Americans Reported Increased Emotional Well-Being in January – Will It Last?

The year started off on a high note for Americans when it comes to their emotional well-being. A quarterly look at the CivicScience Well-Being Index shows that as of the end of January, well-being climbed 1.6 points from the Q4 average, which was brought down by a decrease in collective well-being in October that corresponded with the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Resting at 56.7%, well-being is similar to where it was this time last year.

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In a separate look at the emotional markers which determine the Well-Being Index score, Americans are reporting increased feelings of happiness and excitement compared to last quarter, while feelings of stress, worry, sadness, and fear have declined. Higher percentages in most categories compared to last January could indicate that in 2024, Americans are reporting stronger states of emotions in general, both positive and negative.

Perhaps many are feeling hopeful for the new year, and some more than others. Additional CivicScience data published in the CivicScience 2024 Election Mindset Tracker show that political identity correlates with well-being – Democrats report greater year-over-year increases in feelings of happiness and excitement than Republicans and Independents.

However, between 40%-50% of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents can agree that they feel “stressed,” “exhausted,” and “sad” about the state of American politics today, as noted by CivicScience CEO John Dick. With the presidential election rapidly approaching, emotional well-being is bound to be impacted.

Stay tuned for the next monthly well-being report – or contact us to learn how well-being is reflected across your brand’s target consumers.

What is the CivicScience Well-Being Index? 

Everything affects everything – that includes how a person feels at any given moment in time. The CivicScience Well-Being Index rapidly captures the collective emotional well-being of the population on a daily basis by asking thousands of survey respondents to report on how strongly they feel different emotions. Through living indexes like the Well-Being Index, CivicScience helps businesses and organizations better understand what’s driving consumer choices, empowering them with the data-driven insight needed to navigate our rapidly changing times.