The percentage of U.S. adults who anticipate high-quality lives in five years declined to 59.2% in 2025, the lowest level since measurement began nearly two decades ago. Since 2020, future life ratings have fallen a total of 9.1 percentage points, projecting to an estimated 24.5 million fewer people who are optimistic about the future now versus then. Most of that decline occurred between 2021 and 2023, but the ratings dropped 3.5 points between 2024 and 2025.
Americans’ ratings of their current lives have also declined since rebounding in 2021 but not as steeply as their future life ratings. And current life ratings are not at a low point; that occurred in 2020, during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
These results are a part of the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index. The 2025 results are based on data collected over four quarterly measurement periods, totaling 22,125 interviews with U.S. adults who are part of the Gallup Panel, a probability-based panel encompassing all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
AMERICAN OPTIMISM HITS RECORD LOW
— *Walter Bloomberg (@DeItaone) February 10, 2026
U.S. adults’ optimism about their future life fell to 59.2% in 2025, the lowest since Gallup began measuring nearly 20 years ago. Since 2020, future-life optimism dropped 9.1 points, equal to roughly 24.5 million fewer hopeful Americans.… pic.twitter.com/k6G253FfgC
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