Fewer than half of young Americans are ‘thriving,’ poll shows

A Gallup survey of 15,156 U.S. adults finds that 44% of people ages 18 to 29 qualified as ‘thriving’ in 2026, compared with 64% in 2010. The measure combines respondents’ rating of current life with their expectations for life five years ahead; Gallup found older adults’ ratings had improved over time.

The report points to housing affordability, loneliness, depression, concern about AI’s effect on jobs and pessimism about the labor market as possible contributors. It documents a generational divide in reported confidence about life, while distinguishing current conditions from expectations about the future.