Pessimism about the future is spreading across the United States. The number of Americans who expect to lead a "high-quality life" over the next five years has fallen to its lowest level in nearly 20 years, according to a new survey released by Gallup.

Roughly six in 10 respondents said they believe their lives will be significantly better in the years ahead—a drop of nine percentage points from the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall optimism fell 3.5 points since 2024, with the steepest decline recorded among Hispanic adults, whose positive outlook slipped from 69 percent to 63 percent.

Gallup, which polled more than 22,000 individuals throughout 2025, attributes the downturn in both current and future life evaluations to lingering effects of the pandemic, persistent affordability issues, and a climate of political and global uncertainty.

The research center also noted that the gap in optimism reflects widening partisan divisions. While optimism among Democrats fell sharply over the period, Republican respondents registered a slight increase in their expectations for the future.