Young people in Vietnam and Singapore exhibit the highest levels of optimism regarding their countries' political and economic situations within the ASEAN region, according to a survey recently released by Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

The 'Youth and Civic Engagement in Southeast Asia' survey polled 3,081 undergraduates aged 18–24 across six countries, including Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

The study revealed that 72.4 percent of the respondents from Singapore and 68.2 percent from Vietnam rated their political situation as 'very good' or 'good.'

In stark contrast, only 15.1 percent of the respondents in Indonesia and 16.4 percent in Thailand shared a similarly positive view of their countries' political situations.

Among the young Malaysians and Filipinos, 31.9 percent and 25.9 percent of the respondents viewed their political climate favorably.

The study also discovered that Southeast Asian youth are generally optimistic about their countries' economies, with 76.5 percent expecting positive economic developments over the next five years.

Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore stood out, with nearly nine in 10 expressing an optimistic outlook.

The report noted that countries with stable political systems and robust economic growth, such as Vietnam and Singapore, tend to foster greater optimism among their youth.

Meanwhile, countries grappling with economic or political instability, like Indonesia, saw higher levels of skepticism.

This survey is part of a three-year project aiming to study youth perspectives across all 10 ASEAN member states. 

Future analyses will examine differences between urban and rural youth, as well as those with and without formal education.

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