Many of Europe’s biggest economies aren’t holding out much hope for 2018.
In fact, in a new survey by the market research firm Ipsos MORI, France, Italy, Belgium, and the UK are among the five countries least optimistic about 2018 (Japan clinched the top spot.) Germany is close behind in sixth place.
In the five least optimistic countries, just about half of people surveyed were optimistic 2018 was going to be a better year for them than 2017. They were also significantly less optimistic than other countries surveyed and below the global average of 76% of people who feel good about the year ahead.
In contrast, optimism was high in Colombia, Peru, Chile, China, and Mexico, where over 85% of people surveyed said they were optimistic about 2018. Ipsos MORI surveyed over 21,500 adults aged under 64 years old between November 27 to December 8 for their 2018 predictions.
The study found that British respondents were most concerned about a major terrorist incident taking place on home soil—65% think one will take place in 2018. Turkey (60%), France (53%), Germany (51%) and the US (51%) rounded up the top five countries most concerned about terrorism with half or more in these countries expecting an attack domestically.
The survey also asked respondents about the likelihood of a major war breaking out between the US and North Korea. Overall, four in 10 respondents think a war between North Korea and the US is likely in 2018. South Korea, Russia, China, Japan, and Saudi Arabia make up the five countries least likely to think this would happen. Countries in Western Europe were slightly more concerned about the possibility of a North Korea-US war. Though these countries rounded up the top ten countries least concerned of a war between North Korea and the US, over 40% of respondents in Germany, Sweden, Belgium, and Italy still believed one is likely.
Nearly half of respondents (47%) in the US think a North Korea-US war is likely. Respondents in Colombia who most thought the US and North Korea would go to war (55%), followed by Chile (51%), Mexico (50%), and Brazil (50%).