Young adulthood is often described as a season of possibility. It’s when people begin careers, establish independence, build relationships and make decisions that can shape the next several decades of their lives.
But a new national study suggests that many young Americans aren’t experiencing this stage of life with the optimism previous generations once reported.
According to new Gallup research published October 4, 2026, just 44% of Americans ages 18 to 29 are classified as thriving, compared with 64% in 2010.
That’s a decline of 20 percentage points in 16 years.
The findings are especially striking because young adults were once among the Americans most likely to report positive assessments of their lives. Today, they have the lowest thriving rate of any age group Gallup measured.
The research points toward a combination of pressures, including rising depression rates, weakening personal relationships, declining enjoyment, financial uncertainty and concerns about the future.
For parents watching their children enter adulthood, the findings may help explain something that can otherwise be difficult to understand: why a generation with access to extraordinary technology, education and opportunities can still feel uncertain about whether life is going well.
What Does Gallup Mean When It Says Someone Is Thriving?
The word thriving can sound subjective, but Gallup uses a specific measurement.
Through its Life Evaluation Index, Gallup asks people to imagine a ladder numbered from zero to 10. The bottom represents the worst possible life, while the top represents the best possible life.
Respondents rate both their current lives and where they expect their lives to be five years from now.
To qualify as thriving, someone must rate their current life at least seven out of 10 and their expected life five years in the future at least eight out of 10.
People who don’t meet those thresholds are classified as struggling or suffering, depending on their responses.
This distinction matters because Gallup isn’t simply asking whether young adults feel happy on a particular day.
The measurement combines how people evaluate their present circumstances with how hopeful they feel about their future.
A person may be relatively satisfied with life today but uncertain about what comes next. Another may be facing significant challenges now but remain optimistic about improvement.
Both perspectives influence whether that person meets Gallup’s definition of thriving.
And the new findings suggest that fewer young adults feel positive enough about both their present and future to qualify.
The Decline Didn’t Happen All at Once
Gallup has tracked life evaluations for years, making it possible to examine how young adults’ responses have changed over time.
In 2010, 64% of Americans ages 18 to 29 were thriving.
By 2019, the figure had fallen to 57%.
Then came the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, the thriving rate among young adults dropped sharply to 39%.
The number recovered somewhat in the following years, reaching 51% in 2023.
But that improvement didn’t last.
The rate fell to 47% in 2024 and 44% in 2025. Through the first three quarters of 2026, it remained at 44%.
These changes reveal something important about the current situation.
The decline began before the pandemic, accelerated dramatically during it, and has not returned to earlier levels.
Gallup notes that approximately two-thirds of the drop from the 2010 peak has occurred since 2019.
That suggests the difficulties facing young adults cannot be explained by one event alone, even though the pandemic appears to have been a major turning point.
Depression Has Become a Much Larger Part of the Picture
One of the most concerning findings involves depression.
Gallup reports that 27% of adults ages 18 to 29 say they currently have depression or are being treated for it, an increase of 11 percentage points since 2019.
The finding does not mean that 27% received a new diagnosis this year. It reflects respondents’ reports of having or being treated for depression at the time of the survey.
Still, the increase is substantial.
Depression can affect sleep, concentration, motivation, relationships and the ability to enjoy activities that once felt meaningful.
For someone trying to establish a career, complete an education or build financial independence, those challenges can affect several parts of life simultaneously.
The relationship between depression and life satisfaction is also complicated.
Depression can make daily life more difficult, while financial stress, isolation and other hardships can contribute to emotional distress.
Gallup’s research identifies depression as one of the factors closely associated with declining wellbeing, but the survey cannot establish a single cause for every young adult’s experience.
For families, the finding is a reminder that emotional wellbeing deserves attention alongside educational and financial success.
A young adult can appear to be meeting important milestones while privately struggling.
Young Adults Are Reporting Weaker Personal Relationships
Another striking finding concerns the quality of close relationships.
In 2019, approximately 65% of young adults agreed that their relationship with a spouse, partner or closest friend was stronger than ever.
By 2026, that figure had fallen to 47%.
That’s an 18-percentage-point decline.
The question doesn’t measure how many friends someone has or how frequently they communicate.
