Americans are reporting an increase in mood and emotional well-being this month. The collective emotional well-being of the nation rebounded in March, reaching the highest weekly average this year on the CivicScience Well-Being Index (58.2%).
The increase also coincided with the first week of spring, and Americans in all U.S. regions are reporting higher well-being. Warmer weather, more sunlight, and springtime plans are likely contributing to a boost in overall mood, as last March also saw a month-over-month increase.
Join the Conversation: How do you feel about the arrival of spring?
A monthly look shows that well-being climbed 1.4 points from February to 57.1% in March, the highest monthly score so far in 2024. Not everyone is feeling the same, however. Adults aged 55+ report the strongest sense of emotional well-being, as well as the largest month-to-month increase, while adults aged 18-34 report the lowest score on the index and a slight decline from February. (For in-depth insights on the well-being and financial outlook of Americans 55+, check out this study.)
With March being Women’s History Month, a look at gender shows that women’s well-being is also trending upward, although still resting a full 6.7 points lower than men’s well-being. Recent CivicScience findings suggest that one driver of this continued gap could be the lower dissatisfaction with equality and equity in the workplace reported by U.S. women.
As a quarterly average, well-being is far ahead of the low seen in Q4-2023, and on par with Q1-2023.
The seasonal shift may be helping to bring about an increase in positive feelings (happiness and excitement) and a decrease in negative feelings (stress, fear, sadness, and worry) tracked by the index. This is despite the stress over American politics – as the presidential election draws nearer, CivicScience data find that Americans aren’t feeling hopeful about politics, a trend seen across party lines. More than 40% report stress over the current state of American politics, while less than 20% express feelings of hopefulness. (For more on the impact of the 2024 election on Americans, download a free preview of the CivicScience Election Mindset Tracker.)
Take Our Poll: Do you feel more or less stressed now that the presidential election cycle has started?
To learn more about emotional well-being and its effect on consumer behavior, get in touch.
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.
