Poll: Optimism prevails in emerging economies
Steve Chiotakis: There’re results today of a study done by the BBC World Service. The poll looked at economic attitudes in more than two dozen countries. And it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise — but there’s not much optimism.
The BBC’s Andrew Walker reports.
Andrew Walker: The recovery from the recent global recession has often been described as unbalanced: strong in the emerging economies, sluggish in the rich world. That is certainly reflected in this poll commissioned by the BBC.
Fewer than ten percent of people in Japan, France and Britain are hopeful for the near future. But in the developing world, optimists outnumbered pessimists in nearly every country surveyed. In Nigeria more than seventy per cent expect good times ahead.
Justin Urquhart Stewart of Seven Investment Management is not surprised by the polls results.
Justin Urquhart Stewart: What you’ve had in the major western world is a huge lack of confidence throughout the eurozone and to a great extent in the states as well, but of course that doesn’t mean the whole world’s doing badly, because half the world is actually doing rather well.
Things in the rich countries may be even worse than the poll suggests. The research was done between July and September of this year. Since then, the situation in Greece deteriorated and few are hopeful that things are going to get better there anytime soon.
In London, I’m the BBC’s Andrew Walker, for Marketplace.
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