The number of business executives, who think the global economy will improve in the next 12 months, has doubled since last year, consultancy group PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) said in a poll on Tuesday.
Of the 1,344 managers around the world who were surveyed, 44 per cent were optimistic about the global economy.
The annual survey was published on the eve of the World Economic Forum, the meeting of business and political leaders in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos.
However, only 39 per cent were confident that the growth would translate into higher revenues for their own company.
“The global economic recovery continues to be fragile, but with immediate pressures easing,” said PwC Chairman Dennis Nally.
Western European managers were most optimistic about economic growth, while their Central and Eastern European colleagues were most pessimistic.
Promising markets
The United States and China once again led the ranking as the world’s most promising export markets, while Germany climbed to the third place this year.
Indonesia, Mexico, Turkey, Thailand and Vietnam also rose in popularity as promising markets.
Business leaders were asked about their biggest concerns with over-regulation of the economy, national budget deficits and rising taxes topping the list.
Optimism about revenue growth in their own company was biggest in the emerging markets of Russia, Mexico, >India and China.
Executives from several Southern European and Latin American countries had the most negative outlook on business growth.