Hope is measured in several different ways: as a 0–10 self-rating, as a feeling about the future, or through reported sadness, hopelessness, and related risks. The statistics below show these measures separately, with their dates and populations kept explicit.
Table of contents
- Global hope scores by country
- Variation around country averages
- A compact country comparison
- How U.S. adults describe the future
- Sadness and hopelessness among U.S. high school students over time
- Student differences by sex
- Student differences by grade
Global hope scores by country
The Global Flourishing Study Wave 1, conducted in 2023, asked people to rate their hope on a 0–10 scale. These are country estimates of self-rated hope, so they describe average responses in each country rather than a universal level of hope for every resident. The source reports 22-country comparisons in the study article, Where Hope Thrives: Demographic Variation in Hope across 22 Countries.
Indonesia had the highest listed mean, at 9.17. Mexico followed at 9.00. Argentina and the Philippines each had a mean of 8.92, while Brazil recorded 8.87. The next listed averages were Kenya at 8.76, Nigeria at 8.65, and South Africa at 8.59.
The remaining country estimates were Israel at 8.40, Tanzania at 8.35, India at 8.32, and Egypt at 8.18. Spain had a mean of 8.07, Poland 7.94, Turkey 7.76, and Australia 7.71.
Among the English-speaking countries listed, the United States had a mean self-rated hope score of 7.69, compared with 7.39 in the United Kingdom. Germany’s mean was 7.65. Hong Kong recorded 7.30, Sweden 7.26, and Japan 5.95.
The country results span 3.22 points from Indonesia’s 9.17 to Japan’s 5.95. That spread should be read as a difference between study estimates on the same 0–10 item, not as proof that one population is permanently more hopeful than another. The Global Flourishing Study figures are Wave 1 estimates from 2023, and hope is only one dimension of well-being.
Variation around country averages
A mean summarizes the center of a group, but it does not show how tightly individual responses cluster around that center. The same Global Flourishing Study results also report standard deviations for several countries. A larger standard deviation indicates more spread around that country’s mean score; it does not mean that the country’s average is lower.
Indonesia’s standard deviation was 1.44 points around its 9.17 mean, and Mexico’s was 1.56 around its 9.00 mean. Argentina had a standard deviation of 1.67, while the Philippines had 1.82. Brazil’s standard deviation was 1.88 points.
The reported spread was larger for Kenya, at 2.33 points around its 8.76 mean. Nigeria’s standard deviation was 1.97, and South Africa’s was 2.07. Israel recorded 1.73 points around its 8.40 mean. Tanzania had a standard deviation of 2.65, and India had the largest listed value in this group, at 2.77 points around its 8.32 mean.
These figures help put country averages in context. For example, Indonesia combined the highest listed mean with the smallest listed standard deviation among the countries for which variation is supplied. India had a lower mean than Indonesia and a wider reported spread. That comparison describes the shape of responses in the study; it does not establish why the countries differ.
A compact country comparison
The table brings together the country mean estimates and the supplied standard deviations. A dash means that no standard deviation was supplied for that country in the figures used here.
| Country | Mean hope score (0–10) | Standard deviation |
|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | 9.17 | 1.44 |
| Mexico | 9.00 | 1.56 |
| Argentina | 8.92 | 1.67 |
| Philippines | 8.92 | 1.82 |
| Brazil | 8.87 | 1.88 |
| Kenya | 8.76 | 2.33 |
| Nigeria | 8.65 | 1.97 |
| South Africa | 8.59 | 2.07 |
| Israel | 8.40 | 1.73 |
| Tanzania | 8.35 | 2.65 |
| India | 8.32 | 2.77 |
| Egypt | 8.18 | — |
| Spain | 8.07 | — |
| Poland | 7.94 | — |
| Turkey | 7.76 | — |
| Australia | 7.71 | — |
| United States | 7.69 | — |
| Germany | 7.65 | — |
| United Kingdom | 7.39 | — |
| Hong Kong | 7.30 | — |
| Sweden | 7.26 | — |
| Japan | 5.95 | — |
How U.S. adults describe the future
Pew Research Center used direct questions about future attitudes rather than the Global Flourishing Study’s 0–10 hope item. In a survey conducted July 8–August 3, 2025, 68% of U.S. adults said they feel hopeful when they think about the future. In the same field period, 54% said they feel happy when they think about the future. These results are reported in Many Americans say they feel hopeful, happy when they think about the future.
