Americans' 'personal satisfaction' reaches lowest level in 25 years
Only 44% of citizens said they were "very satisfied" with their personal lives, the lowest figure since Gallup polling began in 2001.

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Americans' personal satisfaction reached its lowest level in more than two decades, Gallup's annual Mood of the Nation survey revealed. Only 44% of respondents said they felt "very satisfied" with their personal lives, the lowest figure since this poll began in 2001.
The survey also shows that 37% of respondents said they were "somewhat satisfied," while 9% said they were "somewhat dissatisfied" and 8% said they felt "very dissatisfied."
Previous low recorded in 2011, at 46%
The previous lowest level of personal satisfaction was recorded in 2011, with 46% of Americans "very satisfied," in the midst of the economic recovery following the recession. In contrast, the highest peak was in January 2020, just prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when 65% claimed to be "very satisfied" with their lives.
Since that time (2020), personal satisfaction has fallen 21 percentage points, affecting all demographic groups, albeit with disparities by political affiliation.
The decline in personal satisfaction levels may be linked to a combination of social, economic and political factors that have marked recent years. The decline began after the pandemic. In economic terms, inflation, high housing costs, and rising interest rates have complicated the personal finances of many Americans.
Republicans showed the biggest drop: only 37% described themselves as "very satisfied" in 2025, down from 80% in 2020, a 43-point decline. Independents also recorded a significant decline, going from 60% to 47% over the same period. By comparison, Democrats experienced a milder drop, from 56% in 2020 to 51% in 2025.
The survey also reflects an increase in the number of people describing themselves as "very dissatisfied," which now stands at 8%, representing an unusually high percentage in the survey's history.
The survey, conducted Jan. 2-15, included 1,005 adults.