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How often do Americans feel lonely, optimistic?


To better understand Americans’ well-being, we asked American adults how often they feel lonely or isolated from those around them and how often they feel optimistic about their lives.

The chart shows that adults under 50 feel lonely more often than older people

How often do Americans feel lonely?

There are differences between demographic groups in the proportions who say they feel lonely or isolated all or most of the time. The following groups are among those most likely to say they often feel this way:

The chart shows that married adults, those with at least a bachelor's degree, and those with higher incomes are among the most optimistic
  • Adults under 50 years of age
  • Adults with some college or lower education
  • Lower-income Americans
  • Adults who do not have a partner or live with a partner to whom they are not married

There is no significant difference between the proportion of men and women who say they often feel lonely or isolated. This applies to all age groups.

How often do Americans feel optimistic?

Most adults (58%) say they are optimistic about their lives all or most of the time, while 32% say they feel that way sometimes. One in ten say they rarely or never feel optimistic.

As with feelings of loneliness, the proportion who say they often feel optimistic varies by age, education, income and marital status. For the most part, the patterns are the opposite of what we see with loneliness.

These groups are among those most likely to say they feel optimistic all or most of the time:

  • Adults 50 years and older
  • Adults with completed or higher education
  • Adults with higher incomes
  • Married adults



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