It measures how respondents feel about the strength of an important personal relationship.
That distinction matters in a world where staying digitally connected is easier than ever.
Young adults can exchange messages throughout the day, participate in online communities and maintain contact with people across the country.
But frequent communication doesn’t necessarily mean someone feels supported, understood or emotionally close to another person.
The Gallup finding suggests that the quality of important relationships may be a significant part of the broader decline in life evaluations.
It also raises questions about how young adults build and maintain meaningful connections during a period when work, housing, education and geographic mobility can make relationships more complicated.
Even Everyday Enjoyment Has Declined
One of the simplest questions in Gallup’s research asks whether respondents experienced enjoyment the previous day.
Among adults ages 18 to 29, the percentage answering yes has fallen by 17 points since 2019.
In 2026, only 64% reported experiencing enjoyment the day before.
That may sound like an ordinary measurement, but it captures something different from long-term goals or financial expectations.
It asks whether everyday life contains moments that feel positive.
A person might have a promising career but rarely feel able to relax.
Someone may be making progress toward financial independence while feeling constantly overwhelmed.
Another may be surrounded by entertainment and digital distractions without experiencing much genuine enjoyment.
The survey doesn’t explain the specific reasons behind every response.
But when declining enjoyment appears alongside rising depression and weaker relationships, it suggests that the problem isn’t limited to uncertainty about the distant future.
For many young adults, the present may also feel less rewarding.
Only 28% Say They Feel Active and Productive Every Day
The study also examined how young adults feel about their daily activities.
Only 28% of respondents ages 18 to 29 agreed that they had felt active and productive every day during the previous week.
That represents a 16-percentage-point decline since 2019.
Productivity in this context isn’t simply about employment.
It reflects a person’s sense of being engaged and effective in everyday life.
A college student may feel productive when making progress toward graduation.
A parent may feel productive when managing family responsibilities.
An employee may feel productive when accomplishing meaningful work.
But when people repeatedly feel that they aren’t making progress, their overall assessment of life may suffer.
The finding is especially relevant because young adulthood is often filled with expectations about achievement.
Graduate.
Find a good job.
Become financially independent.
Build relationships.
Save money.
Establish a home.
When those milestones feel increasingly difficult to reach, even a busy schedule may not create a sense of progress.
Financial Pressure May Be Changing How Young Adults See the Future
Gallup identifies economic concerns as another possible contributor to declining wellbeing.
Housing affordability has become a significant challenge for many younger Americans.
The cost of renting or purchasing a home can affect decisions about where to live, whether to move for work, when to marry and whether to have children.
Job-market uncertainty adds another layer.
Gallup notes that younger workers are particularly concerned about the possibility of artificial intelligence affecting employment opportunities.
The research also points to pessimism about the availability of good jobs, including among college graduates.
These pressures may make traditional milestones feel less attainable.
A young adult can work full time and still struggle to afford independent housing.
Someone may complete a degree and find that the available jobs don’t provide the stability they expected.
Another may delay major decisions because the future feels too uncertain.
The Gallup study does not prove that housing costs or artificial intelligence caused the entire decline in thriving.
But it identifies these economic pressures as important parts of the environment in which young adults are evaluating their lives.
Only 41% Are Satisfied With Their Standard of Living Compared With Others
The study also measured how young adults evaluate their living standards relative to the people around them.
In 2026, just 41% agreed that they were satisfied with their standard of living compared with others they spend time with.
That represents a 14-point decline since 2019.
The question is particularly relevant in a culture where people regularly encounter images of other people’s homes, vacations, careers and accomplishments.
Social media can make those comparisons more visible, although Gallup’s report does not establish that social media caused this particular decline.
The broader issue is that financial wellbeing isn’t always experienced through income alone.
People also evaluate whether they’re making progress, whether they can afford the lifestyle they expected and how their circumstances compare with those of their peers.
A young adult who earns more than they did several years ago may still feel financially behind if housing, insurance, transportation and other expenses have increased.
That sense of falling behind can affect optimism even when someone is working hard.
Young Adults Are Also Less Likely to Feel They’re Reaching Their Goals
Only 31% of young adults agreed that they had reached most of their goals during the previous 12 months.
That figure has declined 13 percentage points since 2019.
