Just one in four people has faith in the economy, according to a poll commissioned by The Royal Gazette.

The survey by Global Research this month showed 25 per cent were confident in the direction the economy was heading, up marginally from 23 per cent in the previous poll in March. An eight-year high of 36 per cent was recorded last December.

A breakdown of the statistics shows whites, men and the older generation are those with the most amount of optimism on the issue. Among whites, 52 per cent said they were confident in the economy, compared with 12 per cent of blacks. Among men, the figure was 31 per cent, compared with 20 per cent of women. Among the over-65 age group, 26 per cent said they were confident, compared with 19 per cent of those aged between 18 and 34.

The telephone survey of 402 registered voters took place between June 6 and June 13, and has a margin of error of +/- 5 per cent.

In a separate question, the economy was also once again identified as the biggest issue facing Bermuda.

Some 58 per cent of people named the economy or unemployment as the island’s top concern, followed by education (12 per cent), crime (10 per cent) and racism (7 per cent).

Poor governance, seniors issues, PRC status issues and same-sex marriage each scored 2 per cent.

That represents a rise of five percentage points for education, which came only fourth in the pecking order three months ago, behind crime and immigration. The island’s schools have been in the spotlight in recent weeks, with Government’s Score report pointing to widespread failings, including serious infrastructure problems.