London  - The people of Iraq are increasingly hopeful about their future, as violence and insecurity are no longer the main concern for most of the population, an opinion poll published Monday showed.

The survey of almost 2,300 Iraqis shows that, for the first time since the 2003 invasion, Iraqis were hopeful about the future and are increasingly preoccupied with conventional worries such as the economy and jobs.

But it also showed that Iraqis remain unhappy about the role of foreign powers in their country, notably Iran, the United States and Britain.

The poll was undertaken jointly by the BBC, ABC News and Japan's NHK television in February.

A total of 2,228 Iraqis were questioned across all 18 provinces. The margin of error is 2.5 per cent, reported the BBC.

The survey is the sixth in a series of surveys since March 2004 and shows a marked overall improvement in perceptions, the BBC said.

It showed striking shifts in opinion since the last poll, in March 2008.

On security, 85 per cent of all respondents described the current situation as "very good or quite good," an increase of 23 per cent over a year ago.

A total of 52 per cent of respondents said that security had improved over the last year, compared with 8 per cent who believed it had worsened.

Almost 60 per cent said they felt safe in their neighbourhoods, an increase from 37 per cent last year.

Those who say their lives are going very well or quite well now represent 65 per cent of the total population, an increase of 9 per cent since last year.

The share of those who believe that things will get better in Iraq in the year to come stands at 60 per cent, a rise of 14 per cent, compared with a year ago. (dpa)