All Social & Demographic Trends Reports

Reports are listed in reverse chronological order.

Inside the Middle Class: Bad Times Hit the Good Life
9 Apr 08 Americans feel stuck in their tracks. Most survey respondents say that in the past five years, they either haven’t moved forward in life (25%) or have fallen backward (31%) -- the most downbeat assessment in nearly half a century of polling by the Pew Research Center and the Gallup organization. But at the same time, two-thirds say they have a higher standard of living than their parents had.

U.S. Population Projections: 2005-2050
11 Feb 08 If current trends continue, immigrants arriving from 2005 to 2050 and their descendants will account for 82% of the population growth in the United States during this period, according to new projections from the Pew Research Center. The nation's racial and ethnic mix will change markedly by mid-century, the projections show, with the Hispanic share rising to 29%. Among non-Hispanic race groups, the Asian share will rise to 9%, the non-Hispanic black share will hold steady at 13% and the non-Hispanic white share will fall to 47%. The nation's elderly population (ages 65 and above) will more than double in size from 2005 to 2050 and by mid-century will make up 19% of the total population.

Blacks See Growing Values Gap Between Poor and Middle Class: Optimism about Black Progress Declines
13 Nov 07 African Americans see a widening gulf between the values of middle class and poor blacks, and nearly four-in-ten say that because of the diversity within their community, blacks can no longer be thought of as a single race.

Modern Marriage
18 Jul 07 What makes a marriage work? A new Pew survey finds that "sharing household chores" has moved way up on the charts.

Fewer Mothers Prefer Full-time Work: From 1997 to 2007
12 Jul 07 In the span of the past decade, full-time work outside the home has lost some of its appeal to mothers. This trend holds for both those who have such jobs and those who don't.

As Marriage and Parenthood Drift Apart, Public Is Concerned about Social Impact: Generation Gap in Values, Behaviors
1 Jul 07 At a time when nearly four-in-ten births in this country are to an unmarried mother, the public says unwed parenting is a big problem for society. But Americans are far less inclined now than a generation ago to say children are important to a successful marriage, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

Who Flies the Flag? Not Always Who You Might Think: A Closer Look at Patriotism
27 Jun 07 For many Americans, demonstrating patriotism means showing the flag; overall, 62% say they do so. Notably, significantly more Northeasterners and Midwesterners fly the flag than do residents of the South or the West.

Being Dad May Be Tougher These Days, but Working Moms are among Their Biggest Fans
13 Jun 07 Most people agree that it is harder to be a father now than it was 20 or 30 years ago, yet the verdict is mixed on how well today's dads measure up -- about half of the public says they're doing a worse job when compared with fathers a generation ago. But, a majority (56%) of women say today's dads are handling their fatherly duties as well or better than in the past.

Four-in-Ten Americans Have Close Friends or Relatives Who are Gay: Survey finds Familiarity Is Closely Linked to Greater Tolerance
23 May 07 A new survey also finds that those with homosexual or lesbian relatives or friends are more likely to accept gay marriage and oppose the firing of gay teachers.

Muslim Americans: Middle Class and Mostly Mainstream
22 May 07 The first-ever, nationwide, random sample survey of Muslim Americans finds them to be largely assimilated, happy with their lives, and moderate with respect to many of the issues that have divided Muslims and Westerners around the world.

Motherhood Today: Tougher Challenges, Less Success: Mom's Biggest Critics are Middle-Aged Women
2 May 07 From managing busy schedules to dealing with outside influences, mothers have their hands full these days - and middle-aged women are their sharpest critics. At the same time, fully 70% of the public says it's harder to be a mother today than it was 20 or 30 years ago; somewhat fewer (60%) say the same about being a father.

Americans and Social Trust: Who, Where and Why
22 Feb 07 Just under half of Americans say most people can be trusted, while 50% say you can't be too careful, a new Pew survey finds. Whites are more trusting than blacks or Hispanics. High income folks are more trusting than those with low incomes. The married are more trusting than the unmarried. The old are more trusting than the young. And rural folks are more trusting than their city cousins.

What Americans Pay For - and How: 'Information Age' Bills Keep Piling Up
7 Feb 07 Bill-paying is a different experience now than it was a generation ago. A sizable minority of adults pay by click. And a sizable majority pay each month for one or more of the big three Information Age staples that didn't exist or were in their infancy a few decades back -- cell phones, internet service and cable and satellite television.

We Try Hard. We Fall Short. Americans Assess Their Saving Habits
24 Jan 07 Despite a negative national savings rate, three-in-four Americans still think of themselves as savers. But a majority also acknowledge they don’t save enough, according to a new Pew survey.

A Portrait of Generation Next: How Young People View Their Lives, Futures and Politics
9 Jan 07 A new generation has come of age, shaped by an unprecedented revolution in technology and dramatic events both at home and abroad. They are Generation Next, the cohort of young adults who have grown up with personal computers, cell phones and the internet and are now taking their place in a world where the only constant is rapid change.

