American pride has reached historic lows, according to recent polling data from Gallup.
A record-low 58% of U.S. adults say they are “extremely” (41%) or “very” (17%) proud to be an American, down nine percentage points from last year and five points below the prior low from 2020.
In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, Gallup reported that about 90% of Americans felt very or extremely proud of their nationality. This sentiment remained relatively stable for years but began to decline steadily in the 2010s, with a more rapid drop occurring over the past five years.
Gallup wrote in its report that “at the beginning of the 21st century, U.S. adults were nearly unanimous in saying they were extremely or very proud to be Americans. But that national unity has eroded over the past 25 years due to a combination of political and generational changes.”
The findings are from a June 2-19 Gallup poll conducted before the June 21 U.S. military strikes on Iran nuclear facilities. It is unknown whether Americans’ national pride has been affected by that action, Gallup said.
American pride dependent on political party
The decline in national pride appears to be deeply partisan.
“Democrats are mostly responsible for the drop in U.S. pride this year, with 36% saying they are extremely or very proud, down from 62% a year ago,” according to Gallup. In contrast, more than 90% of Republicans continue to express pride in being American, highlighting a significant gap between the parties.
The split between Democrats and Republicans, at 56 percentage points, is at its widest since 2001, according to the Associated Press. That includes the four years of President Donald Trump’s first term.
Younger generation less proud to be American
Age also plays a role in the shifting sentiment. Less than half of Generation Z adults report feeling proud of the country, whereas pride levels among Baby Boomers and older generations remain higher, ranging from 70% to 80%.
“Each generation is less patriotic than the prior generation, and Gen Z is definitely much lower than anybody else,” Jeffrey Jones, a senior editor at Gallup, told the Associated Press. “But even among the older generations, we see that they’re less patriotic than the ones before them, and they’ve become less patriotic over time. That’s primarily driven by Democrats within those generations.”
Flying the flag
In a related survey conducted by YouGov in 2022, about 60% of Americans expressed a “very positive” view of the U.S. flag. This sentiment is particularly strong among Republicans, white Americans and older adults. However, younger Americans, especially those under 30, and Black Americans are less likely to view the flag “very positively,” though a majority in both groups still hold a favorable view.
The YouGov poll also found that 54% of Americans have a flag at home, with 40% flying it daily and another 30% displaying it on holidays or special occasions.
Have a news tip? Contact Emma Withrow at ewithrow@sbgtv.com or at x.com/emma_withrow. Content from The National Desk is provided by Sinclair, the parent company of FOX45 News.
