Skeptical and worried about the future, Austrians enter 2023 with the most negative mood seen during this year-end period in half a century, according to poll results published on Wednesday and cited by EFE and Agerpres. .

Only 26% of Austrians polled in the survey showed confidence in the future, while 32% said they were skeptical and another 35% worried, summarizes the (Austrian) polling institute IMAS, which conducted the study.

“For the third year in a row, skepticism and concern clearly exceed confidence,” which has never been below 30% for so long, the Austrian institute notes.

In contrast to previous years, when the mood of Austrians was also negative, the anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has now been replaced by anxiety caused, firstly, by high inflation and the war in Ukraine, and secondly.

Austrians are “steady” in their pessimism

“The current New Year’s sociological research shows a high stability of pessimism,” emphasizes the same institute, which since 1972 has conducted this survey at the end of each year to check the state of mind of the Austrian population, and never since then has it been observed one “such negativity”.

The conclusion of the authors of the study is that the current decade “started in the worst possible way”, with three years of numerous crises and deep concern of the population.

Regarding the plans for the new year, the majority of the 1,002 surveyed Austrians over 16 years old said they want to do more sports (45%), eat healthier (43%), and take better care of their health (42%). , and 23% said that they intend to be more attentive to environmental protection.