The two percentages measure different feelings. The 14-percentage-point gap between hopeful and happy responses is therefore a contrast between two survey answers, not a measure of how much more hopeful people are than happy. It also does not show that the same individuals selected one response but not the other.
Pew asked a separate question about the future of the United States. In fieldwork conducted April 6–12, 2026, 48% of U.S. adults said they were optimistic when thinking about that future. This optimism figure has a different question wording and a different measurement period from the 68% hopefulness estimate. It should not be combined with the earlier percentages as if all three were one scale.
Together, the Pew results show why the wording of a hope statistic matters. A person can be asked about feeling hopeful, feeling happy, or being optimistic about a country. Each answer gives a useful snapshot, but each snapshot has a distinct reference point.
Sadness and hopelessness among U.S. high school students over time
The CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System uses a different indicator: persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness during the past 12 months among U.S. high school students. The series is not a direct 0–10 hope score. It is a surveillance measure of a difficult emotional experience, reported in Mental Health and Suicide Risks.
The reported percentage was 30% in 2015 and 31% in 2017. It rose to 37% in 2019 and reached 42% in 2021. The figure was 40% in 2023 and 33% in 2025. The 2025 result was lower than the 2021 and 2023 results, while remaining above the 2015 and 2017 figures.
| Survey year | Persistent sadness or hopelessness |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 30% |
| 2017 | 31% |
| 2019 | 37% |
| 2021 | 42% |
| 2023 | 40% |
| 2025 | 33% |
Each percentage refers to the 12 months before the relevant survey. The pattern is descriptive: it shows how reported responses changed across the listed survey years. It does not, by itself, identify the causes of the changes or convert the measure into a percentage of students who lacked hope in every situation.
Student differences by sex
For 2025, the CDC reported several mental-health and suicide-risk indicators separately for male and female U.S. high school students. Persistent sadness or hopelessness was reported by 24% of male students and 43% of female students. Poor mental health was reported by 16% of male students and 31% of female students.
The same 2025 data reported that 11% of male students and 18% of female students had seriously considered attempting suicide. A suicide plan was reported by 10% of male students and 15% of female students. Attempted suicide was reported by 5% of male students and 8% of female students, while being injured in a suicide attempt requiring treatment was reported by 1% of male students and 2% of female students.
| 2025 indicator | Male students | Female students |
|---|---|---|
| Persistent sadness or hopelessness | 24% | 43% |
| Poor mental health | 16% | 31% |
| Seriously considered attempting suicide | 11% | 18% |
| Made a suicide plan | 10% | 15% |
| Attempted suicide | 5% | 8% |
| Injured in an attempt requiring treatment | 1% | 2% |
These are population-level surveillance percentages, not predictions about any individual student. The indicators also describe different experiences, so they should not be added together or treated as successive stages for every student.
Student differences by grade
The 2025 CDC figures also provide selected results by grade. A suicide plan was reported by 13% of students in 9th grade, 13% in 10th grade, 12% in 11th grade, and 11% in 12th grade. The supplied results therefore show a narrow range of 11% to 13% across these four grades for this indicator.
For attempted suicide, 7% of students in 9th grade and 7% of students in 10th grade reported an attempt. No 11th- or 12th-grade percentage for this indicator is included in the supplied CDC figures, so the available data do not support a complete four-grade comparison.
The grade figures are percentages reported for U.S. high school students in 2025. They do not show whether a student’s experience changed after moving from one grade to another, because the statistics compare groups at one survey point rather than following the same students over time.
Taken together, these sources measure hope and hopelessness from different angles: country-level self-ratings in 2023, U.S. adult attitudes in 2025 and 2026, and U.S. high-school mental-health indicators across 2015–2025. They are descriptive statistics, not interchangeable measures or personal advice.