Singapore leads global optimism as most countries say they are on the wrong track
Singapore has the highest share of people who believe their country is heading in the right direction, while a majority across the countries surveyed remain pessimistic about where their nations are going, according to Ipsos polling.
Main points
- Singapore leads with 86% positive sentiment
- Only seven countries have majority optimism
- France records the lowest confidence at 10%
Singapore has the highest share of people who believe their country is heading in the right direction, while a majority across the countries surveyed remain pessimistic about where their nations are going, according to Ipsos polling.
The February 2026 Ipsos What Worries the World survey found that 86% of respondents in Singapore believed their country was heading in the right direction, compared with just 14% who thought it was on the wrong track. Malaysia ranked second at 74%, followed by India at 69%.
Thailand and Indonesia were tied at 62%, while South Korea stood at 58% and Argentina at 55%. These were the only seven countries in the graphic where more than half of respondents believed things were moving in the right direction.
The results show a particularly strong concentration of positive sentiment in Asia, with six of the seven countries above 50% coming from the region.
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Most countries remain pessimistic
The broader picture was much less positive. Across the countries surveyed, the global country average was 41% saying their country was heading in the right direction and 59% saying it was on the wrong track.
Views were divided in several major economies. Canada recorded 45% positive sentiment, Australia 44%, Japan 41% and the United States 40%.
At the lower end of the ranking, just 10% of respondents in France said the country was heading in the right direction, meaning 90% believed it was on the wrong track. Peru was second-lowest at 15%, followed by Great Britain at 21%. Germany, Hungary and South Africa each recorded 23%.
The figures also move significantly from month to month. By July 2026, for example, Singapore still led the Ipsos survey, but its right-direction score had fallen to 80%, while the global country average had declined to 38%.
What does “right direction” actually mean?
The figures measure public sentiment rather than an objective assessment of how well a country is performing. Ipsos asks respondents whether they think things in their country are heading in the right direction or are off on the wrong track.
That means the results should not be interpreted as a ranking of the world's best- or worst-performing countries. People's answers can reflect their views about the economy, politics, public services, security and other national issues.
There is another important limitation. Ipsos notes that samples in countries including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and several others can be more urban, educated or affluent than their overall populations, meaning they more closely represent the views of their more connected populations. The global figure is also a simple country average and is not weighted according to each country's population.
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This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
