and Italians at 41%, the UK’s Daily Mail newspaper reported quoting the poll. The poll found that 67% of French respondents believed unemployment would rise over the next 12 months. In fact, employment was also a major concern in the UK, with 74% of Britons believing unemployment would increase this year. The overall negative sentiment in Europe comes in stark contrast to the emerging economies in Asia, South America and Africa, where citizens are generally and basically optimistic about the New Year. In Brazil, India and China, 49% of respondents said they believed 2011 would be economically prosperous, with only 14% predicting hardship in their lives. Vietnam topped the optimism rating with 70% Vietnamese expressing confidence in the economic outlook for 2011, the survey went on to reveal. Confidence also reigns in Nigeria, where 80% of respondents expect their financial situation to improve this year. Even in war-torn countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq, respondents appeared to look forward to a brighter future with only 14% of Afghans and 12% of Iraqis fearing a deterioration of their situation. The poll was conducted from October 11 to December 13, 2010, in 53 countries in the world. Over 63,000 people were interviewed by telephone, in face-to-face interviews or online