Young Americans’ pride in their country sinks to historic lows

Pride in being an American suffered a steep decline among young people over the last decade and is now at an all-time low. It has sunk to historic lows mainly among young people: only 18% of people aged 18-34 expressed feeling "extremely proud" of their nationality. Regardless of age, patriotic sentiment remains at the lowest levels (39%) since 2005.

This was shown by a Gallup poll, which indicated that the overall figure is virtually unchanged from last year's all-time low of 38%. However, the figure for young adults is at its lowest point in history. National pride increased after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but began to decline in 2005. However, it remained a majority until 2017. Since 2018, it has been consistently below 50%, averaging 42%.

Sixty percent of Republicans are proud, compared to just 29% of Democrats

In addition to age, political party is another difference between those who are proud to be Americans and those who are not. The percentage of those who feel extremely proud is 60% among Republicans, 33% for Independents and 29% for Democrats.

"That gap has been particularly pronounced since 2018, with more than twice as many Republicans as Democrats saying they are extremely proud. Republicans are also nearly twice as likely as independents to express the highest degree of pride," the poll detailed.

Republican Congressman Mark Alford said the data should be of concern to citizens. "As a country, we must inspire our young people to greatness and rekindle their belief in the idea of America: that it is the shining city on a hill."