Satisfied with the direction your country is headed? The Chinese sure are. The rising nation tops the list of optimistic countries with a glass much more full than those of trailing countries. Eighty-six percent of the Chinese are content with China's direction, compared to 61 percent in second place Australia, according to the Pew Research Center. Eighty-two percent of the Chinese are also happy with their economy.

Economic growth and national excitement surrounding the Beijing Olympics seems to be boosting China's civic mood — in 2002, only 48 percent of the Chinese responded positively. But the people still have their concerns, most notably, worries about inflation, rising prices, and environmental degradation burden the Chinese.
To see how other countries compare to China, and who makes the list of the top-10 most optimistic countries read more.
Who is happy with the direction their country is headed?
- China — 86 percent content
- Australia — 61 percent content
- Russia — 54 percent content
- Spain — 50 percent content
- Jordan — 49 percent content
- Poland — 42 percent content
- India — 41 percent content
- Egypt — 40 percent content
- South Africa — 36 percent content
- Germany — 34 percent content
And some other favorites:
- France — 29 percent content
- United States — 23 percent content
- Lebanon — 6 percent content
With China and Russia on top and the US and France decidedly not — do any of the placements surprise you?









Sandro
Issa
Puma
Ummm, I'm surprised to see that Canada is not on the list! I'm also shocked @ China's response, but given with the Olympics happening it makes sense.
1I'm not sure I'd ever expect the U.S. to be on the list. We're happiest when we're complaining.
2no that's just liberals.
3kidding!
4Ha! We just like to complain about different things.
5Honestly, having my husband's perspective (he grew up in the soviet union) Americans discontent is fueled by our rampant consumerism.
6I noticed that about the US listening to sports on the radio - it seems like no matter how many local teams do well, people will only call in and talk about the ones not doing well. Even if a really bad team rises from the ashes - we talk about them for a while and then revert back to complaining about the bad teams.
...I chalk it up to us Americans having higher expectations of life then most people. It's half "spoiled brat" and half "won't settle for less" syndrome.
7sports talk radio, aint nothing wrong with that.
8I imagine on the whole there's more to it, but yeah, we're constantly bombarded with ads for cool stuff I didn't know I needed.
9I think your husband has a point Sy - we buy and sell everything that we are always trying to get the better deal or make the better sale, and in that type of mentality it seems like you never get your money's worth or you undersold.
...I love sports talk radio, drunk, angry men after losses are hilarious.
10"More than 175,000 interviews in 54 countries have been conducted as part of the project's work"
That is there basis for these percentages?
"The project is co-chaired by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright"
they had to put the old gal somewhere didnt they?
11z, that is the best! Oh, here in Baton Rouge during LSU football it gets nasty!
You also have the element of "keeping up with the joneses" which if your neighbor gets a swimming pool, well then darnit it's time for you to get one too.
12You could always do what I did. When my neighbors got a swimming pool, I bought their house.
13I am a Russian immigrant living in the United States, and I can honestly say that Russia is more prosperous and heading in a much more positive direction that it has in the past 100+ years. I visited with my family there this past summer and their optimism and prosperity are a sure sign that the country should be happy as a whole, with the economy, and what they have accomplished as a people and have overcome. It is no longer a goal of Russian people to get up and leave to live somewhere else in Europe or the United States, instead people are proud of their country and where they live, and who they are. Russia has come a long way and I am happy with the direction it's heading.
14are your parents in Moscow or St. Petersburg kitty?
15"Keeping up with the Joneses" has hit big in our circle of family and friends - one person bought a new car (everyone else had modest, decent cars at the time) within months everyone had leased a limited edition SUV (leather, DVD players, 6 CD changer, heated seats, OnStar, sun roofs) it is even more shocking when you remember these are middle aged people who don't even own CDs or like having a sun roof! The next step, someone built an addition to their house - everyone else followed with additions getting bigger and bigger, the latest being built is an entire house - they just floored the house and rebuilt it!
16What?! Wow that's crazy.
17I would ask what part, but I know all of it is crazy!
18Nothing like going through your childhood all over. "He has this toy, and now I want one!!"
19Yeah, I noticed earlier this summer that every time I noticed a new deck being built I would sort of wonder what I should be doing to "keep up." Now that I know I am susceptible to that kind of thinking I think it will be easier to squash it.
20It's worse when you see something and think "That would look really great on the back of my house."
21I love decks.
