Emotional Well-Being Declined in February, Especially Among Democrats

After starting the year off on a high note, the collective emotional well-being of the U.S. population declined from January to February. The weekly reading of the CivicScience Well-Being Index shows that well-being remained elevated in January until falling nearly two points at the start of the month.

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To put current numbers into perspective, the emotional well-being of Americans is lower in Q1 2024 than Q1 2023, resting at 56.3% versus 56.8%. A quarterly view indicates that the progressive recovery of well-being during the latter half of the pandemic has peaked, as Americans now adjust to a new normal in the post-Covid era.

And with the 2024 presidential election on the wing, it’s possible that growing political tensions are impacting well-being. Ongoing data tracking shows that well-being ticked down month over month for Americans of all political leanings, with the largest drop occurring among Democrats/Liberals (declining 3.6 points).

For additional insights about the impact of the election cycle, check out this month’s edition of the CivicScience 2024 Election Mindset Tracker.

Although the year is just getting started, the collective emotional well-being of the nation is off to a rocky start. As past data has shown, changes in well-being could have significant impacts on industries, given the correlation between well-being and spending patterns.

Stay tuned for continued monthly updates, or get in touch to learn how you can get ahead of the curve.

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What is the CivicScience Well-Being Index? 

Attitudes change before behaviors do. That’s why the CivicScience Well-Being Index 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.