New data shows a much weaker picture for younger adults than it did in 2010. Among Americans ages 18 to 29, Gallup polling revealed just 44% qualify as "thriving," down from the 64% high recorded in 2010.
Because most of that slide has come since 2019, the pattern points to a broader shift rather than a one-off downturn.
Here's what to know
Gallup's measure comes from its Life Evaluation Index, which sorts people into thriving, struggling, or suffering by combining how they view their present life with where they think it will stand five years from now.
As the outlet explained, respondents count as thriving only if they rate their current life at 7 or higher and their life five years from now at 8 or higher on a 10-step ladder.
Rather than dropping in one straight move, the rate shifted across several stages. Gallup said the thriving rate for 18- to 29-year-olds moved from 64% in 2010 to 57% in 2019, then fell to 39% in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. It later rose to 51% in 2023 before slipping again to 44% through the first three quarters of 2026.
The report was produced in partnership with The Rippel Foundation and followed birth cohorts as they aged. Among adults ages 34 to 46, the share rated as thriving is 46%, versus 64% when that cohort was in the 18-to-29 group in 2010.
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More background
Roughly two-thirds of the decline in young adults' thriving has happened since 2019.
Gallup linked the drop to worsening mental health and social well-being, including higher depression, weaker close relationships, less daily enjoyment, and a reduced sense of being active and productive.
Among the most disruptive trends are increasing depression and loneliness, especially among younger men, which can spill into everyday functioning, social ties, and longer-term stability.
The outlet added that those strains also overlap with weaker feelings about current living standards and the future, influencing how people work, plan ahead, and connect with others.
Beyond that, Gallup highlighted economic and civic stress. Housing costs have hit younger Americans especially hard, and worries about AI-driven job loss, along with a darker outlook on the job market, are concentrated among people under 45, especially college grads.
About half of 18- to 49-year-olds doubt Medicare and Social Security will still exist, while only 14% of adults 18 to 34 say they are "extremely proud" to be an American. That number is down 10% from 2025.
What can be done?
At the institutional level, the clearest pressure points are mental health, loneliness, housing costs, job insecurity tied to AI, and weakening trust in social and political systems.
Gallup's collaboration with The Rippel Foundation offers one example of an effort to measure these pressures in a more connected way.
By pairing life ratings with specific well-being indicators, the report shows declining mental health unfolding alongside reduced enjoyment, lower productivity, weaker relationships, and concerns about financial security.
Policymakers can address these concerns by regulating AI, changing housing policy, and improving affordability, among other moves.
Where can I learn more?
Several related trends help explain why well-being feels so fragile for many younger adults.
• Among Gen Z, fast fashion is worsening mental health alongside financial and social pressure.
• The American Psychiatric Association says climate anxiety is intensifying broader mental health strain across the U.S.
• Across Europe, WHO officials warn youth tobacco use is rising, threatening decades of health gains.
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