The present is getting better. The future, not at all.

Even as more Americans say the economy is improving, a clear majority remain fearful about their children’s financial prospects, according to a study released Monday.

The pessimism is not limited to the United States, either, according to the report, which was produced by the Pew Research Center. In France, more than 70 percent of respondents said they doubted that their children would be better off financially, with a similarly bleak outlook reported in Britain, Spain, Italy and Germany.

“Even in advanced economies where people think they are doing well, like Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden, they are worried about their kids’ financial prospects,” said Bruce Stokes, director of global economic attitudes at Pew. “Clearly, even though unemployment is falling and growth is returning after the financial crisis, this pessimism raises questions about whether this is a temporary phenomenon.”

The Pew Research Center, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank, surveyed people in 32 countries this year and found that overall sentiment about the current economic situation had rebounded sharply from postrecession lows. But the views varied widely across borders.