For a generation often encouraged to pursue ambitious educational, professional and personal goals, the finding is notable.
Goals provide direction, but repeated setbacks can make progress difficult to recognize.
Someone may be trying to save for a home while rent consumes much of their income.
Another may be searching for a stable job after completing college.
A young parent may be working toward financial security while managing childcare expenses.
These examples are possible ways that broader pressures can affect personal goals; Gallup did not establish that every respondent faced these specific circumstances.
The important finding is that fewer young adults feel they are accomplishing what they set out to do.
That experience may contribute to a broader sense that adulthood isn’t unfolding as expected.
The Generation Entering Its 30s and 40s Is Struggling Too
The decline isn’t limited to people younger than 30.
Gallup found that 45% of Americans ages 30 to 44 are thriving in 2026.
That’s down from a peak of 62% in 2016 and 2017.
Adults ages 45 to 64 have also experienced declining life evaluations, with 46% thriving in 2026.
That matches the group’s low point from 2008.
These findings suggest that the pressures affecting wellbeing extend across much of the working-age population.
But the study includes an especially revealing comparison.
Gallup examined the same birth cohort over time.
People who were ages 18 to 29 in 2010 are now approximately 34 to 46 years old.
When they were young adults, 64% were thriving.
In 2026, only 46% of that same birth cohort are thriving.
That means the decline isn’t simply explained by a different generation replacing an earlier one in the youngest age category.
The people who were thriving at higher rates in 2010 have also experienced declining life evaluations as they’ve aged.
The survey follows the birth cohort, not necessarily the same individual respondents over all 16 years, so it shouldn’t be interpreted as a person-by-person tracking study.
Nevertheless, the pattern suggests that broader changes in American life may be affecting multiple generations.
Older Americans Are Moving in the Opposite Direction
Perhaps the most surprising comparison involves Americans ages 65 and older.
While younger age groups have experienced declining thriving rates, older adults have generally reported improving life evaluations.
In 2008, only 38% of Americans ages 65 and older were thriving.
By 2026, that figure had reached 53%, matching the group’s previous record high.
Older Americans now have the highest thriving rate of any age group measured.
Gallup suggests that greater financial security may be part of the explanation.
Among adults 65 and older, 59% agreed that they had enough money to do everything they wanted.
The percentage who reported not worrying about money during the previous week rose to 67%.
Food insecurity among this age group also declined substantially.
These findings don’t mean every older American is financially comfortable or that retirement eliminates stress.
Many seniors still face serious challenges involving healthcare, housing and fixed incomes.
But the overall pattern suggests that financial stability and a stronger sense of security may help explain why older adults are evaluating their lives more positively than younger generations.
What Parents May Be Missing When They Look at Their Adult Children’s Lives
For parents of teenagers and young adults, the research may help explain why the transition into adulthood looks different from what they remember.
Parents may see their children earning degrees, starting jobs and gaining independence.
From the outside, those accomplishments can appear to indicate that life is going well.
But Gallup’s measurement includes something less visible: how young adults feel about their lives and their futures.
A young person may be employed but uncertain about job security.
They may have friends but feel that their closest relationships aren’t as strong as they once were.
They may be achieving some goals while feeling disappointed about others.
That doesn’t mean parents should assume every young adult is unhappy.
After all, 44% still meet Gallup’s definition of thriving.
It does mean that visible accomplishments may not tell the entire story.
Parents can benefit from asking questions that go beyond school, employment and finances.
How are you feeling about where life is headed?
Do you feel supported by the people around you?
Are you finding time for things you enjoy?
What has been especially difficult lately?
Those conversations may reveal concerns that wouldn’t emerge from a simple question about work or classes.
Families Can Offer Support Without Trying to Control Every Decision
Young adulthood is a period when independence matters.
Parents may want to help, but adult children often need room to make decisions, solve problems and establish their own identities.
The challenge is finding ways to remain supportive without taking over.
That may involve listening before offering advice.
It could mean acknowledging that financial and professional conditions have changed since the parents were the same age.
It may involve offering practical assistance when appropriate while respecting the young adult’s autonomy.
For some families, support may include helping an adult child evaluate housing options or understand financial decisions.
For others, it may simply mean maintaining regular contact and creating a relationship where difficult subjects can be discussed openly.
