Updated: 
May 12, 2023
Updates monthly

Tracking the Emotional State of Americans

More than 3 in 5 Americans report feeling positive emotions
This chart shows the combined average share of adults who say they feel positive emotions (happy, energized, content and optimistic) and negative emotions (angry, anxious, tired, sad and scared).

On a monthly basis, Morning Consult asks a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults whether they are happy, angry, tired, optimistic, scared and a range of other emotions. This dataset provides real-time insight into the shifting mood of the country, including breakdowns by age, gender, class and politics. The latest results have a margin of error of +/-2 percentage points and are based on a survey conducted May 4-7, 2023, among 2,202 U.S. adults.

The Share of Adults Feeling Energized Matches Tracking High

Share of U.S. adults who said the following describes their personal mood either “very well” or “somewhat well”:

Gen Z Adults Are Least Likely to Report Feeling Optimistic

Shares of respondents who said the following describes their personal mood “very well” or “somewhat well”:

Baby Boomers Are Least Likely to Report Feeling Sad, Anxious

Shares of respondents who said the following describes their personal mood “very well” or “somewhat well”:

Methodology

This tracker is based on a monthly survey that measures the emotions of U.S. adults, providing real-time insight into the country’s shifting mood. The survey also asks adults to gauge their optimism about the future — theirs, the country’s and the world’s. The latest survey was conducted May 4-7, 2023, among a representative sample of 2,202 U.S. adults, with an unweighted margin of error of +/-2 percentage points.

In February 2023, Morning Consult changed the survey frequency of our Emotions Tracker to a monthly cadence. To request weekly data from Oct. 18, 2020, to Feb. 4, 2023, please reach out to [email protected].

As of Oct. 28, 2022, the first chart has been updated using Morning Consult’s archives, which resulted in minor rounding discrepancies related to historical data produced before April 3, 2022.

About Morning Consult

Morning Consult is a global decision intelligence company changing how modern leaders make smarter, faster, better decisions. The company pairs its proprietary high-frequency data with applied artificial intelligence to better inform decisions on what people think and how they will act. Learn more at morningconsult.com.

Special thanks to Sarah Green and Peyton Shelburne for their assistance with this project.

Email [email protected] to speak with a member of the Morning Consult team.

Justine Coleman
Digital Producer

Justine Coleman is a digital producer at Morning Consult.