Before Israel’s recent airstrikes and ground invasion in southern Lebanon as
part of the widening regional war centered on Iran and its proxies, Lebanon
was already in a condition of profound structural weakness. A recent survey
of 1,200 randomly selected Lebanese citizens conducted by Arab Barometer
in partnership with the Middle East Consultation Group of the Munich Security
Conference provides key insights into conditions shortly before these recent
events. The November 2025 survey presents a picture of a country that
remained deeply pessimistic about the economy, distrustful of political institutions,
and frustrated by corruption and state failure. Yet it also revealed a limited but important shift: for the first time in many years,
Lebanese citizens exhibited greater hope.
