A new global survey measuring youth optimism across 100 countries has ranked Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Nepal at the top of its findings, while young people in wealthier Western nations express significantly lower hope for the future.
The study, conducted by Oxford summer school provider Oxford Scholastica Academy, collected responses from 1,433 students across 41 countries with sufficient data. The survey evaluated how hopeful Gen Z students feel across five key categories: personal prospects, the economy, the environment, politics, and society as a whole.
Across all respondents globally, young people expressed the highest optimism for their personal futures, averaging a score of 4.40 out of 5, while showing the least optimism regarding politics, which averaged 3.29 out of 5.
Sri Lanka recorded the highest overall score in the study at 4.32 out of 5. Sri Lankan students led globally in environmental optimism with a score of 4.62, while scoring 4.75 in personal optimism and 4.25 in optimism for society, remaining hopeful despite recent economic turbulence.
Kenya ranked second overall with a score of 4.31. Kenyan students tied with Cyprus for the highest optimism about society at 4.43 and recorded the highest political optimism score in the study at 3.96.
Nepal ranked third overall with a score of 4.24. Students in Nepal achieved a perfect 5.00 score in personal optimism, making it the only nation to do so, while also leading globally in economic optimism with a score of 4.80.
Kazakhstan placed fourth overall with a score of 4.17, driven by strong economic confidence at 4.56 and the third-highest political optimism score at 3.76. Indonesia scored 4.07 overall, with economic confidence at 4.41, while Nigeria scored 4.08 overall, highlighted by an environmental optimism score of 3.92.
Top 10 most optimistic countries
| # | Country | Personal | Economic | Environmental | Political | Society | Overall (/5) |
| 1 | Sri Lanka | 4.75 | 4.38 | 4.62 | 3.62 | 4.25 | 4.32 |
| 2 | Kenya | 4.59 | 4.49 | 4.08 | 3.96 | 4.43 | 4.31 |
| 3 | Nepal | 5.00 | 4.80 | 3.60 | 3.80 | 4.00 | 4.24 |
| 4 | Kazakhstan | 4.71 | 4.56 | 3.64 | 3.76 | 4.18 | 4.17 |
| 5 | Cyprus | 4.86 | 4.43 | 3.29 | 3.43 | 4.43 | 4.09 |
| 6 | Canada | 4.67 | 4.50 | 3.67 | 3.42 | 4.17 | 4.08 |
| 7 | Nigeria | 4.43 | 4.18 | 3.92 | 3.69 | 4.16 | 4.08 |
| 8 | Indonesia | 4.38 | 4.41 | 3.71 | 3.68 | 4.18 | 4.07 |
| 9 | Russia | 4.47 | 4.21 | 3.82 | 3.71 | 4.15 | 4.07 |
| 10 | Armenia | 4.86 | 4.29 | 3.71 | 3.29 | 4.14 | 4.06 |
Among Western nations, Canada performed best, ranking sixth globally at 4.08. This placed it comfortably ahead of the US, which ranked 13th with a score of 3.99, as well as Germany at 3.73, the UK at 3.61, and France at 3.22.
Kuwait recorded the lowest youth optimism in the study, finishing last with an overall score of 2.92. Kuwaiti students reported the lowest scores globally for political optimism at 1.80 and society outlook at 2.40.
Rwanda ranked second-lowest overall at 3.20, scoring 2.83 in both environmental optimism and society outlook. Turkey followed closely in third-lowest at 3.22, recording the fifth-lowest political optimism score at 2.58 and fourth-lowest environmental optimism score at 2.62.
France tied with Turkey at 3.22, recording the lowest environmental optimism in the study at 2.25 and a political optimism score of 2.38. Poland recorded an overall score of 3.24, with a political optimism score of 2.30, which is the second-lowest globally.
The UK ranked 33rd out of the 41 countries, with an overall score of 3.61. British students placed in the bottom third globally for political optimism at 3.04 and environmental optimism at 3.06.
Top 10 least optimistic countries
| # | Country | Personal | Economic | Environmental | Political | Society | Overall (/5) |
| 41 | Kuwait | 4.00 | 4.00 | 2.40 | 1.80 | 2.40 | 2.92 |
| 40 | Rwanda | 3.50 | 3.33 | 2.83 | 3.50 | 2.83 | 3.20 |
| 39 | Turkey | 4.09 | 3.75 | 2.62 | 2.58 | 3.07 | 3.22 |
| 38 | France | 4.00 | 4.12 | 2.25 | 2.38 | 3.38 | 3.22 |
| 37 | Poland | 4.20 | 3.60 | 3.00 | 2.30 | 3.10 | 3.24 |
| 36 | Italy | 4.20 | 4.00 | 3.00 | 2.40 | 3.20 | 3.36 |
| 35 | China | 4.20 | 4.00 | 2.40 | 2.80 | 3.40 | 3.36 |
| 34 | Taiwan | 3.60 | 3.60 | 3.20 | 3.20 | 3.60 | 3.44 |
| 33 | UK | 4.31 | 4.02 | 3.06 | 3.04 | 3.60 | 3.61 |
| 32 | Ghana | 3.86 | 3.71 | 3.57 | 3.43 | 3.57 | 3.63 |
Reflecting on the survey outcomes, Lavinia Abell, Co-Director of Oxford Scholastica, highlighted the gap between economic stability and youth hope. “In every aspect of society, there are things to be anxious and pessimistic about. This could be the rise in AI, war, the cost-of-living increasing and much more. This will be especially worrisome for young people, facing challenges as they enter the world of work. What this study highlights is the attitudes of each nationality towards these uncertainties,” Abell said.
“What stands out is that students in countries like Sri Lanka and Kenya, which have faced significant economic and political challenges, are far more optimistic than their peers in wealthier nations like the UK and France. It suggests that optimism among young people is not simply a function of material comfort.”
The survey was conducted by Oxford Scholastica, an accredited European academic summer school recipient of the King’s Award from King Charles III.