The personal optimism index, calculated by the American sociological organization Pew Research Center, shows that China has become the "world leader in hopes for the future." According to a survey conducted in 17 countries and released last week, 76% of residents in this country are confident that their lives will improve in the next five years.
Furthermore, 50% of Chinese are confident that they have achieved personal progress over the past five years. And the feeling of personal success leads to political dividends. Despite the absence of political reforms in the country, 72% of Chinese are satisfied with the state of affairs in their country.
In terms of life optimism, only residents of another major Asian country experiencing an economic miracle - India - can compare with the Chinese. According to the study by American sociologists, 75% of Indians expect an improvement in their fate.
Sociologists also note a link between personal optimism and the self-esteem of Chinese and Indians. Nearly 70% of respondents in China are confident that their country is respected throughout the world. In India, 71% think that they are loved abroad.
In developed countries, the picture is the complete opposite. In the world's largest economic power, the United States, with one of the highest standards of living, only 48% of the population expects better from life. Moreover, this figure has fallen by 13% since the previous survey in 2002. In the United States, 57% are disappointed with the current state of the nation, and in Germany, 73% are unhappy with the surrounding society.
According to experts, the "optimism boom" in China and India is undoubtedly linked to the rapidly growing economy and household incomes, growing consumer choice, improving working conditions and living standards. "I am not surprised that people feel better and better: their incomes have grown significantly over the past 5-10 years," Clint Laurent, director of the consulting firm Asian Demographics, told International Herald Tribune. "More and more people are moving into good homes, can afford medical expenses and, in general, are able to obtain decent work because their qualifications are rising."
However, it must be admitted that not all residents of rapidly developing countries are happy. 31% of Chinese admitted that they have "lost ground" in recent years. According to sociologists, this means that rapid economic growth has not affected everyone. The surveys were conducted only in major cities in China. And the gap in income levels between urban and rural areas in this country is very large. As Brian Negley, head of the consulting firm AC Nielsen in China, told International Herald Tribune, the research data obtained here are difficult to compare with other countries where there is no such huge difference between urbanized areas and rural areas. And, according to Laurent of Asian Demographics, in China, based on a sense of national pride, many respondents may have given "correct" answers that did not correspond to reality.