The Prime Minister, who has already pre-announced his retirement, says this will be the year when Britain makes "significant strides" towards prosperity, safety and security.
The Labour leader - who many of his own MPs would like to see dumped this year - says 2016 will be "the start of a journey" towards a Labour government in 2020.
Mr Cameron, however, makes only a brief reference to a referendum on EU membership, which he wants to hold this year, while Mr Corbyn does not mention it at all.
"We're fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership that cause so much frustration in Britain - so we get a better deal for our country and secure our future," Mr Cameron said.
Playing down expectations, he adds: "It is a difficult negotiation with 27 other countries. But throughout we are driven by one consideration: what is best for Britain's economic and national security.
"In the end, you will decide whether we are stronger and better off with our European neighbours as part of the European Union, or on our own."
The PM's message largely echoes his Tory conference speech in October, when he talked about a "turnaround decade" and social renewal and tackling four major problems: home ownership, poverty, social mobility and extremism.
On extremism, with Britain on high terror alert on New Year's Eve, Mr Cameron says: "This is one of the biggest issues facing our country. Of course, we need to tackle the hate preachers and take down the online material that radicalises so many.
"But we also need to address the issues that for too long have been swept under the carpet.
"Failure to integrate, the dangers of segregation and deprivation, women treated as second-class citizens, communities living side by side but never coming into contact with each other - these will all be issues that Louise Casey will address in her review for the Government later this year, and we will respond with vigour."
Mr Cameron ends with an attack on Mr Corbyn, declaring: "There are many people who will tell you how deeply they care about these issues. They will shout into megaphones, wave banners and sign petitions.
"But we're the ones who are able to make the arguments and take the difficult decisions in order to defeat these social scourges and deliver real security. So while others are on protest march, we remain on the long walk to a Greater Britain.
"We won't get there overnight. But during 2016, we will make some of our most significant strides yet."
In his message, Mr Corbyn, who faces a huge challenge in elections in London, Scotland, Wales and England's town halls in May, says: "I was elected leader of the Labour Party three months ago on a mandate for change.
"And during this last three months we've challenged the government on working tax credits, and defeated them.
"We challenged them on cuts to the police service, and defeated them. We challenged them on running the prison service in Saudi Arabia, and we defeated them.
ve to challenge them much more next year. Much more on their cuts to local government and their lack of investment in the needs of our economy and our people. We want to build an economy fit for the twenty-first century.
"2016 will be the start of a journey to deliver a Labour government in 2020. A Labour government that will deliver a fairer, more just, more prosperous society that we can all enjoy. A society that works for all, not just the few."
Many Labour MPs will be surprised by Mr Corbyn's final sentence, which sounds remarkably like Tony Blair's "the many, not the few" slogan.
They will claim it rings hollow at a time when he is said to be poised to sack moderates from his Shadow Cabinet in a so-called "revenge reshuffle".
In her New Year message, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon calls on Scots to adopt a "can-do culture" and promises to give strong support to the enterprise and innovation that would boost productivity, increase economic growth and create skilled jobs.
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