As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2026, a new survey suggests Americans are feeling significantly less proud of their country than they did just over a decade ago.
According to a survey conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), only 51% of Americans say they are "extremely" or "very" proud to be American, a steep decline from 82% who said the same in 2013.
The drop in national pride arrives at a symbolic moment. The United States will mark 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026. However, the survey suggests many Americans are approaching the milestone with skepticism rather than celebration.
Conducted between May 1 and May 18 among 5,469 adults nationwide, the study found deep partisan divides in how Americans view their country. Robert P. Jones, PRRI's founder and president, told Axios that Republicans, Democrats, and independents increasingly appear to be living in what amount to different versions of America, with sharply contrasting views of the nation's direction and identity.
Perhaps even more striking than the decline in patriotic sentiment is the lack of confidence in democratic institutions. Only 18% of Americans said they are extremely or very proud of the way democracy is currently functioning in the United States, according to the survey.
The findings align with several recent polls showing growing public pessimism about the country's future. A Reuters/Ipsos survey released this week found that about 38% of Americans do not believe the United States will still exist as a single, unified nation 250 years from now.
Two-thirds of respondents also said they believe American democracy is at risk of failing. Meanwhile, a separate poll found that many Americans continue to view core freedoms such as voting rights and free speech as central to the nation's identity, but fewer than they did a few years prior.
Younger Americans in particular are more likely than older generations to express doubts about the country's future and whether hard work still guarantees economic advancement. The latest PRRI findings also fit into a broader trend documented by Gallup.
In 2025, Gallup reported a record-low 58% of Americans saying they were extremely or very proud to be American, down from levels that exceeded 80% for much of the early 2000s. The decline has been driven largely by Democrats and independents, while Republican levels of national pride have remained comparatively high.
Generational differences are also playing a major role. Gallup's research has consistently found that younger Americans, particularly members of Generation Z, are substantially less likely to express great national pride than older Americans.
