The report, based on responses from more than 20,000 adults surveyed in 2025, shows that just 25% of Americans believe the public’s role in the democratic process is working well, while 37% say it is working poorly.

Across 136 countries, nearly twice as many nations recorded gains in happiness as those that saw declines. But in the United States and similar countries, younger people are moving in the opposite direction, reporting lower life satisfaction than they did 15 years ago.