20%
2024 (latest)
NOT TOO HAPPY
percent of adults who say they are not too happy · 1972–2024 · lower is better · computed from NORC General Social Survey (cumulative file 1972–2024)
17%
1972
24%
high · 2021
8%
low · 1988
+3.9 pts
since 1972
┊ dashed lines mark 1979 Oil shock & inflation peak · 1987 Black Monday crash · 1991 Gulf War recession · 2001 Dot-com bust & 9/11 · 2008 Global financial crisis · 2020 COVID-19 pandemic
Method & caveats. Taken all together, how would you say things are these days — would you say that you are very happy, pretty happy, or not too happy? 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. Breaks: 2021 web-mode transition; ballot rotation gaps.
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 | Not Too Happy | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 20% | +0.1 pts |
| 2022 | 20% | −3.5 pts |
| 2021 | 24% | +11 pts |
| 2018 | 13% | −2.0 pts |
| 2016 | 15% | +2.4 pts |
| 2014 | 12% | −0.4 pts |
| 2012 | 13% | −1.7 pts |
| 2010 | 14% | +0.2 pts |
| 2008 | 14% | +2.3 pts |
| 2006 | 12% | −0.9 pts |
| 2004 | 13% | +1.4 pts |
| 2002 | 11% | +1.9 pts |
| 2000 | 10% | −1.7 pts |
| 1998 | 11% | +0.7 pts |
| 1996 | 11% | −1.2 pts |
| 1994 | 12% | +1.7 pts |
| 1993 | 10% | +0.5 pts |
| 1991 | 10% | +1.1 pts |
| 1990 | 8% | −1.3 pts |
| 1989 | 10% | +1.4 pts |
| 1988 | 8% | −3.0 pts |
| 1987 | 11% | +0.7 pts |
| 1986 | 11% | −0.3 pts |
| 1985 | 11% | −1.3 pts |
| 1984 | 12% | −0.7 pts |
| 1983 | 13% | +1.1 pts |
| 1982 | 12% | −1.0 pts |
| 1980 | 13% | +4.4 pts |
| 1978 | 8% | −2.4 pts |
| 1977 | 11% | −1.6 pts |
| 1976 | 12% | −1.0 pts |
| 1975 | 13% | +0.2 pts |
| 1974 | 13% | +0.9 pts |
| 1973 | 12% | −4.2 pts |
| 1972 | 17% | — |
Also in Happiness & Outlook