Hungarians: Europe’s top pessimists

According to the survey, eighty-eight per cent of Hungarians thought the country was in an economic crisis in the final quarter of 2012, one percentage point less than in the third quarter and three percentage points lower than in Q4 2011. 

The most optimistic European country is Norway, where only 16 per cent said there is an economic crisis. Pessimists, however, are in the minority in only two other countries: Latvia (43%) and Switzerland (48%). The biggest worriers are Italians where only two in a hundred said there is no crisis, Croatians (3%), Portuguese (4%), Irish (5%) and Greeks, where 11 per cent still think the country is not in financial trouble.

Of the Hungarian respondents saying that there is a crisis, the vast majority (85%) expressed worries about the turmoil not ending in the next 12 months. Asked what is their biggest concern for the next six months, 21 per cent ranked not being able to repay their loans in first place. This was followed by worries about the condition of the economy and job security (16%), the price increase of foodstuff (10%), education of children (8%), the increase of energy prices (7%) and health (4%).

The global comparison revealed that Europeans are the most pessimistic about their future with 64 per cent saying that the recession will not end within a year. The same response was received from only 55 per cent of North Americans, while the rest of the world has a more optimistic outlook. Sixty per cent of Asians, Australians and Latin Americans believe that the financial crisis will soon be over and the number is even higher (64%) in countries of the Middle East and Africa.