Record-high 96% welcoming 2024 with hope – SWS

MANILA, Philippines —  Filipinos often enter the coming year with high hopes.

But this year is extra significant as a record-high number not seen since the onset of the pandemic said they would welcome 2024 with a positive outlook.

A recent survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) found that 96 percent of the respondents said they would enter the coming year with hope, up one point from last year’s 95 percent.

Since the pollster started asking the question in 2000, the record-high 96 percent was only obtained twice before – in 2017 and 2019.

The record-low was in December 2004, when only 81 percent said they would welcome the coming year with hope.

Since 2010, the percentage of Filipinos welcoming the new year with hope has stayed above 90 percent, with the lowest in November 2020 at 91 percent due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It improved to 93 percent in 2021 and 95 percent in 2022.

The recent survey, which was conducted from Dec. 8 to 11, also found that only three percent would enter 2024 with fear, the lowest since SWS started conducting the survey in 2000.

The previous record was four percent obtained in 2011, 2019 and 2022. In 2004, 18 percent said they would enter the coming year with fear, the highest obtained by SWS.

Across areas, those who said that they would greet the new year with hope was highest among respondents in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon at 97 percent (from 93 percent and 97 percent, respectively), followed by those in Mindanao at 96 percent (from 93 percent) and the Visayas at 93 percent (from 95 percent).

It was also highest among college graduates at 98 percent (from 96 percent), followed by elementary graduates at 97 percent (from 95 percent), high school graduates at 96 percent (from 95 percent) and non-elementary graduates at 93 percent (from 92 percent).

SWS said the percentage of those who are entering the new year with hope than fear is higher among those who expected a happy Christmas this year.

The December 2023 survey found that 73 percent of Filipinos expected Christmas to be happy, while six percent said they expected it to be sad. Some 21 percent said they expected it to be neither happy nor sad.

“Hope for the