A new Mediana research study on optimism in the region, covering Slovenia, Serbia, and Croatia, reveals interesting findings on how residents have viewed the future of their countries and lives since January 2024.
Slovenia: 40% of People Are Optimistic About the Country’s Future
Currently, 40% of Slovenians are optimistic about the country’s future, believing that Slovenia can develop into a successful and prosperous nation. On the other hand, a good third of the population feels that Slovenia does not have a bright future. Over the past year, Slovenians were the most optimistic about their country in May (51%) and the least in October (38%). Throughout the entire period, there were more optimists than pessimists each month.
Optimism regarding the future of the state
Serbia: A Remarkable Surge in Optimism in January 2025
For most of the year, more people in Serbia were pessimistic than optimistic about their country’s future. A significant difference appeared in March and May 2024. However, a change in trend was observed from October 2024 onwards, with optimism increasing. A remarkable gap emerged in January 2025, when 63% of people—the highest in the region throughout the entire period—believed that Serbia could develop into a prosperous and successful country. Only 22% (the lowest in the region) did not believe in a bright future for the country.
Croatia: Optimism Prevailed in 2024, but 2025 Begins with Doubts
For most of 2024, optimism about Croatia’s future was higher than pessimism, with the exception of February, October, and January 2025. Currently, 37% believe that Croatia can develop into a prosperous country, while 42% do not share this belief.
Slovenians Are the Most Optimistic About Life
Optimism regarding the life
Throughout 2024, Slovenians consistently expressed the highest level of optimism about life. The percentage of those feeling optimistic about life hovered around 60%, peaking at 66% in June 2024. Even during autumn and winter months, optimism remained high (around 60%). However, in recent months, optimism has been declining.
For most of the year, Serbia ranked second in terms of optimism about life, except for the period between September and October 2024, when Croatians expressed a higher level of optimism. From November onwards, Serbians have again been more optimistic about life than Croatians.
Most People in the Region Look Forward to Life, While One-Fifth See No Bright Future
Throughout the entire period, the share of regional residents who reported not being able to look forward to life given the current situation was significantly smaller (ranging between 29% and 14%) compared to those who looked forward to the future (between 66% and 40%). On average, more than half of the population (52%) viewed life optimistically, while one-fifth (20%) did not look forward to the future.
