The economies of advanced nations aren't doing so well. That's what respondents from around the world said when asked by the Pew Research Center if they thought the condition of their national economies was good or bad. A median of 56% of the respondents from advanced nations described their economy as bad, versus 40% who described it as a good. Some advanced countries have become more satisfied with their current economy but are less hopeful that it will improve in the next year — like the UK — while countries such as Israel have become more pessimistic about the economy but more hopeful about its future. Business Insider has put together this feature to help make sense of the numbers. Be sure to check out the CIA World Factbook — from which some economic background was pulled — here and the full Pew Center study here.SEE ALSO: The world's fastest growing economies. Advanced economies. The Pew Research Center surveyed 11 advanced economies, with Germans the most bullish on their local economy and Italians the most downbeat. Spain (+10) has seen the most significant upward shift in positive sentiment about the economy since 2014, while South Korea (-17) saw the most significant downward shift. In 2014, neither Australia nor Canada was polled. Instead, the Pew Center polled Greece. Among the advanced economies, Israelis were the most optimistic about the next 12 months. The French were the least. Israelis were the most optimistic for the future, with close to half saying they expected the economy to improve. France is the most pessimistic for the future, with 42% of respondents saying they expected their economy to worsen. 1. Germany Who said the economy is good: 75% — though that's down 10 percentage points since 2014. Who said it'll improve over 12 months: 25%, down 1 point since 2014. The majority believe the economy will stay the same. What's been going on: The country exited the recession early on in 2009 because of a successful $70 billion euro stimulus package, a rebounding manufacturing sector, and exports. The country's GDP is expected to continue to grow because of low global energy prices, low inflation, and a weak euro. Germany is one of Greece's biggest creditors. Many countries and analysts have advocated for debt relief, but Germany has instead demanded that $70 billion of public Greek funds be put aside in a private trust in Luxembourg and used to pay off debts. (CIA World Factbook) GDP: $3.8 trillion in 2014 with 1.6% growth (World Bank). See the rest of the story at Business Insider NOW WATCH: Scientists are astonished by these Goby fish that can climb 300-foot waterfalls
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