ISLAMABAD — A newly released opinion poll from Gallup Pakistan as part of the WIN Worldviews Survey 2026 indicates that a strong majority of Pakistanis maintain an optimistic outlook regarding their future within the country. Outperforming global averages, the survey underscores resilience among citizens and the younger demographic alike.
According to the findings, national optimism outpaces international figures, demonstrating a notable confidence among the populace despite ongoing socio-economic challenges. Specifically, 65% of Pakistanis express being very or somewhat hopeful about their future in their own country, compared to a global average of 58%. Meanwhile, only 32% of Pakistanis report feeling not very or not at all hopeful, which is lower than the global average of 38%, while just 2% of respondents in Pakistan offered no response or stated they did not know.
This prevailing optimism is particularly striking when contextualized against the country’s recent economic volatility. While the Pakistan Economic Survey 2025–26 reported a provisional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth recovery to 3.70%—supported by expansions in agriculture (2.89%), industry (3.51%), and services (4.09%)—households continue to face significant financial pressures. The National Consumer Price Index surged to 11.15% year-on-year in August 2026, driven largely by acute spikes in electricity tariffs and fuel costs. Despite these immediate cost-of-living burdens, the stabilization of foreign exchange reserves and tighter monetary policies appear to be fostering long-term consumer confidence.
Young adults aged 18 to 24 display an equally robust sense of optimism, slightly surpassing worldwide peers in the same demographic cohort. Among young Pakistanis aged 18 to 24, 65% report feeling hopeful about their future, marginally higher than the global youth average of 63%. Furthermore, 31% of Pakistani youth express a lack of hope, compared to 33% globally, and 4% of young respondents in Pakistan gave no response.
When evaluated against other nations in the WIN Worldviews Survey 2026, Pakistan positions itself among countries with relatively high levels of youth hopefulness. Leading global optimism are nations such as Vietnam at 98%, China at 97%, Côte d’Ivoire at 96%, and Venezuela at 94%. Pakistan’s youth hope index places it closely alongside countries like Ecuador at 66% and Argentina at 63%.
The data is derived from the comprehensive WIN Worldviews Survey 2026, which encompasses approximately 45,000 interviews across 45 countries. Fieldwork in Pakistan was conducted by Gallup & Gilani Pakistan, the Pakistani affiliate of Gallup International, surveying a nationally representative sample of 1,000 men and women across urban and rural areas in all four provinces. The poll was executed between December 6, 2025, and January 14, 2026, via telephonic surveys (CATI) with an estimated error margin of approximately ±2-3% at the 95% confidence level.