Pew Finds 69% of U.S. Adults Dissatisfied With Country's Direction as 66% Expect More Division by 2050
Updated
Updated · Pew Research Center · Jun 12
Pew Finds 69% of U.S. Adults Dissatisfied With Country's Direction as 66% Expect More Division by 2050
2 articles · Updated · Pew Research Center · Jun 12
Summary
29% of U.S. adults said in January 2026 they were satisfied with the way the country is going, while 69% were dissatisfied, extending a pattern of net dissatisfaction that Pew says has lasted more than two decades.
59% said in December 2025 that America's best years are behind it, and January's share expecting the year ahead to be better than the last fell to 50%—the lowest in Pew surveys since 2020.
April 2026 polling on 2050 found broad pessimism: 66% expect more political division, 58% a less important U.S., 56% a more dangerous country, 55% a weaker economy and 54% a worse-functioning government.
That outlook was not uniformly bleak: 68% said they feel hopeful about the future, 54% feel happy, and expectations have improved since 2023, with the share predicting a stronger economy rising to 43% from 32%.
Partisanship sharply shaped current views—54% of Republicans were satisfied versus 8% of Democrats under Trump's second term—while younger adults were generally more pessimistic than older Americans about conditions in 2050.