The stress and loneliness of an increasingly divided society has left many Americans wondering if the grass is greener elsewhere. (Credit: Kosoff on Shutterstock)
3 In 4 Admit They’re More Stressed About Nation’s Future Than Before
In A Nutshell
- 63% of young adults (ages 18-34) and 53% of parents have considered leaving the U.S. due to the state of the nation
- Half of all adults report signs of loneliness, while 69% say they needed more emotional support this year than they received
- AI anxiety nearly doubled among students (78%, up from 45%) and surged across all age groups in just one year
- 75% of Americans are more stressed about the country’s future than before, with political division tied to isolation, physical symptoms, and daily struggles
Most young Americans have considered leaving the country. Data from the American Psychological Association shows that 63% of adults ages 18 to 34 have considered relocating abroad this year because of the state of the nation. Among parents, more than half (53%) have had the same thought.
These aren’t knee-jerk reactions to a single news cycle or election outcome. The numbers come from the APA’s Stress in America 2025 survey, fielded Aug. 4–24, 2025, among more than 3,000 adults across the country, nearly a year after the 2024 election. While personal stress levels hover around 5 on a 1–10 scale on average, collective anxiety about the nation’s direction has reached a troubling high. Seventy-five percent of adults now say they’re more stressed about the country’s future than they used to be.
Political tensions show no signs of letting up. Seventy-six percent of adults call the future of the nation a significant source of stress, a number that has held steady since before the 2024 election, when it stood at 77%. The persistence of this anxiety, regardless of which party controls the White House or Congress, suggests Americans are grappling with something deeper than partisan politics.
Freedom, Corruption, and Fear: How Americans Describe Their Country
When asked to choose words that best represent America today, survey respondents revealed a country wrestling with its own identity. “Freedom” topped the list at 41%, but “corruption” came in close behind at 38%. “Opportunity” hit 37%, while “division” landed at 36%. Hope and fear nearly tied at 35% and 32%.
Beyond abstract concerns, societal division is hitting home in personal ways. Sixty-two percent of Americans call it a significant stressor in their lives, and that stress is associated with deeper feelings of isolation. Among adults who cited division as a major source of stress, 61% reported feeling isolated from others. Compare that to just 43% among those not stressed by division. Similar gaps showed up for feeling left out (57% versus 39%) and lacking companionship (54% versus 44%).
A Growing Crisis of Connection
Feelings of isolation aren’t limited to those stressed by political division. Across the board, roughly half of all American adults report signs of loneliness. Fifty-four percent said they’ve felt isolated from others, 50% have felt left out, and 50% said they lack companionship, at least some of the time.
Perhaps more troubling, 69% of adults said they needed more emotional support over the past year than they actually received. That number is up from 65% in 2024, pointing to a widening gap between what people need and what they’re getting. Among those stressed by societal division, the unmet need for support climbs even higher, to 75%.
Adults experiencing high levels of loneliness were more likely to report living with chronic health conditions. Eighty percent of this group said they have a chronic illness, compared to 66% of those with moderate loneliness and 68% with low loneliness. Depression, anxiety disorders, and chronic pain were particularly common among those with high loneliness.
When Political Stress Shows Up in the Body
Anxiety about national division doesn’t stay abstract for long. Among people who report significant stress over societal division, 83% experienced at least one physical symptom of stress in the past month. For those not stressed by division, that number drops to 66%. The most common complaints included feeling nervous or anxious, fatigue, and headaches.
Stress over division also showed up in daily behavior. Adults in this group were more likely to have lost patience or yelled at family members (60% versus 49%), canceled social plans (55% versus 37%), and found it hard to plan ahead (53% versus 37%).
Americans seem caught between competing views of progress. While 66% say they have more opportunities than previous generations, 64% believe their generation has made sacrifices others didn’t have to make.
Technology Anxiety Spikes, Especially Around AI
As Americans grapple with political and social stress, technology is adding a new layer of concern. Anxiety about artificial intelligence has surged dramatically in just one year. Fifty-seven percent of adults now cite the rise of AI as a significant source of stress, up from 49% in 2024.
Students have been hit particularly hard by AI-related worry. Seventy-eight percent reported stress about AI, nearly double the 45% from last year. Young adults ages 18 to 34 saw their anxiety jump from 52% to 65%. Parents are concerned too, with stress levels rising across age groups: 70% of parents with children ages 5 to 7 (up from 49%), 65% with kids ages 8 to 12 (up from 53%), and 62% with teenagers ages 13 to 17 (up from 53%).
The spread of inaccurate or misleading information is another growing concern. Sixty-nine percent of adults called misinformation a significant stressor, up from 62% the previous year.
Other major sources of stress remain steady. Seventy-five percent cited the economy, 66% pointed to money concerns, and 65% mentioned U.S. politics, housing costs, and mass shootings.
Where Americans Still Find Meaning
Despite widespread worry about national politics, most people maintain a sense of control over their personal lives. Seventy-seven percent say they have a great deal or at least some control over their own futures. Seventy-four percent believe their personal dreams and goals are still within reach. An even larger majority, 84%, say they can create a good life for themselves, even if it looks different from what previous generations experienced.
