Ipsos Survey Shows Sharp Drop in National Optimism
Only two in 10 Pakistanis believe the country is moving in the right direction, according to a new Ipsos survey.
The survey shows that public confidence has fallen to 22 percent. This marks a major decline from a 40 percent peak recorded earlier this year during US-Iran tensions.
The findings suggest that recent optimism has faded. Public sentiment has now returned to levels broadly seen during the Covid-19 period.
The survey was conducted last month. It included interviews with more than 1,000 respondents from all four provinces. Participants were also included from Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The results show that economic anxiety remains the biggest concern for citizens. Inflation, unemployment and weak financial confidence were among the most reported issues.
Men, Youth and Rural Residents More Optimistic
The survey found clear differences in public opinion across gender, age, location and province.
Men were more optimistic than women. Young people were also more hopeful than older respondents.
Rural residents showed stronger confidence than urban residents. Among provinces, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded the highest level of optimism about Pakistan’s economy.
Respondents from Sindh and Balochistan were also more optimistic than those from Punjab.
Lower-middle-income respondents showed more confidence than other income groups. However, overall public confidence remained weak across most categories.
When asked about the current state of the economy, only one in five respondents said the economy was strong.
Inflation, Jobs and Purchases Remain Major Concerns
The Ipsos survey also showed weak confidence in household spending and personal finances.
Only 7 percent of respondents said they felt comfortable making household purchases. This comfort level was higher among young people, upper-middle-class respondents, urban residents and people in Sindh.
Only two in 10 respondents expected the economy to improve. Optimism was higher in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, rural areas, affluent communities and among older respondents.
Personal financial optimism dropped to 31 percent. Confidence in investment remained low at 14 percent.
The survey also showed that comfort with making major purchases stood at only 5 percent.
Job security remained another major concern. Only one in five Pakistanis said they felt secure in their jobs. Job confidence fell to 17 percent after earlier improvement over the past two years.
The findings reflect growing pressure on households as inflation, unemployment and weak purchasing power continue to shape public opinion.
