All Social & Demographic Trends Reports

Reports are listed in reverse chronological order.

Millennials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change.
24 Feb 10 A new national survey focuses on American teens and twenty-somethings who are making the passage into adulthood at the start of a new millennium. These young people have begun to forge their generational personality: confident, self-expressive, liberal, upbeat and open to change.

Women, Men and the New Economics of Marriage
19 Jan 10 In the past, when relatively few wives worked, marriage enhanced the economic status of women more than that of men. Recently, however, the economic gains associated with marriage have been greater for men.

Blacks Upbeat about Black Progress, Prospects: A Year After Obama's Election
12 Jan 10 Assessments about the state of black progress in America have improved more dramatically among blacks during the past two years than at any time in the past quarter century. Barack Obama’s election as the nation’s first black president appears to be the spur for this sharp rise in optimism , which also is reflected in the upbeat views of blacks on race relations, local community satisfaction and expectations for future black progress.

Home for the Holidays... and Every Other Day: Recession Brings Many Young Adults Back to the Nest
24 Nov 09 The journey home for Thanksgiving won't be quite so far this year for many young adults. Instead of traveling across country or across town, many grown sons and daughters will be coming to dinner from their old bedroom down the hall, which now doubles as their recession-era refuge.

College Enrollment Hits All-Time High, Fueled by Community College Surge
29 Oct 09 The share of 18- to 24-year-olds attending college in the United States hit an all-time high in October 2008, driven by a recession-era surge in enrollments at community colleges, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Just under 11.5 million students, or 39.6% of all young adults ages 18 to 24, were enrolled in either a two- or four-year college in October 2008. Both figures -- the absolute number as well as the share -- are at their highest level ever.

The States of Marriage and Divorce: Lots of Ex’s Live in Texas
15 Oct 09 Men and women marry young in Arkansas and Oklahoma. They also marry often: about one-in-ten married adults in those two states have been married three times or more. Texas leads the nation in the number of thrice-married adults, but that’s partly because it has so many adults, period. Its rate is close to the national average.

The Harried Life of the Working Mother
1 Oct 09 Women now make up almost half of the U.S. labor force, up from 38% in 1970. The public approves of this trend, but the change has come with a cost for many women -– particularly working mothers of young children, who feel the tug of family responsibility much more acutely than do working fathers, according to a Pew Social & Demographic Trends nationwide survey. Most working moms would prefer to work part time, but relatively few do. About four in ten working moms say they always feel rushed, compared with about a quarter of working dads and stay-at-home moms.

Black-White Conflict Isn’t Society's Largest : The Public Assesses Social Divisions
24 Sep 09 It may surprise anyone who has been following the charges of racism that have flared up during the debate over President Obama’s health care proposals, but the American public doesn’t see race as the source of the strongest social conflict in the country today. That dubious distinction belongs instead to conflicts between immigrants and the native born, and also to conflicts between rich people and poor people.

Take this Job and Love It: Job Satisfaction Highest Among the Self-Employed
17 Sep 09 Frustrated with your job? You might consider working for yourself. Self-employed adults are significantly more satisfied with their jobs than other workers. They're also more likely to work because they want to and not because they need a paycheck. But don't count on becoming financially secure: Self-employed men and women have virtually identical family incomes as other workers but they feel more financial stress, according to a recent Pew Research survey.

Recession Turns a Graying Office Grayer : America’s Changing Work Force
3 Sep 09 The American work force is graying -- and not just because the American population itself is graying. Older adults are staying in the labor force longer, and younger adults are staying out of it longer. Both trends took shape about two decades ago. Both have intensified during the current recession. Both are expected to continue after the economy recovers. One reason, according to a Pew Research survey, is that older workers value not just the economics benefits of work, but the psychic and social rewards.

End-of-Life Decisions: How Americans Cope
20 Aug 09 While most Americans approve of laws that say treatment can be stopped if that's what a terminally ill patient desires, they are split on what they would do personally in that situation. Only 27% have put into writing their own wishes regarding end-of-life care.

