Most Americans don’t think 2025 was a very good year, but expect the year ahead to be better, Rasmussen Reports found in their year-end survey.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that just five percent (6%) of American Adults rate 2025 one of the best years ever. Fourteen percent (14%) think it was an excellent year and 19% rate 2025 a good year. However, 38% of Americans give 2025 a poor rating. The 39% who rate 2025 at least a good year is slightly up from last year, when 36% said the same about 2024.
Looking ahead, 50% of Americans expect 2026 to be at least a good year, including 17% who expect it to be excellent and 11% who think it will be one of the best years ever. Twenty-five percent (25%) believe 2026 will be a poor year.
Satisfaction with the year past is highly correlated with optimism for the coming year. Among those who say 2025 was one of the best years ever, 85% expect 2026 to be at least a good year.
With Donald Trump in the White House, Republicans are significantly more likely to be happy about this past year. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of Republicans say 2025 was at least a good year, including 26% who rate it excellent and 13% who consider it one of the best years ever. By comparison, just 21% of Democrats rate 2025 at least a good year and 54% say it was a poor year. Among those not affiliated with either major party, 32% rate 2025 at least a good year and 42% give it a poor rating.
Similarly, 75% of Republicans believe 2026 will be at least a good year, compared to 33% of Democrats and 44% of the unaffiliated.
More men (43%) than women (35%) say 2025 was at least a good year, but their expectations for 2026 are about equal.
Americans in their 40s were most likely to rate 2025 a poor year, while those 65 and older are most likely to think 2026 will be one of the best years ever.
Thirty-nine percent (39%) of whites, 31% of blacks, 47% of Hispanics and 32% of other minorities say 2025 was at least a good year. Hispanics are most optimistic for 2026.
Forty-seven percent (47%) of married adults consider 2025 at least a good year, but just 32% of their unmarried peers agree.
Americans with annual incomes below $50,000 are more likely to rate 2025 a poor year. Those earning between $50,000 and $100,000 a year are most optimistic for the year ahead.
This past year was rated at least good by 42% of private sector workers, 38% of government employees, 50% of entrepreneurs and 41% of retirees.
Economic confidence increased to 108.9 in this month’s Rasmussen Reports Economic Index, more than 10 points higher than November. The December surge ends a four-month decline since the index hit a four-year high in July, but fewer give Trump good marks for his handling of the economy.
The survey of 1,234 American Adults was conducted on December 21-23, 2025 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology. To see survey question wording, click here.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that just five percent (6%) of American Adults rate 2025 one of the best years ever. Fourteen percent (14%) think it was an excellent year and 19% rate 2025 a good year. However, 38% of Americans give 2025 a poor rating. The 39% who rate 2025 at least a good year is slightly up from last year, when 36% said the same about 2024.
Looking ahead, 50% of Americans expect 2026 to be at least a good year, including 17% who expect it to be excellent and 11% who think it will be one of the best years ever. Twenty-five percent (25%) believe 2026 will be a poor year.
Satisfaction with the year past is highly correlated with optimism for the coming year. Among those who say 2025 was one of the best years ever, 85% expect 2026 to be at least a good year.
With Donald Trump in the White House, Republicans are significantly more likely to be happy about this past year. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of Republicans say 2025 was at least a good year, including 26% who rate it excellent and 13% who consider it one of the best years ever. By comparison, just 21% of Democrats rate 2025 at least a good year and 54% say it was a poor year. Among those not affiliated with either major party, 32% rate 2025 at least a good year and 42% give it a poor rating.
Similarly, 75% of Republicans believe 2026 will be at least a good year, compared to 33% of Democrats and 44% of the unaffiliated.
More men (43%) than women (35%) say 2025 was at least a good year, but their expectations for 2026 are about equal.
Americans in their 40s were most likely to rate 2025 a poor year, while those 65 and older are most likely to think 2026 will be one of the best years ever.
Thirty-nine percent (39%) of whites, 31% of blacks, 47% of Hispanics and 32% of other minorities say 2025 was at least a good year. Hispanics are most optimistic for 2026.
Forty-seven percent (47%) of married adults consider 2025 at least a good year, but just 32% of their unmarried peers agree.
Americans with annual incomes below $50,000 are more likely to rate 2025 a poor year. Those earning between $50,000 and $100,000 a year are most optimistic for the year ahead.
This past year was rated at least good by 42% of private sector workers, 38% of government employees, 50% of entrepreneurs and 41% of retirees.
Economic confidence increased to 108.9 in this month’s Rasmussen Reports Economic Index, more than 10 points higher than November. The December surge ends a four-month decline since the index hit a four-year high in July, but fewer give Trump good marks for his handling of the economy.
The survey of 1,234 American Adults was conducted on December 21-23, 2025 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology. To see survey question wording, click here.
