The Economic Pulse of the World - February 2016

Turbulent Month for All Assessment Categories

The local economic assessment average (29%) is down one point this month, after holding steady without change since October 2015.The local average is down across all regions of the world except for APAC (32%, +1 pts.).

Consistent with a downward trend of both national and local national assessments, the global average of future outlook for local economy is down two points, with less than one quarter (24%) of global citizens expecting the economy in their local area to be stronger six months from now. On the regional level, all except North America (21%, +1 pts.) and G8 (16%, N/C) experienced negative change since last sounding.

Global Average of National Economic Assessment Down Four Points: 36%

Losing ground this month, the average global economic assessment of national economies surveyed in 25 countries is down four points with 36% of global citizens rating their national economies as ‘good’.

Saudi Arabia (88%) remains at the top in the national economic assessment category, followed by India (76%), Germany (72%), China (61%), Sweden (56%) and Australia (56%). Once again this month, Brazil (8%) has the lowest assessment score, followed by France (9%), South Korea (13%), South Africa (13%), Italy (14%), Spain (14%), Mexico (17%) and Hungary (19%).

Countries with the greatest improvements in this wave: Israel (47%, +5 pts.), Hungary (19%, +3 pts.), Saudi Arabia (88%, +2 pts.), South Korea (13%, +2 pts.), Great Britain (49%, +1 pts.), Italy (14%, +1 pts.) and South Africa (13%, +1 pts.).

Countries with the greatest declines: Russia (21%, -11 pts.), Canada (34%, -10 pts.), Sweden (56%, -9 pts.), Turkey (36%, -9 pts.), France (9%, -9 pts.), India (76%, -8 pts.), Germany (72%, -7 pts.), Mexico (17%, -7 pts.), Peru (46%, -6 pts.), China (61%, -5 pts.), Argentina (24%, -4 pts.), Spain (14%, -4 pts.), Australia (56%, -3 pts.) and Japan (26%, -4 pts.).

Global Average of Local Economic Assessment (29%) Down One Point

When asked to assess their local economy, an average of 29% of those surveyed in 25 countries agree that the state of the current economy in their local area is ‘good’. The local economic assessment is down one point since last month.

Saudi Arabia (61%) regains the top spot in the local assessment category, followed by Israel (58%), Sweden (58%), Germany (53%), India (52%), China (50%), the United States (40%) and Australia (38%). Mexico (9%) slides into the lowest spot in this assessment, followed by South Africa (10%), Spain (11%), Brazil (13%), Italy (13%), South Korea (13%), Hungary (15%) and Japan (15%).

Countries with the greatest improvements in this wave: Israel (58%, +8 pts.), Australia (38%, +6 pts.), Russia (24%, +6 pts.), Belgium (24%, +5 pts.), the United States (40%, +4 pts.), Japan (15%, +4 pts.), South Korea (13%, +3 pts.), Saudi Arabia (61%, +2 pts.) and Poland (28%, +2 pts.).

Countries with the greatest declines in this wave: Canada (21%, -11 pts.), Mexico (9%, -11 pts.), Turkey (29%, -10 pts.), India (52%, -9 pts.), China (50%, -4 pts.), Peru (20%, -4 pts.), France (16%, -4 pts.), Spain (11%, -4 pts.), Germany (53%, -3 pts.) and Brazil (13%, -3 pts.).

Global Average of Future Outlook for Local Economy (24%) Down Two Points

The future outlook is down two points since last month, with an average of one quarter (24%) of global citizens surveyed in 25 countries expecting their local economy to be stronger six months from now.

India (57%) remains in the lead in this assessment category, followed by Argentina (56%), Brazil (53%), Peru (53%), Saudi Arabia (51%), China (41%), Mexico (31%), Russia (31%), Turkey (26%) and the United States (25%). Sweden (5%) and France (5%) share the lowest future outlook score this month, followed by Belgium (10%), South Korea (10%), Hungary (11%), Japan (11%), Italy (12%), Israel (13%) and South Africa (13%).

Countries with the greatest improvements in this wave: Russia (31%, +12 pts.), Peru (53%, +4 pts.), Poland (16%, +3 pts.), the United States (25%, +2 pts.), Canada (17%, +2 pts.),  and South Korea (10%, +2 pts.).

Countries with the greatest declines in this wave: India (57%, -12 pts.), Argentina (56%, -9 pts.), Turkey (26%, -9 pts.), China (41%, -7 pts.), France (5%, -6 pts.), Spain (19%, -4 pts.), Sweden (5%, -2 pts.), Germany (15%, -2 pts.), Great Britain (14%, -2 pts.), Israel (13%, -2 pts.) and Italy (12%, -2 pts.).

Citizens in 25 countries assess the current state of their country’s economy for a total global perspective.