There isn’t one approach that fits every family.
But the Gallup findings suggest that close relationships, encouragement and a sense of progress are relevant parts of young adults’ wellbeing.
Those are areas where family relationships can potentially make a meaningful difference.
Community Leaders and Employers Have a Role Too
The research also suggests that improving young adults’ wellbeing cannot rest entirely on individuals or their families.
Only 33% of young adults agreed that they had a leader in their lives who made them enthusiastic about the future.
That represents a 14-point decline since 2019.
Leadership can take many forms.
It may come from a supervisor, teacher, mentor, coach, community leader or another trusted adult.
For young people navigating uncertainty, access to credible encouragement and guidance can be valuable.
Employers can examine whether younger workers have opportunities for development and clear expectations.
Educational institutions can help students understand realistic career pathways.
Community organizations can create opportunities for connection and participation.
The Gallup and Rippel Foundation’s broader research initiative emphasizes the importance of community-level efforts to understand and improve wellbeing.
The goal isn’t simply to tell young adults to become more optimistic.
It’s to consider the conditions that make optimism and progress more realistic.
The Numbers Are Concerning, but They Don’t Mean Young Adulthood Is Hopeless
One important caution is that Gallup’s definition of thriving is deliberately demanding.
A respondent must give relatively high ratings to both present life and expected future life.
Someone who falls below that threshold isn’t necessarily miserable or unable to function.
The categories describe life evaluations, not a medical diagnosis.
The 2026 findings also represent the first three quarters of the year, based on surveys conducted in February, May and August.
Gallup collected responses from 15,156 U.S. adults across all age groups through its probability-based Gallup Panel.
The results provide a substantial national perspective, but they don’t explain every individual’s circumstances.
Nor do they establish that one particular factor is responsible for the decline.
The study identifies patterns and associations that can guide further research and discussion.
Those distinctions matter because the findings should encourage understanding rather than reinforce the idea that an entire generation is failing.
What the Study Reveals About the Changing Experience of Adulthood
The traditional picture of young adulthood often includes a sense of forward movement.
Education leads to employment.
Employment leads to independence.
Independence creates opportunities for housing, relationships and family life.
But those transitions don’t happen on the same timeline for everyone.
And when economic uncertainty, emotional distress and weaker social connections appear together, the future can feel less predictable.
Gallup’s findings suggest that young Americans are experiencing those pressures in ways that affect both their satisfaction with life today and their expectations for tomorrow.
The decline from 64% thriving in 2010 to 44% in 2026 is not simply a measure of whether young adults are happy.
It reflects a broader change in how they evaluate their lives.
And because similar declines appear among adults in their 30s and early 40s, the issue extends beyond one narrow age group.
A Generation’s Wellbeing Is About More Than Individual Success
The most important takeaway from Gallup’s research may be that wellbeing cannot be reduced to one achievement.
A degree doesn’t automatically produce financial security.
A job doesn’t guarantee a sense of purpose.
A large social network doesn’t necessarily create close relationships.
And reaching adulthood doesn’t mean someone immediately feels confident about the future.
Young people need opportunities to build stable lives, develop meaningful relationships, access appropriate mental health support and see realistic paths toward their goals.
Families, employers, schools and communities can all contribute to those conditions.
The Gallup findings don’t provide a single solution.
But they do challenge the assumption that young adults are struggling simply because they have unrealistic expectations or aren’t working hard enough.
The research points to a more complicated picture involving mental health, relationships, financial pressures and diminished optimism.
And for parents wondering why their adult children sometimes seem less hopeful about the future than they did at the same age, the numbers offer an important perspective.
Young adulthood has changed.
The expectations remain high, but many of the conditions surrounding those expectations have become more difficult.
Understanding that difference may be an important first step toward helping more young Americans feel that their lives are moving in a positive direction.
Original research: Gallup, “Life Ratings of Young Adults Down 20 Points Since 2010,” October 4, 2026, by Dan Witters.
Additional research: Gallup and The Rippel Foundation, “Thriving Together in America”.
The 2026 results reflect surveys conducted through August, not a completed full calendar year. The findings describe reported life evaluations and associated factors; they do not establish that any single factor caused the decline.