A new Gallup poll finds Americans are less optimistic than at any point in the survey’s 20-year history.
According to Gallup, 59.2% of U.S. adults expect to be living a “high-quality life” five years from now — a record low for the annual poll.
Optimism has declined sharply since the COVID-19 pandemic. Gallup estimates about 24.5 million fewer adults feel optimistic about their future now compared with 2020. For many years, about 68% or 69% of respondents expressed optimism about their future, but that number has steadily dropped since the pandemic.
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The decline is seen across nearly all demographic groups and political affiliations. Gallup found an especially steep drop among Hispanic Americans between 2024 and 2025.
The poll also recorded a near-record low for the percentage of adults who rate their current life as high-quality. The only year with a lower rating was 2020, though that figure rebounded in 2021.
Gallup researchers point to various factors. They say the sharp drop in optimism among Black Americans between 2021 and 2024 was largely linked to inflation and lingering effects of the pandemic, which disproportionately affected Black communities.
Since 2024, Gallup says political changes may have contributed to declining optimism among Hispanic Americans.
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