But obstacles are real. Eighty-five percent of adults cited barriers standing in the way of their dreams and goals, and 26% aren’t sure they’ll achieve what they hope for or don’t think it’s possible at all. For those who feel their dreams slipping away, the emotional toll is steep. Eighty-nine percent said their mental health was a significant source of stress.
When asked what makes life feel meaningful, relationships dominated. Ninety-two percent of adults pointed to connections with others as a source of purpose. Family topped the specific categories at 77%, followed by friendships at 62%, romantic relationships at 47%, and pets at 39%. Health and well-being came in at 59%.
Work tells a different story. While 69% of employed adults call their jobs a significant source of stress, marking the highest level since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020, only 46% say work gives their life meaning. That gap between stress and fulfillment raises questions about how Americans balance productivity with purpose in an era where hustle culture remains dominant.
Looking ahead, financial stability topped the list of personal goals at 64%, followed by maintaining or improving health at 60%. Spending time with family and friends came in at 53%.
Despite anxiety about the nation’s trajectory, 65% of adults say they feel personally responsible for helping shape the country’s future. Parents feel this responsibility even more acutely, with 72% saying they have a duty to contribute to national direction, compared to 61% of non-parents. Seventy-three percent of all adults believe they can help steer the country toward something better.
The survey captures Americans navigating multiple crises at once: political division, social isolation, technological disruption, and economic uncertainty. Half of adults report feeling lonely or left out. More than two-thirds say they need more emotional support than they’re getting. Young people are stressed about AI at nearly double last year’s rate. And three-quarters are more worried about the country’s future than before, with many young adults and parents seriously weighing whether to leave.
Yet resilience persists. Most people still believe they can build meaningful lives, maintain control over their futures, and contribute to positive change. Whether that optimism can hold in the face of compounding pressures remains one of the most important questions facing American society.
Methodology
Survey Design and Sample
The 2025 Stress in America survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of the American Psychological Association between August 4 and 24, 2025. The survey included 3,199 adults ages 18 and older living in the United States. The sample was designed to be nationally representative and included oversamples of specific racial and ethnic groups to allow for subgroup analysis: 800 Black adults, 809 Latino/a/e or Latinx adults, and 800 Asian adults. For Latino respondents, interviews were conducted in English or Spanish based on preference.
Weighting and Adjustments
Data were weighted to reflect population proportions based on the March 2024 Current Population Survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, as well as data from PEW research studies on internet use, political affiliation, and language use. Weighting variables included age by gender, race and ethnicity, education, region, household income, frequency of internet use, and political party affiliation. Latino/a/e or Latinx adults were additionally weighted for acculturation, taking into account household language and ability to read and speak English and Spanish. Country of origin (U.S. or non-U.S.) was also included for Latino/a/e or Latinx and Asian subgroups.
Sampling Precision
Respondents were selected from among individuals who have agreed to participate in Harris surveys. The sampling precision is measured using a Bayesian credible interval. For the full national sample, data is accurate to within plus or minus 2.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. For racial and ethnic subsamples, the credible intervals are wider: plus or minus 4.9 percentage points for the Black sample, plus or minus 5.2 percentage points for the Latino/a/e or Latinx sample, and plus or minus 5.1 percentage points for the Asian sample.
Limitations
As with all surveys, this study is subject to multiple sources of error that cannot be fully quantified, including coverage error, nonresponse error, question wording and response option effects, and post-survey weighting adjustments. The survey also used the UCLA Three-Item Loneliness Scale to measure loneliness levels, assigning numerical values to responses about feeling isolated, left out, or lacking companionship, then grouping respondents into high, moderate, or low loneliness categories.
Publication Details
American Psychological Association. (2025). “Stress in America 2025: A Crisis of Connection.”
They should. Every high school in America should make all juniors do a week long volunteer trip to a destitute area of the US, and then senior year they should make them take one abroad. Every one of those who leaves will see how unique and special America is. If you think we’re all awful racists and bigots and idiots, wait till you see what the rest of the world has to offer
The pity party is over. Put your phone down, get a job, find real flesh-and-blood friends, enter a relationship, and contribute something to society. You are not the center of existence, you’re not even a flea on it’s butt.
Awesome. Get the riff raff out so we can start again.
I’ll pay airfare for a family of 4… Must pick a socialist country to move to… You can’t return…
Very few socialist countries in the world these days. Most countries practice some form of capitalism, even China.
My name is Carl L. McWilliams and I am a self-employed sociologist and I am very impressed with your survey. If you are interested here is one of my research papers on the Fourth Wave economic transformation now impacting GEN-Z. It is a work in progress and the model is anchored in the GEN-Z’s disconnecting from the US Dollar as the “only currency of final settlement”. https://docs.google.com/document/d/12ZxKuE_k5zOat-jnSfq8M60VF6AMYGfF7_Z_sSB5v6o/edit?usp=sharing
I lived 30 years outside the U.S. married to a FN. These kids think running is the answer. It’s just leaving one set of problems for another. With all the issues we face in the U.S. , they’ll find the pampered lifestyle they expect won’t be had somewhere else. It may be the kick in the butt needed to learn appreciation for what they have.
