Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1330252
12 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 JANUARY 2021 NEWS KURT SANSONE WHETHER it is human nature instinctively believing in a bet- ter future, or hope coming in the form of a vaccine vial, peo- ple are optimistic about 2021. A MaltaToday survey found that 81.1% of people expect this year to be better for them than the one that has just end- ed. Only 5.4% have no such expectation, while the rest are unsure. After a crappy year condi- tioned by a global pandemic a dose of optimism may be jus- tified: what can really be worse than 2020? Well, there may be cata- strophic events and person- al circumstances that could make the new year worse but generally speaking people have hope and this cuts across age groups, political allegiance and regions. The level of optimism is high- est among those aged between 18 and 35 with 85.9% saying they expect 2021 to be better for them. Among pensioners, 79% expect the new year to be better. Optimism is running highest in Gozo where 87.1% believe 2021 will be better than the out- going year, followed by those who live in the South-Eastern region, where 86.2% have hope in a better future. The survey found that 89.2% of people who voted for the La- bour Party in the 2017 election believe 2021 will be a better year for them but Nationalist voters were a notch less opti- mistic with 69.8% believing in a better future. Only 2.1% of Labour voters and 8.8% of Nationalist voters have no expectation of a better new year. The rest are unsure. Subdued optimism on person- al finances But while the overall outlook for 2021 appears bright, the level of optimism is more sub- dued when people were asked 2021 is a mixed bag of optimism All Voting PL Voting PN Won't vote PL 2017 PN 2017 Didn't vote 2017 Male Female 18-35 36-50 51-65 65+ Primary Secondary Post-Sec Tertiary Gozo Northern 81.1% 13.2% 70.2% 8.5% 21.3% 100.0% 100.0% 89.2% 8.0% 69.8% 8.8% 21.4% 81.5% 9.5% 9.0% 81.6% 13.2% 80.7% 13.1% 85.9% 7.9% 82.4% 11.7% 76.7% 16.4% 79.0% 17.0% 75.1% 20.7% 82.5% 12.4% 83.1% 12.9% 80.6% 8.5% 10.9% 87.1% 9.9% 80.9% 8.5% 10.6% Yes No Don't know 2021: Looking Forward Do you expect 2021 to be better than 2020 for you? All Voting PL Voting PN Won't vote PL 2017 PN 2017 Didn't vote 2017 Male Female 18-35 36-50 51-65 65+ Primary Secondary Post-Sec Tertiary Gozo Northern N Harbour S Eastern S Harbour Western 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 81.1% 13.2% 70.2% 8.5% 21.3% 100.0% 100.0% 89.2% 8.0% 69.8% 8.8% 21.4% 81.5% 9.5% 9.0% 81.6% 13.2% 80.7% 13.1% 85.9% 7.9% 82.4% 11.7% 76.7% 16.4% 79.0% 17.0% 75.1% 20.7% 82.5% 12.4% 83.1% 12.9% 80.6% 8.5% 10.9% 87.1% 9.9% 80.9% 8.5% 10.6% 75 .3% 16.7% 86.2% 11.0% 82.0% 12.7% 82.1% 17.9% Yes No Don't know Do you expect 2021 to be better than 2020 for you? ALL PL voter PN voter No vote Voted PL 2017 Voted PN 2017 Did not vote 2017 Male Female 18-35 36-50 51-65 53.2% 7.1% 23.8% 15.5% 47.5% 7.0% 25.3% 19.0% 67.6% 32.4% 70.8% 29.2% 60.1% 21.3% 13.8% 40.2% 11.6% 27.1% 20.2% 69.0% 22.2% 52.7% 8.0% 26.6% 12.7% 53.7% 21.2% 18.2% 55.9% 7.5% 26.1% 10.4% 50.7% 7.7% 27.4% 14.1% 50.1% 7.2% 25.3% 17.4% Better Worse Same Don't know Do you expect your personal financial situation to be better in 2021? Tertiary Gozo Northern N Harbour S Eastern S Harbour Western 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 80.6% 8.5% 10.9% 87.1% 9.9% 80.9% 8.5% 10.6% 75 .3% 16.7% 86.2% 11.0% 82.0% 12.7% 82.1% 17.9% ALL PL voter PN voter No vote Voted PL 2017 Voted PN 2017 Did not vote 2017 Male Female 18-35 36-50 51-65 65+ Primary Secondary Post-sec Tertiary Gozo Northern N Harbour S Eastern S Harbour Western 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 53.2% 7.1% 23.8% 15.5% 47.5% 7.0% 25.3% 19.0% 67.6% 32.4% 70.8% 29.2% 60.1% 21.3% 13.8% 40.2% 11.6% 27.1% 20.2% 69.0% 22.2% 52.7% 8.0% 26.6% 12.7% 53.7% 21.2% 18.2% 55.9% 7.5% 26.1% 10.4% 50.7% 7.7% 27.4% 14.1% 50.1% 7.2% 25.3% 17. 4% 55.7% 16.4% 20.4% 57.7% 10.4% 10.4% 21.6% 52.5% 8.2% 21.9% 16.5% 52.3% 23.5% 19.1% 53.1% 33.4% 8.0% 77.3% 9.4% 57.2% 26.1% 15.0% 55.4% 7.8% 19.2% 17.7% 44.7% 14.3% 29.9% 11.1% 43.5% 34.8% 14.8% 52.6% 21.5% 23.2% Better Worse Same Don't know Do you expect your personal financial situation to be better in 2021? ALL PL voter PN voter No vote Voted PL 2017 Voted PN 2017 36.3% 51.2% 12.4% 33.2% 50.2% 16.6% 32.4% 67.6% 70.8% 29.2% 34.5% 52.2% 13.3% 35.4% 51.0% 13.7% Yes No Don't know Are you planning a holiday abroad in 2021?