A near-record-low of U.S. citizens say they are “extremely” proud to be an American, according to a new Gallup survey that found national pride near historic lows among both Republicans and Democrats.
The poll, released June 29, found that 39 percent of citizens say they are extremely proud to be an American, a number that is only one point off the record low (38 percent in 2022). By comparison, 70 percent in 2003, 58 percent in 2009 and 51 percent in 2017 said they were extremely proud.
A majority of citizens, 67 percent, say they are either “extremely” or “very proud” to be an American, a number that is four points off the record low hit in 2020 (63 percent). In 2017, it was 75 percent and in 2013, 85 percent. It reached a record high in 2004 (91 percent).
Only 4 percent of citizens answered “not at all.” in this year’s poll.
The decline in American pride is a recent trend, Gallup said.
“When Gallup first asked this question in January 2001, 55 percent of U.S. adults were extremely proud to be American,” Gallup’s Megan Brenan wrote in an online analysis. “However, pride soon intensified after 9/11, with extreme pride ranging from 65 percent to 70 percent between 2002 and 2004. The percentage of Americans expressing extreme pride declined in 2005 and in subsequent years, but it remained at the majority level through 2017. Since 2018, extreme pride has consistently been below that, averaging 42 percent.”
The poll found a partisan divide. Although 60 percent of Republicans say they are extremely proud to be an American, only 33 percent of Independents and 29 percent of Democrats say they are. The record low for Republicans was hit in 2022 (58 percent) and for Democrats in 2019 (22 percent). The 33 percent is a record low for Independents.
“Although the percentage of U.S. adults who say they are extremely proud to be American remains near the record low, together with the share who are very proud, about two-thirds express national pride,” Brenan wrote. “Pride in one’s national identity continues to differ most sharply among partisans, with more Republicans than Democrats saying they are proud. However, age is nearly as important a factor, with younger adults in all party groups significantly less proud than older adults in each party. While Republican party identification may be associated with greater national pride, the fact that Republicans tend to be older than Democrats and independents also contributes to the party differences.”
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Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
