Americans are a pretty unhappy lot these days.
Only 44% of Americans say they are “very satisfied” with their personal lives, according to a recent Gallup poll. That is the lowest share since Gallup began surveying people on this topic at the turn of the century.
The percentage of very satisfied Americans has plunged since 2020, when 65% were very satisfied with their personal situation. That finding was recorded right before the COVID-19 pandemic reached U.S. shores and was an all-time survey high.
To no one’s surprise, people with the highest income or the most education — who also tend to have higher incomes — are more likely to be satisfied with their lives today than people with less money or education.
Among those with incomes of at least $100,000, 55% are very satisfied with their lives. And 51% of college graduates are very satisfied, compared with just 41% of nongraduates.
In every demographic group, people are less satisfied with their lives today than they were in 2020. However, a few groups — some of them surprising — reported being more satisfied with their personal lives than others. Here are the groups of people who are relatively happy with life in 2025.
Women
Survey respondents in this group who are “very satisfied” with their personal life in 2025: 48% (down from 63% in 2020)
How they compare: 41% of men are “very satisfied” in 2025 (down from 67% in 2020)
Both men and women are less satisfied with life today than they were in 2020. However, women today appear to be happier than men — a reversal of the situation in 2020.
People aged 65 and older
Survey respondents in this group who are “very satisfied” with their personal life in 2025: 50% (down from 69% in 2020)
How they compare: 41% of people aged 18-29 and 30-49 are “very satisfied” in 2025 (down from 59% and 65%, respectively, in 2020); 47% of people aged 50-64 are “very satisfied” (down from 64% in 2020)
Not everyone would assume that growing older leads to contentment. But a body of research suggests that as people enter their senior years, they grow happier.
Although older Americans are less satisfied with their lives in 2025 than they were in 2020, their outlook remains considerably sunnier than that of younger folks.
Weekly attendees of religious services
Survey respondents in this group who are “very satisfied” with their personal life in 2025: 55% (down from 76% in 2020)
How they compare: 45% of people who seldom or never attend religious services are “very satisfied” in 2025 (down from 58% in 2020)
Those who believe in God or some form of “higher power” also tend to be happier than those who do not, according to researchers. In particular, those who regularly attend weekly religious services see a boost in satisfaction in regard to their personal lives, according to the Gallup survey.
This finding is somewhat surprising in an era when Americans have become less religious.
Democrats
Survey respondents in this group who are “very satisfied” with their personal life in 2025: 51% (down from 56% in 2020)
How they compare: 37% of Republicans are “very satisfied” in 2025 (down from 80% in 2020)
It isn’t an easy time to be a Democrat. The party recently lost the White House and the Senate, and Republicans now control both the executive and legislative branches of government in Washington, D.C.
And yet, Democrats are surprisingly satisfied with their lives. This marks a big change from five years ago, when the share of “very satisfied” Republicans far outpaced the share of “very satisfied” Democrats.
It remains to be seen whether Donald Trump’s second term in the White House shakes up these numbers again.
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