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Survey: Swiss are optimistic for 2017

Despite the global and domestic difficulties of 2016 the Swiss people are largely satisfied with their lives and optimistic for the year ahead, a new survey has found.

Survey: Swiss are optimistic for 2017
Photo: Ivo Scholz/Swiss Image
The annual Hope Barometer from social sciences research institute Swissfuture questioned over 4,000 people across Switzerland about their lives and hopes for the future towards the end of 2016. 
 
Despite the terror threat, war in Syria and the refuge crisis, as well as divisive events including Brexit  and the election of Donald Trump as US president, the Swiss are feeling largely positive and hopeful, particularly women, it found. 
 
On a scale of 1 (pessimistic) to 5 (optimistic), women averaged a score of 3.86 while men averaged 3.75.
 
Swiss people were pretty satisfied with their private lives during 2016, found the survey, with men averaging a score of 3.46 and women 3.41.
 
Men have slightly more confidence in the economy and environment than women, however women are more satisfied than men with Swiss domestic policy, said the survey. 
 
Looking ahead, women are more optimistic than men for their personal lives in 2017, achieving a score of 3.86 against men’s 3.75.
 
According to Swissfuture the annual Hope Barometer attempts to look beyond the doom-laden headlines and focus on the positive aspects of life. 
 
Speaking to 20 Minutes, Andreas Kraft of Swissfuture said the survey results were surprising given that 2016 was a difficult year. 
 
It’s as though the Swiss are saying “we’ve had enough of 2016, let’s have something better now,” he said.

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