Australians More Optimistic About Their Future Happiness
3 July 2012 at 11:25 am
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Australians’ optimism about their future prospects and happiness has risen to an 18 month high after slumping to a low point in March, according to the latest Allianz Future Optimism Index.
The Index reveals that the increase was driven by increases in optimism among South Australians, Queenslanders and those living in New South Wales.
Optimism rose among both men and women, however, the fairer sex remain more optimistic towards their future prospects and happiness than men.
Younger (18-34) and middle-aged (35-49) Australians are feeling more optimistic about their future prospects and happiness since the March survey, while optimism among the over-50s has remained relatively flat.
In terms of voting intentions, the Index found that while Coalition voters have become a bit more optimistic, the overall increase was driven by a large increase in the optimism of ALP voters.
Allianz Australia Managing Director Terry Towell said “the latest Allianz Future Optimism Index has seen a sizeable rise in Australians’ feelings of optimism towards their future prospects and happiness for themselves and their family with the index increasing to 54 from a 12-month low of 48 in March.
“The increase indicates that Australians’ optimism has risen to close to the survey-high level of optimism of 55 that Australians last reached in May last year.
“While, overall, Australians are generally optimistic about their future prospects and happiness, optimism varies considerably depending on where people live, their age, gender and even who they vote for.
“Optimism levels climbed among South Australians and Queenslanders, in particular, as well as those living in New South Wales, but remained more or less flat among Victorians and West Australians.
“Other interesting differences relate to age and gender. Optimism about future prospects and happiness has increased markedly among the under-50s over recent months but has stayed pretty much unchanged among the over-50s.
“While women are typically more optimistic about their future prospects and happiness than men, and optimism has increased among both the sexes since March, the increase in optimism among men is more pronounced,” Towell said.
The Newspoll survey on which the Allianz Future Optimism Indexes are based, asks
around 1200 Australians to rate each of the following statements on a scale of 0-10, where 10 is extremely optimistic and zero is not optimistic at all:
1.The future of the economy;
2.The future of the environment in relation to pollution and climate change;
3.The future of our society in relation to crime levels and community values;
4.The overall future prospects and happiness for you and your family.
Respondents’ score their level of optimism on a scale from zero to ten. Those that score
between zero and three are regarded as pessimists and those that score between eight
and 10 as optimists. Those that score between four and seven are regarded as neutral.
The net result of deducting the proportion of pessimists from the proportion of optimists
gives the relevant Optimism Index.
An Optimism Index of 100 would result if all respondents scored between eight and 10 and an Index of minus 100 if they all scored between zero and three.
