RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Optimism about the economy has almost hit a record high among Brazilians ahead of president-elect Jair Bolsonaro's inauguration on Jan. 1, according to a poll released on Sunday.
Some 65 percent of respondents believe the economy will improve over the coming months, according to the survey by pollster Datafolha.
That figure was just 23 percent in August, showed Datafolha's previous poll.
The result is one of the most optimistic since 1997, when Fernando Henrique Cardoso was president.
Similar optimism, as the pollster recalled, reigned in March 2013 just before the Brazil-hosted 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Employment expectations have also picked up prior to Bolsonaro taking office, with 47 percent of the respondents predicting a fall in unemployment compared to 19 percent in August.
According to Datafolha, expectations always run high prior to a change in leadership, however the latest figures are running higher than usual.
The poll surveyed 2,077 people in 130 cities across Brazil on Dec. 18 and 19.
