THE NEW NERVE CENTRE OF HOPE: HOW INDIA & SOUTHEAST ASIA ARE POWERING GLOBAL OPTIMISM
Editor 
Most Global Markets Remain Downbeat, with Widespread Concern About the Future, India’s relative confidence is attributed to its neutral geopolitical stance and efforts to manage global disruptions, including energy supply challenges linked to tensions around the Strait of Hormuz
Amid a world grappling with uncertainty, economic strain, and geopolitical tensions, a surprising pocket of confidence is emerging. A new Ipsos Global Advisor report finds that India and Southeast Asia are standing apart as rare hubs of optimism, with citizens expressing stronger belief in their countries’ direction even as sentiment weakens across much of the globe. This divergence underscores not just regional resilience, but a shifting centre of confidence in an otherwise divided global landscape.
The March 2026 Ipsos Global Advisor report, What Worries the World, highlights that the epicentre of global optimism is concentrated in Southeast Asia and India. Across five key markets of Singapore, Malaysia, India, South Korea, and Thailand, citizens are more likely to believe that their countries are heading in the right direction. In contrast, 25 out of the 29 markets surveyed report a majority of citizens who feel their countries are on the wrong track. France and Peru recorded the lowest levels of optimism, at 9% and 13% respectively.
“2026 has been marked by significant disruption, including the outbreak of a new conflict in West Asia. The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a critical flashpoint, exacerbating challenges for global economies. India’s neutral geopolitical stance, coupled with its proactive efforts to mitigate the impact of the global fuel crisis, has contributed to its relative resilience. Although the survey was conducted between late February and early March, prior to further escalation observed by mid-March; factors such as local governance and geographic positioning may be helping insulate India and other Southeast Asian markets. However, with oil and gas supplies increasingly affected by the conflict in West Asia, the situation is rapidly evolving into a broader global crisis, unless there is a de-escalation in hostilities,” said Suresh Ramalingam, CEO, Ipsos India.
India is actively diversifying its oil import sources to mitigate supply risks and enhance energy security.
India’s neutral geopolitical stance, coupled with its proactive efforts to mitigate the impact of the global fuel crisis, has contributed to its relative resilience. Although the survey was conducted between late February and early March, prior to further escalation observed by mid-March; factors such as local governance and geographic positioning may be helping insulate India and other Southeast Asian markets.
-Suresh Ramalingam, CEO, Ipsos India
What Worries Indians
The survey also captures citizens’ perceptions of the key national issues that directly impact their daily lives. Inflation, unemployment, education, crime and violence, and financial and political corruption remain the top concerns among Indians.
“Inflation, unemployment, education, crime and violence, and corruption remain key concerns for Indians, shaped not just by domestic challenges but also by global disruptions. Ongoing conflicts in West Asia and related energy and supply chain uncertainties are adding to inflationary pressures and influencing perceptions of instability, including concerns around violence. Despite this, India’s relative optimism reflects confidence in its resilience, although prolonged geopolitical tensions could test this momentum,” added Ramalingam.
Worries of Global Citizens – global average
Across the 29 markets surveyed, global concerns are led by crime and violence, unemployment, inflation, poverty and social inequality, and financial and political corruption. While India reflects a similar set of anxieties, the order of priorities differs, underscoring the influence of local context. Taken together, these concerns point to a shared global unease, shaped in large part by ongoing conflicts that have disrupted economies, strained supply chains, and created difficult conditions for citizens already grappling with the fallout of geopolitical instability.
India Global
This 29-country Global Advisor survey was conducted between February 20th 2026 and March 6th 5th 2026 via the Ipsos Online Panel system among 500 adults aged 18-74 in Canada, Israel, Malaysia, South Africa, Türkiye and the United States, 20-74 in Indonesia and Thailand, 21-74 in Singapore, and 16-74 in all other nations.
The “Global Country Average” reflects the average result for all the countries where the survey was conducted. It has not been adjusted to the population size of each country and is not intended to suggest a total result."
The sample consists of approximately 1000+ individuals in each of Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Spain, Sweden, and the US, and approximately 500+ individuals in each of Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand and Türkiye.
The samples in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the US can be taken as representative of these countries’ general adult population under the age of 75. The samples in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand and Türkiye are more urban, more educated, and/or more affluent than the general population. The survey results for these markets should be viewed as reflecting the views of the more “connected” segment of these populations.
India’s sample represents a large subset of its urban population — social economic classes A, B and C in metros and tier 1-3 town classes across all four zones. Weighting has been employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample’s composition reflects that of the adult population according to the most recent census data. The precision of Ipsos online polls are calculated using a credibility interval with a poll of 1,000 accurate to +/- 3.5 percentage points and of 500 accurate to +/- 5.0 percentage points. For more information on the Ipsos use of credibility intervals, please visit the Ipsos website. Where results do not sum to 100 or the ‘difference’ appears to be +/-1 more/less than the actual, this may be due to rounding, multiple responses, or the exclusion of don't knows or not stated responses The publication of these findings abides by local rules and regulations.
One of the largest market research and polling companies globally, Ipsos is operating in 90 markets worldwide and employs over 20,000 people. The company has built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. Its 75 solutions are based on primary data from our surveys, social media monitoring, and qualitative or observational techniques.
