People are less likely to think that 2016 has been good to their country though. Those nations that believe on balance they’ve had a good year are all East Asian, Middle Eastern or North African. Europeans are all much more likely to think 2016 has been a bad year for their country, as are people in the US.
Malaysians and the French are the most likely to believe 2016 has been a bad year for their country, at 69% and 67% respectively. Malaysia has been rocked by the revelations of widespread corruption coming out of the 1MDB scandal (including accusations against the Prime Minister), whereas France has been beset by terror attacks as well as suffering a stagnant economy.
There is widespread consensus that, however good 2016 has been personally and nationally, it has been a bad year for the world as a whole. Of the 21 countries surveyed, in only two – Vietnam and the Philippines – did more people think 2016 was a good year for the world than a bad one. Again, the European nations surveyed are by far the most likely to think 2016 has been a bad year for the world, with at least 65% people in each country believing so.
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