WASHINGTON, D.C. — Most Americans still love their country, though perhaps not as much as they once did.
Nearly 4 in 10 U.S. adults (39 percent) said they are “extremely proud” to be an American, a new Gallup poll revealed on Thursday. Another 28 percent said they are “very proud” – indicating a combined 67 percent of Americans feeling fervent love for their country.
The same poll showed similar results a year ago, with just 38 percent of respondents selecting the survey’s highest level of patriotism and 27 percent selecting “very proud.”
Gallup has conducted the survey every year since 2001 and the results have shown a steady decline in patriotism over the past two decades. Back in 2004, 91 percent of respondents said they were “extremely proud” or “very proud” to be an American.
The “extremely proud” option has plummeted across partisan demographics since peak levels in the early 2000’s.
Republicans have undergone a 26 point drop, from the record high 86 percent in 2003 to a record low 58 percent in 2022. This year, GOP voters bumped up to 60 percent.
Democrats sank from 65 percent in 2003 to 22 percent in 2019. This year the extremely proud group climbed to 29 percent.
The number of independent voters choosing “extremely proud” has also dropped by more than 30 points over the past twenty years – sinking from 65 percent in 2004 to a new low this year of 33 percent.
The declining results correspond with age, as the 18 to 34 age group scored the lowest levels of patriotism when compared to older Americans.
