Less than half of Gen Z adults now say they are “thriving,” a dramatic plunge from the optimism their age group showed just one generation ago.
The new Gallup Life Evaluation Index poll found only 44% of Americans aged 18 to 29 describe themselves as thriving, down from 64% of young adults in 2010. The collapse has been especially sharp since 2019, when 57% of young people still reported positive life evaluations, before the figure cratered to 39% in 2020 as COVID-19 lockdowns disrupted their formative years.
Dr. Katrina Furey, MD, a Connecticut-based psychiatrist and founder of Repro Psych Academy, tied the decline to a convergence of pressures unique to this generation. “Gen Z has had constant access to their smart phones and social media, plus a global pandemic plus financial stressors like housing that no other generation has had,” she told The Post.
“The social isolation of COVID-19 during their formative developmental years for sure has left a lasting impact,” she continued. “Depression and loneliness can really tie into your social connections.”
The pandemic damage has proved stubborn. After rebounding partially to 51% in 2023, the thriving share for young adults has fallen again to its current 44% low. The deterioration spans nearly every measure of daily wellbeing Gallup tracked.
Only 64% of Gen Zers said they experienced joy yesterday, a 17-point drop from young adults in 2019. Productivity has suffered similarly: just 28% reported feeling active and productive every day in the past week, down 16 percentage points from five years earlier.
Relationship strength has eroded alongside personal mood. Less than half, 47%, said their bond with their spouse, partner, or closest friend was stronger than ever, plummeting from 65% in 2019. Goal achievement has collapsed too, with only 31% saying they had reached most of their goals in the past 12 months, versus 44% previously.
The generation’s outlook on leadership and material security has dimmed. Just a third reported having a leader who made them enthusiastic about the future, down from 47% in 2019. Standard of living satisfaction fell 14 points to 41%.
Furey pointed to digital upbringing as a compounding factor. “They are also the first generation that has really grown up online. Research has shown higher rates of eating disorders and depression linked to social media, and I can’t imagine that’s not part of it for Gen Z,” she said.
“And I do hear a lot of distress from that generation about their future,” she added.
The mental health toll is visible in treatment rates. More than a quarter of adults aged 18 to 29, 27%, now report being treated for depression, an 11-point jump since 2019.
The gloom extends beyond Gen Z, though the youngest adults sit at the bottom. Millennials aged 30 to 44 fare only slightly better, with 45% thriving. Gen X positivity has slipped to 46% among those 45 to 64, matching that generation’s Great Recession low from 2008.
One cohort bucks the trend entirely. Baby Boomers aged 65 and older have climbed steadily from 38% thriving in 2008 to 53% in 2026, matching their record high from 2021.