54.5%
2024 (latest)
BETTER OFF THAN PARENTS
percent whose standard of living is better than their parents' at the same age · 1994–2024 · higher is better · NORC General Social Survey (cumulative file 1972–2024)
65.3%
1994
70.2%
high · 2004
54.5%
low · 2024
−11 pts
since 1994
┊ dashed lines mark 2001 Dot-com bust & 9/11 · 2008 Global financial crisis · 2020 COVID-19 pandemic
Method & caveats. Compared to your parents when they were the age you are now, do you think your own standard of living now is much better, somewhat better, about the same, somewhat worse, or much worse than theirs was? NORC General Social Survey cumulative file, computed here from the public microdata: weighted (WTSSPS, NORC's post-stratification weight available for every year 1972–2024) share of valid responses. 2021 moved to a push-to-web design during the pandemic and 2022/2024 are mixed-mode; NORC advises caution comparing 2021+ with the in-person years, so treat 2021 as a seam. Years with fewer than 200 weighted responses are dropped.
Sources
Every value on this page is read from the publisher below. Current and historical source documents:
- https://gss.norc.org/get-the-data/stata.html
- https://gss.norc.org/content/dam/gss/get-the-data/documents/stata/GSS_stata.zip
- https://github.com/danielmiessler/substrate/tree/main/Data/US-Societal-Health
Data
| Year | Better Off Than Parents | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 54.5% | −6.6 pts |
| 2022 | 61.1% | +3.4 pts |
| 2021 | 57.7% | −5.1 pts |
| 2018 | 62.8% | +3.3 pts |
| 2016 | 59.5% | −2.0 pts |
| 2014 | 61.5% | −0.5 pts |
| 2012 | 62% | +2.1 pts |
| 2010 | 59.9% | −2.9 pts |
| 2008 | 62.8% | −4.2 pts |
| 2006 | 67% | −3.2 pts |
| 2004 | 70.2% | +1.7 pts |
| 2002 | 68.5% | +0.2 pts |
| 2000 | 68.3% | +2.1 pts |
| 1998 | 66.2% | +2.6 pts |
| 1996 | 63.6% | −1.7 pts |
| 1994 | 65.3% | — |
Also in Happiness & Outlook