Poll: Most people think 2016 was good for them personally — but bad for the world

2016 was a bad year for the world, but a pretty good one on a personal level, said people in 21 countries questioned for a new YouGov survey. The poll results, released Friday, found many respondents also took a dim view of the year's impact on their nation.

Most are optimistic about improvements in 2017, but their expectations remained more positive on the individual and family scale than when thinking in national or global terms. East Asian, Middle Eastern, and North African people are more likely to anticipate a good 2017, while Western nations like the United States, Germany, Britain, and France tend toward comparative pessimism.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up