American Pride Falls to 25-Year Record Low

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, 33% of U.S. adults say they are “extremely proud” to be an American, the lowest reading in Gallup's trend dating back to 2001. Another 20% say they are “very proud,” which means just over half of Americans express high levels of pride in their country.

The remaining shares say they are “moderately proud” (22%), “only a little proud” (15%) or “not at all proud” (9%).

When Gallup first asked this question in 2001, 55% of U.S. adults were extremely proud to be American. Pride surged after 9/11, with 65% to 70% of Americans expressing extreme pride through 2004. Extreme pride declined after that but held at majority levels through 2017. Since 2018, no more than 47% of U.S. adults have said they are extremely proud. The latest figure, from a June 1-15 poll, is down eight percentage points from last year and is tied for the largest year-over-year change in the trend, along with 2004-2005.

Looking at “extremely proud” and “very proud” responses combined, roughly nine in 10 Americans expressed high levels of pride in the early years of the trend, through 2004. That reading slipped into the 80% range in 2005, fell to 70% in 2019 and has been below 60% since last year.

Pride at New Low Points Among Democrats and Independents

Throughout the trend, Republicans have been more likely than Democrats and independents to say they are proud to be American. Even when Republican pride dipped during President Joe Biden's administration, Republicans remained the most likely of the three groups to express extreme pride.

This partisan divide persists and has been larger the past two years with Republican Donald Trump as president. Currently, 70% of Republicans, 28% of independents and 14% of Democrats say they are extremely proud to be American. Extreme pride has edged down seven points since last year among Republicans and six points among Democrats, but it is not statistically lower among independents.

Democrats’ and independents’ pride levels are at new low points for their respective groups. This drop among Democrats is similar to their shift during Trump's first administration. However, the percentage of Democrats who are extremely proud to be American has been lower in Trump’s second term than in his first, when it bottomed out at 22% in 2019.

The current 56-point gap between Republicans’ and Democrats’ reported extreme pride is similar to last year’s 57-point difference, the highest on record.

When combining “extremely proud” and “very proud” responses, 93% of Republicans express high levels of pride, compared with 51% of independents and 27% of Democrats, both record lows for their respective groups.

Declines in Extreme Pride Steepest Among Women

Extreme pride has fallen sharply among women since last year, down 13 points to 26%, while men are essentially unchanged at 42%. Significant declines are also seen among Americans aged 18 to 34 (down 10 points to 14%) and those aged 35 to 54 (dropping 12 points to 30%), but not among those aged 55 and older, who are similar to last year (down four points to 48%).

Feelings of pride are also lower this year among people of color (down 10 points to 20%) and those who do not have a college degree (down 10 points to 35%). Non-Hispanic White adults and college graduates show more modest declines.

Looking at combined high pride, less than half of women, adults under 35 and people of color say they are extremely or very proud to be American. In contrast, majorities of men, adults aged 35 and older, and White adults say the same.

Less Than Half in U.S. Display American Flag

One of the most common expressions of national pride is to display the American flag, something 43% of U.S. adults say they do outside their home on national holidays or other days. This reading is identical to one taken 40 years ago. However, it is lower than the 59% of Americans who reported flying the flag in 1991, in the wake of the U.S. victory in the Persian Gulf War.

In 1991, there was little difference between party groups in displaying the flag, but that is not the case today. Republicans (69%) are currently far more likely than independents (42%) or Democrats (26%) to report displaying the American flag. In 1986, Republicans (50%) were more likely than Democrats (42%) and independents (36%) to fly a flag.

In addition to differences by party identification, displaying the flag rises steadily with age, from 25% among adults aged 18 to 34 to 57% among those aged 55 and older. White adults (48%) are also significantly more likely than people of color (33%) to display the American flag outside their home.

As might be expected, Americans’ reported national pride has a significant effect on their likelihood to display the flag, with those expressing the most pride being most likely to display the flag at home (69%).

Bottom Line

American national pride has never been lower in Gallup's trend dating back to 2001. Pride has been falling for two decades, but the pace has quickened in recent years, with the latest reading down eight points from last year alone, one of the largest single-year drops in the trend. This casts some uncertainty over how Americans will engage with the country's 250th anniversary festivities.

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Survey Methods

Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted by ReconMR June 1-15, 2026, with a random sample of 1,001 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting.

Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 80% cellphone respondents and 20% landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods.

In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

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American Pride Falls to 25-Year Record Low