---
title: "National Mood Still Positive in Egypt"
description: "As Egyptians prepare for national elections, 53% say they are satisfied with the way things are going in their country, while 41% are say they are dissatisfied."
date: "2012-05-22"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2012/05/22/national-mood-still-positive-in-egypt/"
---

# National Mood Still Positive in Egypt

Despite economic difficulties and political uncertainty, Egyptians remain upbeat about the course of their nation and prospects for progress.Just more than half (53%) say they are satisfied with the way things are going in Egypt, while 41% say they are dissatisfied.

In the spring of 2011, shortly after Hosni Mubarak’s resignation, 65% said they were satisfied with the way things were going; 34% said they were dissatisfied. That marked a reversal from one year earlier – before the public protests that forced Mubarak from office – when 28% said they were satisfied and 69% said they were dissatisfied.

Egyptians also remain, on balance, hopeful about what is to come: 52% say they are optimistic about the future, just 18% say they are pessimistic and 28% say they are neither pessimists nor optimists. This is similar to last year, when 57% were optimistic, 16% pessimistic, and 26% said neither. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2012/05/08/egyptians-remain-optimistic-embrace-democracy-and-religion-in-political-life/)