Link to sectionGlobal Issues
It's not surprise that European countries that just experienced one of the most violent heatwave ever felt in the region all cited climate change as a top concern.
Yet another big worry is rising authoritarianism, especially in countries such as Sweden, the U.S., France, and Germany which all have far-right parties close to (or in) power.
Age also plays a role here, with younger respondents being more concerned about geopolitical tensions.
And as expected, many of these issues follow a sharp political divide: worry about climate change drops sharply once you cross the centerline of the political spectrum, being instead replaced by things such as geopolitical tensions, the erosion of traditional values, and lack of free speech.
Link to sectionPolitical Expression✨
While free speech is protected in most countries, that doesn't always translate into feeling comfortable enough to express your opinions, as shown by the fact that the U.S. comes in 17th place here.
What's also interesting is that right-wing respondents are overall less comfortable expressing their political opinions at work.
Link to sectionWorker's Union✨
At a time where tech industry job security is being threatened by AI, worker's unions may offer a way to give employees some of the power back- although this idea seems far more popular on the left than on the right.
Looking at countries, Sweden stands out as the only country where a majority of respondents already belong to a union, while the U.S. actually comes in first when looking at respondents who are not currently part of an union, but would like to join one.
Link to sectionPolitical Spectrum✨
Reducing an individual's political leanings to a left-right spectrum is admittedly a bit simplistic; furthermore, the exact same opinions may register as right-wing in one country, and left-wing in another.
But it's still interesting to see how respondents identify, and which factors are correlated with being more left-wing (worrying about rising intolerance and climate change) and right-wing (being concerned about the erosion of traditional values, and being pro-AI).
Link to sectionTech Emotion✨
Respondents are not feeling great about the tech industry in 2026, with negative emotions topping the list, chief among them exhaustion and disillusionment*.
And while curiosity does come in third overall, it's also correlated with other aspects of a respondent's worldview, such as being more pro-AI or leaning further to the right politically.
Link to sectionHappiness Factors
Link to sectionRelocation
Japan and Canada remain the most popular places respondents would like to move to if given the chance.
The U.S., long considered the most attractive destination for tech workers, only comes in 5th (when excluding respondents who already live there). Political factors might play a role, as shown by correlations with right-wing leanings and pro-AI sentiment.
Find Work in Japan在日本找工作
Link to sectionOverall Happiness
At the end of the day, a lot of our happiness comes down to having a good, secure job, and being healthy, both physically and mentally.
Yet AI is threatening developers on both fronts, contributing to stress and exhaustion while putting job security in jeopardy, which translates into more unhappy respondents compared to 2025.