Forty Years After Woodstock,
A Gentler Generation Gap
12 Aug 09 They have different values, beliefs and lifestyles, but young and old today are disagreeing without being disagreeable. Both also share a fondness for Woodstock-era rock and roll.

Go West, Old Man: Where Older Adults Feel Young at Heart
7 Aug 09 If a latter-day Ponce de Leon were to search for a modern fountain of youth, he'd do well to explore America's West. There he'd find the highest concentration of older adults in the United States who don't think of themselves as old.

Nap Time
29 Jul 09 Feeling drowsy? You're not alone. On a typical day, a third of the adults in the United States take a nap.

Growing Old in America: Expectations vs. Reality
29 Jun 09 Getting old isn't nearly as bad as people think it will be. Nor is it quite as good. On aspects of everyday life ranging from mental acuity to physical dexterity to sexual activity to financial security, a new Pew Research Center Social & Demographic Trends survey among a nationally-representative sample of 2,969 adults finds a sizable gap between the expectations that young and middle-aged adults have about old age and the actual experiences reported by older adults themselves.

Most Middle-Aged Adults Are Rethinking Retirement Plans: The Threshold Generation
28 May 09 In the midst of a recession that has taken a heavy toll on many nest eggs, just over half of all working adults ages 50 to 64 say they may delay their retirement -- and another 16% say they never expect to stop working.

Different Age Groups, Different Recessions: Oldest are Most Sheltered
14 May 09 Older adults are living through what for them has been a kinder, gentler recession -- relatively speaking. They are less likely than younger and middle-aged adults to say that in the past year they have cut back on spending; suffered losses in their retirement accounts; or experienced trouble paying for housing or medical care.

Luxury or Necessity? The Public Makes a U-Turn
23 Apr 09 From the kitchen to the laundry room to the home entertainment center, Americans are paring down the list of familiar household appliances they say they can't live without.

Smokers Can't Blow Off Stress
8 Apr 09 While many say they light up to relieve stress, half of all smokers say they "frequently" experience stress in their daily lives, compared with just 35% of those who once smoked and have now quit, and 31% of those who never smoked.

Testimony of Paul Taylor, Executive Vice President, Pew Research Center to the Senate Finance Committee : Before the Great Recession, a Phantom Recovery
26 Mar 09 Pew Research Center Executive Vice President Paul Taylor's full testimony to the Senate Finance Committee.

Before the Great Recession, a Phantom Recovery
26 Mar 09 The eight-year period from 1999 through 2007 is the longest in modern U.S. economic history in which inflation-adjusted median household income failed to surpass an earlier peak.

Public Has Split Verdict on Increased Level of Unmarried Motherhood
19 Mar 09 There is a stronger consensus in public opinion about the social cost of out-of-wedlock births than there is about the morality of these births.

Most Like It Hot
18 Mar 09 When it comes to places to live, Americans by about 2-1 say they prefer a hotter place to one with a colder climate. No surprise, then, that San Diego, Tampa and Orlando rank at the top of places to live for those who like it hot. But for hearty folks who like their weather on the chilly side, Denver, Seattle and Portland top the list of favorite places to call home, according to a recent survey by the Pew Social & Demographic Trends project.

Magnet or Sticky? : A State-by-State Typology
11 Mar 09 At first glance, magnet and sticky states may seem to be mirror opposites of each other, and it is true that most states score high on one scale and low on another. But it turns out that 10 states rank high on both scales, and another nine score low on both. Find out where your state lands in the typology below.

Suburbs Not Most Popular, But Suburbanites Most Content
26 Feb 09 Suburbanites are significantly more satisfied with their communities than are residents of cities, small towns or rural areas, but that doesn't mean Americans want to live there.

Even as Housing Values Sink, There's Comfort in Homeownership
19 Feb 09 Not even a housing-led recession can shake Americans' faith in the blessings of homeownership.

McDonald's and Starbucks: 43% Yin, 35% Yang
10 Feb 09 In the smackdown between Big Macs and caffe lattes, Americans manage to typecast themselves by just about every demographic and ideological characteristic under the sun.

