Americans' Optimism About the Future Hits New Low, Gallup Poll Finds

Fewer than half of Americans now rate their future lives as 'thriving', the lowest level in nearly 20 years of Gallup surveys.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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A new Gallup poll reveals that Americans' optimism about their future has fallen to a new low, with only about 59% of Americans giving high ratings when asked to evaluate how good their life will be in about five years. This is the lowest annual measure since Gallup began asking this question almost 20 years ago. The decline in future optimism has been even sharper than the drop in current life satisfaction over the past decade.

Why it matters

The findings from the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index highlight a concerning trend of growing pessimism among Americans about the direction of the country and their personal prospects. This erosion of hope for the future could have significant implications for consumer confidence, political stability, and social cohesion.

The details

The Gallup poll categorizes those who give an 8 or higher rating on a 0-10 scale for their anticipated future life as 'optimists.' In 2025, only about 59% of Americans fell into this category, down from around 65% at the end of the Biden administration. The drop in future optimism was particularly sharp among Democrats and Hispanic Americans. Even with a Republican president and Congress, Republicans' optimism about the future has not rebounded to the levels seen at the end of Trump's first term.

  • Gallup has been asking this question about future life ratings for almost 20 years.
  • The 2025 results are based on data collected over four quarterly measurement periods, totaling 22,125 interviews with U.S. adults.

The players

Gallup

An American analytics and advisory company that provides data-driven news based on U.S. and global polls, surveys, and data analytics.

Dan Witters

The research director of the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index.

Donald Trump

The former and current President of the United States, having served one term from 2017-2021 and now in his second term starting in 2025.

Joe Biden

The former President of the United States, serving one term from 2021-2025.

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What they’re saying

“While current life is eroding, it's that optimism for the future that has eroded almost twice as much over the course of about that last 10 years or so.”

— Dan Witters, Research Director, Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index

“The regime change in the White House almost certainly was a big driving factor in what's happened. And a lot of that was just because the people who identified as Democrats really took it in the chops.”

— Dan Witters, Research Director, Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index

What’s next

Gallup plans to continue tracking Americans' optimism about the future in its quarterly National Health and Well-Being Index surveys.

The takeaway

The steep decline in Americans' optimism about their future lives, particularly among Democrats and Hispanic Americans, signals a troubling erosion of hope and confidence in the country's direction. This could have far-reaching implications for consumer spending, political polarization, and social cohesion that policymakers will need to grapple with.