Americans are the only ones that think Americans have it good. People can’t afford health care, most only get 2 weeks vacation a year, guns are the number one cause of death amongst children, drug use is rampant and America’s demand for drugs is destroying Mexico, the Caribbean and a lot of South America. All of Europe is superior to the US, just ask those of us who moved here 30 years ago.
What country is FN?
What a ridiculous statement. The population between 20 and 34 is about 67 million people – are you suggesting that over 40 million of them are considering leaving the USA?? The US Dept of State estimates that about 8 million (of all ages) Americans live overseas….and now it’s going to multiply by 5X??? The vast majority have no financial means to live abroad, and certainly not the skill to find a good paying job in another country (only so many countries speak English as their native language). To even say that 40 million have “thought” of moving abroad is ridiculous. Consider that you didn’t actually any caucasian young adults, means you can’t skip that part in your title. What kind of research are you doing? It’s laughable.
I’m an immigrant. There’s a reason people come here more than any other country. Most people who say they want to leave have never been anywhere else. Most who leave come back. This “study” is click bait nonsense.
So what’s the holdup? Get going, we’re full enough as it is.
You don’t need to worry about being full for long. Health care costs that put health care out of reach for millions, antivaxers who will die off or at least their kids will, abortion bans that have seriously increased the number of mothers deaths, drugs that are unaffordable, guns everywhere and RFK spouting off on all kinds of subjects he knows nothing about is the recipe for reducing the population by 25% or so. As a European I’m loving this. It’s a good approach to getting rid of the dumbest.
Lack of religion in young people is the cause of their deep despair. In particular the Christian faith gives you tangible rason for hope even when you are going trough a terrible tine.
Not just young people, a lot of those of us nearing retirement are looking to leave this nut house too
GTFO if you aren’t happy.
Did already and it’s great.
2/3 of the people in that poll are idiots.
We Americans have become wimps and now everybody needs an emotional support dog and an emotional support person or they can’t cope. I say if you’re that weak, leave the country…..
I lived 23 years our the usa.
I might find this concerning it they were actively doing visa research or starting to learn a foreign language. Until then it’s an idle thought and carries little to no real weight.
Exactly. I have 16 years outside the US. They have no idea what it means to actually do it.
I think moving to another country will teach them a valuable lesson and help them to grow up and face the ups and downs of life. Sometimes you have to learn maturity. Life is not always perfect, I learned years ago.
The survey pandered to a select group that is never satisfied with anything so of course they all want to leave the country. So give them all free U-Hauls and let them leave.
Do you mean another country like Sweden, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland which have the highest-ranked mental health systems AND the world’s happiest people? Where they invest in a social safety net while ours is being torn to shreds to underwrite the lifestyles of the rich and famous? Yeah, sure.
Amen, though I more concerned about crime, political dysfunction, incivility, and the potential for violence. I would add Switzerland and Denmark to this list, both pro business, highly entrepreneurial , and highly functional democracies. Unfortunately, also nearly impossible to gain citizenship or even residency.
i will help them pack
Ha! Me too!!
Let them all leave it would make america great again with all these losers gone
We left the USA many years ago for Latin America. I can assure anyone that leaving the USA WILL NOT result in lowering your daily stress over the short or long term. Stress is everywhere and no matter where you live on Planet Earth you will find life in 2025 very stressful….and even moreso in the coming future. Grin & Bear It.
James P. Wesberry, Jr, Quito, Ecuador
[email protected]
And most of them voted for Trump.
Those wanting to leave are Biden voters who are living in their parents basements and who are mad that orange man destroyed Harris. Now they want to take their toys and run away to Europe and South America. I say go and good riddance.
I am pretty sure that all lazy young adults voted for a Democrat….. for the handouts. I do agree that we should help those in need, but free handouts is counter productive.
Are you really that ignorant?
Of course the liberal media’s hourly drumbeat of doom and despair on all matters has zero to do with this, right?
What exactly did you expect when 90 % of the news is fixated on Orange Man Bad.
What did you expect for a president that has quadrupled down on his scorched earth style of leadership? I remember learning the drawbacks of scorched earth politics in 6th grade over 30 years ago in a podunk school in a town of 900 in rural mid-Missouri.
Yet he’s the only president that is actually stopping narcotrafficking. He’s preventing and fixing ILLEGAL immigration (note the word “ILLEGAL”). He’s standing up to China to ensure American companies have a fair shot in America. Companies in American are now expanding and investing IN AMERICA. He’s actually working to STOP wars. He’s standing up to Putin. The market is exceling in all aspects…. go ahead, show me what Biden, or Obama did… Please, be my guest….
And Orange Man has nothing to do with the constant attention, does he?
As if younger Americans have the wherewithal and competence to leave our country. Wimps!
What an oddly conducted survey lol Only ~3k people total with odd racial quotas consuming 2.4k