22Not surprised the U.S. is only 23%- the countries that are prosperous already tend to be less satisfied because they want more. I mean logically the worse shape your nation is in - minor improvements can drastically affect the satisfaction rate no?
But I have to agree- the we Americans do tend to complain about everything haha.
23So, would you agree that, in general, we are a nation of whiners?
24Yes, UnDave I would totally agree with that!
25...and we are also "bitter"
26Liberals and conservatives take turns complaining about the direction in which the U.S. is headed depending on which party is in power
27wow, after reading what everyone had to say, you guys all epitomize why we are the way we are. People are too worried about other people. If you focus on your own happiness and those who mean the world to you then maybe our country can be optimistic again like those commies over in china.
28That would also explain the US having such high consumer debt. Everyone has to "out-do" everyone. For example, I remember when the iPhone had just come out, and I had just gotten some new cheap but efficient phone...all my friends had to go hit up the lines to go get one. Now, wait...a new iPhone is coming out. We can't keep up...I know I can't. I am guilty of plummeting my credit card with crap I don't need just to feel like I fit in.
29it doesn't matter where the united states ends up on this list. were always going to be the number 1 place in the world where everyone wants to live. go figure.
30Well....of course 86% said they were happy. I believe it's a punishable crime in that country to say otherwise.
31Why doesn't America make the list? Sitcoms. We get our daily dose of negativity and put-downs. Hard to concentrate on making life better when you're looking for the next snappy put-down.
32I just wonder what all the other countries that, we have either protected at one time or other or we give a large amount of aid to, would be like today. We could have just ran the course and kept taking care of the people in our own country, but as we in the USA know we are always there with a helping hand.
33Of COURSE the Chinese say they are happy. If you speak out in negative ways about China, 'bad things' happen to you. Speech is not free in China, and you cannot speak discontent against China. What a useless poll!
34uh oh, looks like we've been linked... let me go check
35YES WE HAVE GUYS! On yahoo's home page. Get ready for some FUN!
36Zukunft wrote
Of COURSE the Chinese say they are happy. If you speak out in negative ways about China, 'bad things' happen to you. Speech is not free in China, and you cannot speak discontent against China. What a useless poll!
As least some people are not as naive as the rest. I agree 100%, if you took this poll in North korea or Zimbabwe the results would be the same or better. Go live in China and see if you would feel the same as this nonsense poll I highly doubt it
37I was just wondering if we'd been linked, syako!
Somebody pop some popcorn...
38I am somewhat surprised by this poll. I think most Americans need to be a little bit more optimistic about our future. America has many strengths that will serve us well in the future. Overall, I would take our diversity over any of these countries. We have more natural resources than China and India. Our university and research institutions are still second to none and we still lead the world in technological innovation. China has made significant strides toward a free market system, but they are still a communist country. Denying certain freedoms (speech, press, etc.) will undoubtedly be a hindrance to their overall development. 86% content seems extremely high for a communist country. I wonder if the Chinese were afraid to be negative. America's challenge going forward will be to come together as a country to improve primary education and infrastructure, encourage personal savings, pay down government debt, and have the courage to reform health care and social security. It may mean higher taxes or some other form of personal sacrifice. We can do it if we let go of some of our traditional "rugged individualism" for the betterment of the country. I would still rather live here than anywhere else in the world.
39I think there is something to our discontent being routed in our consumerism/materialism. But the sad news may be that China's contentment is probably routed in the same. Isn't there country now growing economically like they never have been before? I have heard they will soon have the largest military and soon use much more oil than the U.S.
40I thought the same thing, sy and Jude!
41Beautifully said. Well done!
42Beautifully said. Well done!
43
44I think you have to take into consideration that China is a communist country, so I bet people were threatened to answer positively.
45alright china isnt communist anymore communism isnt a bad things its just run wrong in many countrys and its sad to see that america only has 23% of people thinking that its going well and canada and norway arnt on this because they are agreed to be perfect
46you cant speak out about america its well known that our phones are bugged and that the CIA used to assassinate presidents they found to be inadequate and they still do except secretly. CHINA HAS MOVED FORWARD if a Chinese person says they dont like china they are not killed they did that decades ago they have advanced at no help from america also notice that the countries america is "helping" are not on there
47
48I wonder what Sugar's retention rate for people who sign up just to comment on linked posts is?
49I never used to comment on any of the sugar sites until I found citizen!! Its like an addiction now.
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