For Nearly Half of America, Grass Is Greener Somewhere Else; Denver Tops List of Favorite Cities
29 Jan 09 Where would Americans most like to live -- and how do they feel about the place they currently call home?

Who Moves? Who Stays Put? Where’s Home?
17 Dec 08 As a nation, the United States is often portrayed as restless and rootless. Census data, though, indicate that Americans are settling down. Only 13% of Americans changed residences between 2006 and 2007, the smallest share since the government began tracking this trend in the late 1940s.

Americans Say They Like Diverse Communities; Election, Census Trends Suggest Otherwise
2 Dec 08 Despite pro-diversity attitudes expressed in a Pew survey, American communities appear to have grown more politically and economically homogenous in recent decades.

Republicans: Still Happy Campers
23 Oct 08 Chin up, Republicans. Despite the imploding stock market, the looming recession, the unpopular president and the dismal political polls, there’s very good news in the one realm of life that’s always been a special sanctuary for you. Personal happiness.

Women Call the Shots at Home; Public Mixed on Gender Roles in Jobs: Gender and Power
25 Sep 08 They say it's a man’s world. But in the typical American family, it’s the woman who wears the pantsuit.

Revisiting the Mommy Wars : Politics, Gender and Parenthood
15 Sep 08 Who makes better candidates -- moms or dads? And more broadly, what impact do both the gender and parenting status of candidates have on their chances to win an election? An experimental survey by the Pew Research Center suggests that the answer depends, in no small part, on whether you are a Republican or a Democrat.

Men or Women: Who’s the Better Leader?: A Paradox in Public Attitudes
25 Aug 08 Americans rate women superior to men in terms of honesty, intelligence and other traits they value highly in leaders, according to a new national survey. But only 6% of respondents say that, overall, women make better political leaders than men.

America's Four Middle Classes
29 Jul 08 The Top of the Class, the Satisfied Middle, the Anxious Middle and the Struggling Middle – what unites and divides the majority of Americans who call themselves “middle class.”

Baby Boomers: The Gloomiest Generation
25 Jun 08 America's baby boomers are in a collective funk. Members of the large generation born from 1946 to 1964 are more downbeat about their lives than are adults who are younger or older, according to a new Pew Research Center Social and Demographic Trends survey.

The Middle Class Blues: Pricey Neighborhoods, High Stress
29 May 08 When it comes to anxiety about family finances, an old truism applies: Where you stand depends on where you sit. Or, more precisely, on where your house or apartment sits.

Feeling Guilty: Americans Say They Aren't Saving Enough
14 May 08 Most Americans say they're not saving as much as they should -- but they're apparently not worried enough to do much about it, according to federal economic data and a recent survey by the Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends project.

Who Wants To Be Rich?: The Currently Hard-Pressed Put a Higher Personal Priority on Being Wealthy than Do the Well-to-Do
30 Apr 08 Who says Americans worship at the feet of the almighty dollar? Not the American public. Only 13% of adults say it's "very important" for them to be wealthy, ranking this personal priority far behind six others measured in a new survey by the Pew Research Center Social & Demographic Trends project.

You're Laid Off: A Worsening Economy Couldn't Come at a Worse Time for Many U.S. Workers
16 Apr 08 At a time when the American economy is trending down and the unemployment rate is ticking up, one out of every seven U.S. workers fear they will be laid off in the next 12 months, according to a recent Pew Social and Demographic Trends survey.

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.

Do Blacks and Hispanics Get Along?: Yes, but Not Always, and Not about Everything
31 Jan 08 While blacks and Hispanics hold broadly favorable views of each other, Hispanics are less likely to say the two groups get along well. At the same time, African Americans are far more likely than Latinos to say blacks are frequently the victims of racial discrimination, according to a recent survey of racial and ethnic attitudes by the Pew Research Center.

Race, Ethnicity and Campaign ’08: People…Can We All Get Along?
17 Jan 08 Race, ethnicity and politics can sometimes make for a volatile mix, as the presidential field of 2008 has begun to discover. But in the world beyond politics, race relations in this country are on a pretty even keel. So say the real experts -- the people themselves.

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.