Most Americans Moderately Upbeat About Family Finances in 2007
4 Jan 07 Most Americans are moderately upbeat about their family's financial prospects in the coming year, with 57% expecting some improvement in their financial situation and another 10% expecting a lot of improvement, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

Luxury or Necessity?: Things We Can’t Live Without: The List Has Grown in the Past Decade
14 Dec 06 As Americans navigate increasingly crowded lives, the number of things they say they can't live without has multiplied in the past decade, according to a new Pew Research Center survey that asks whether a broad array of everyday consumer products are luxuries or necessities.

As Home Prices Cool Down, Homeowners Temper Their Optimism
6 Dec 06 Despite a record drop this past year in the median sales price of existing homes, more than eight-in-ten homeowners expect the value of their homes to go up either "a little" (55%) or "a lot" (26%) in the future. However, these anticipated levels of future gains are not nearly as great as the gains that homeowners say they've experienced in recent years.

It's Time for Holiday Shopping. Do You Have Your Budget?
20 Nov 06 A majority of Americans say they set a budget limit for their holiday shopping; 56% have already set or plan to set a limit while 41% say they don’t use a budget limit for holiday shopping.

Working After Retirement: The Gap Between Expectations and Reality
21 Sep 06 A new Pew Social Trends survey finds a yawning gap between the expectations of today's workers, more than three-quarters of whom believe they will work for pay even after they retire, and current retirees, just 12% of whom are actually working for pay right now.

Americans See Less Progress on Their Ladder of Life
14 Sep 06 As economists and politicians debate whether there is less mobility in the U.S. now than in the past, a new Pew survey finds that many among the public are seeing less progress in their own lives.

American Work Life is Worsening, But Most Workers Still Content
30 Aug 06 Americans are generally satisfied with their own jobs but believe that wages, benefits, job security and employer loyalty have deteriorated over the past generation for most workers, a new survey finds.

As the Price of Gas Goes Up, The Nation's Odometer Slows Down: History Repeats Itself
8 Aug 06 About half the public says it is driving less due to sticker shock at the pump.

Americans and Their Cars: Is the Romance on the Skids?: Fewer Americans like to drive, survey shows
1 Aug 06 Any nation with more passenger vehicles than licensed drivers has a pretty serious love affair with the automobile. But the romance seems to be cooling off a bit -- a casualty of its own intensity.

Americans to Rest of World: Soccer Not Really Our Thing: Just 4% say it's their favorite sport to watch
14 Jun 06 Just 4% of U.S adults here say soccer is their favorite sport to watch.

Gambling: As the Take Rises, So Does Public Concern
23 May 06 A new study from the Pew Research Center finds a modest backlash in attitudes toward legalized gambling, even as the public is spending more money on more forms of legal gambling.

Increasingly, Americans Prefer Going to the Movies at Home
16 May 06 As the summer blockbuster movie season begins, a new Pew Research Center survey finds three-quarters of all adults now say they would prefer to watch movies at home, up from 67% in 1994.

Calling Mom on Mother's Day. And the Day Before. And the Day After.
9 May 06 The traditional holiday phone call to mom may not have the impact it once had- not because fewer sons and daughters remember to call, but because more are already talking to mom every other day of the year.

Once Again, The Future Ain't What It Used to Be
2 May 06 Barely a third of today's adults expect today's children to grow up better off than people are now.

In the Battle of the Bulge, More Soldiers Than Successes: Two-in-three are dieting or exercising
26 Apr 06 Two in three are dieting or exercising, but most feel far from ideal weight.

Eating More; Enjoying Less
19 Apr 06 Just 39% of adults say they enjoy eating "a great deal," down from 48% in 1989 - with a bigger decline among those who consider themselves overweight than among those who consider themselves just about the right weight.

Americans See Weight Problems Everywhere But In the Mirror: We tend to weigh ourselves on a different scale
11 Apr 06 Americans think the nation's waistline is expanding and they consider this a serious problem. But when it comes to weighing themselves, they seem to use a different scale.

A Barometer of Modern Morals: Sex, Drugs, and the 1040
28 Mar 06 Cheating on your taxes, cheating on your spouse and other questions of right and wrong.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner: 22% of Americans Have a Relative in a Mixed-Race Marriage
14 Mar 06 One in five Americans (22%) now has a close relative married to someone of a different race.

Gauging Family Intimacy: Dogs Edge Cats (Dads Trail Both)
7 Mar 06 Most dog and cat owners think of their pets as family. Almost all describe their relationship to their pets as "close." Dear old dad doesn't fare quite as well.

Who's Feeling Rushed?
28 Feb 06 If you want to find out who's always feeling starved for time, just ask a working mom.

Families Drawn Together By Communication Revolution: As Family Forms Change, Bonds Remain Strong
21 Feb 06 A Social Trends Report

Are We Happy Yet?
13 Feb 06 In the pursuit of happiness, it helps to be affluent, a Republican or a regular churchgoer.

Baby Boomers: From the Age of Aquarius to the Age of Responsibility
8 Dec 05 As the oldest of the nation's 75 million baby boomers approach the age of 60, a Pew Research Center survey finds many are looking ahead to their own retirement while balancing a full plate of family responsibilities - either raising minor children or providing financial and other forms of support to adult children or to aging parents.