A new Gallup poll reveals that just 36% of Democrats say they are “extremely” or “very” proud to be American, signaling a sharp drop in national pride, particularly among younger Americans.
The partisan divide on patriotism has widened dramatically, reaching a 56-point gap between Democrats and Republicans — the largest since 2001, according to the Associated Press.
The generational gap is also pronounced: only about four in 10 members of Generation Z (born 1997–2012) have expressed strong national pride over the past five years. That compares with about 6 in 10 Millennials and at least 7 in 10 older Americans.
“Each generation is less patriotic than the prior generation, and Gen Z is definitely much lower than anybody else,” said Gallup senior editor Jeffrey Jones. He added that this overall decline, even among older cohorts, is “primarily driven by Democrats within those generations.”
Since Gallup began measuring national pride in January 2001, there’s been a steady decline. In the wake of the Iraq War and 9/11, around 90% of Americans — regardless of political affiliation — reported high levels of patriotism. By 2006, that number dropped to about 80%, and it has continued to decline gradually.
Currently, 58% of Americans report strong national pride with Republicans remaining consistently high.
In contrast, independents have dropped to a record low of 53% and Democrats have shown the most notable decline—especially during and after Trump’s presidency.
In 2017, about two-thirds of Democrats were proud to be American; by 2020, that number had dropped to 42%.
Although pride rebounded somewhat under President Joe Biden, it never returned to pre-Trump levels. “It’s not just a Trump story,” Jones said. “Something else is going on… younger generations coming in and not being as patriotic.”
Additional polling underscores the divide. A 2024 SSRS poll found that nearly 90% of Republicans see patriotism as beneficial to the U.S., while Democrats were split: 45% viewed it positively, 37% negatively.
A CNN/SSRS survey earlier this year highlighted broader dissatisfaction, with fewer than 1 in 10 Democrats and Republicans saying “proud” described their feelings about American politics. Most described themselves as “disappointed” or “frustrated.”
