Most Americans say the country’s best years are over, poll finds

(CN) – As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary this summer, a Pew Research Center poll released Friday reveals widespread pessimism about the country’s future.

According to the survey, 59% of Americans say that the country’s best years are behind uswhile 40% believe that the best days are still ahead.

The poll of 3,560 adults, conducted in December 2025, found that Americans were more pessimistic than optimistic about the country’s future over the next 50 years. Forty-four percent said they felt pessimistic, compared to 28 percent who felt optimistic, while 27 percent said they felt neither.

Views differed by demographic group. Majorities of black adults (66%), Hispanic adults (64%) and white adults (57%) said the country’s best years are over, along with 53% of Asian adults. Low- and middle-income Americans were particularly pessimistic, with 61% in each group holding this view, while upper-income adults were evenly split.

Politically, Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (64%) were more likely than Republicans and Republican-leaning voters (53%) to say the country’s best years are behind it. The pattern has changed since 2014, when attitudes more closely tracked which party controlled Washington.

In a brief phone interview Friday, Pew Social Trends Research Director Kim Parker said the report provides a broad picture of how Americans view the country’s past, present and future ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary. Parker said Americans in general have become more pessimistic than hopeful over the past decade, with views sharply divided along party lines. She added that while Washington’s control affects public opinion, it does not erase broader anxieties about the country’s leadership.

“I would say it’s a significant shift toward a more negative orientation,” she said, adding that there were significant differences between racial and income groups, and some of those patterns could be related to party affiliation. “Republicans are not feeling good about the future, even though their party is in control right now. So I think that speaks to a kind of deeper concern and anxiety that people have about a lot of different issues and trends in the country and in the world.”

Parker said the poll was intended to measure Americans’ general mood rather than views on specific issues, and that changing attitudes likely reflect a mix of political leadership, economic conditions and global events. She pointed to upcoming Pew studies on demographic and economic change and political identity as further insight into how Americans are thinking during the nation’s anniversary period.

The findings were released alongside a broader Pew Research Center report that examines how The United States has changed since the bicentennial of 1976. The report found that while the population has grown from about 120 million to 340 million and living standards have improved for many Americans, divisions by education, race and income have deepened along with major demographic and social changes.

The research highlights ongoing challenges in areas such as economic opportunity, social cohesion and national leadership.

Despite the bleak outlook, some Americans remain hopeful. Younger adults and respondents with higher incomes were more likely to see brighter days ahead.

“They are few and far between,” Parker said.

Pew researchers noted that these perceptions reflect the current political climate and may change over time. The survey was conducted ahead of recent major events that could further influence public sentiment.

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