Hongkongers aren’t holding out much hope for a brighter 2019, it seems. In fact, we rank as the fifth-most pessimistic place on earth when it comes to next year, according to a new survey by the Gallup International Association.
Released yesterday, the poll of 51 countries and regions around the globe put us behind only South Korea, Italy, Lebanon and Jordan (really, Italy?). What’s more, the number of people optimistic about the city’s future has dropped precipitously from even just a year ago.
Not that we can blame you in the wake of a year that has seen a continuing shrinking of the space for freedom of political expression. From the explanation-free bouncing of Financial Times Asia editor Victor Mallet, to the rejection of visas for incoming artists, to concerns over mainland police wielding authority on Hong Kong soil, there’s been a clear tightening of the vise by Beijing. Of course, the city’s dire housing situation no doubt played a significant role in respondents’ gloom as well.
When asked “do you think that 2019 will be better, worse or the same as 2018?” only 20 percent of Hongkongers chose “better,” compared with last year’s 32 percent. About 45 percent of respondents felt 2019 would be worse than 2018, more than double the 22 percent who felt that way in last year’s survey.
The remaining 35 percent answered either that 2019 would be the same or that they didn’t know.
The answers gave Hong Kong a “net score” of -25 for 2019, compared to the +10 net score the city got for 2018.
The survey also found that Hong Kong was also the second-most pessimistic when asked about world peace, with 67 percent of respondents saying they think the world will be more turbulent in 2019, while only seven percent envisioned a more peaceful planet.
Just over 49,000 people from 51 countries and regions were quizzed between October and December for their views on the coming year. The results for Hong Kong were based on a sample size of just over 500 people who responded to an online survey.
Meanwhile, those in Coconuts Hong Kong‘s sister countries Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand were a little bit more optimistic with net scores of +34, +23 and +6 respectively.
The Gallup International poll also put the Philippines within the top 10 regions who are optimistic about global peace in 2019.
