Republicans are expecting 2025 will result in an improvement in their own lives and for the country

December 28, 2024

Four in 10 adults are anticipating a better 2025 than 2024 for themselves, and about a third think there will be an improvement in the country as a whole. Three-quarters plan to celebrate New Year’s Eve in some way. Nearly 6 in 10 adults anticipate making a New Year’s resolution, with health the most popular type of goal.

Looking forward to 2025, there are partisan differences in how the public feels about the coming year, with Republicans more likely to report feeling happy or hopeful and Democrats more inclined to anticipate stress or gloom.

Overall, 42% think 2025 will be better than 2024 for them personally, and 35% expect a better year for the country. When Joe Biden was first elected president, Democrats were more hopeful about the coming year than Republicans. Now that a Republican administration will be back in the White House, Republicans are more optimistic than Democrats about the coming year.

Republicans are also more enthusiastic about the coming year for the country as a whole.

The public is mostly divided on their personal outlooks for 2025, but there are partisan differences. Almost 6 in 10 Republicans are feeling extremely or very hopeful about the coming year and nearly as many are feeling happy. Less than 2 in 10 Democrats are happy or hopeful.

In contrast, 4 in 10 Democrats are feeling very or extremely stressed and a third are feeling gloomy. Only about 2 in 10 Republicans are experiencing those emotions as they look ahead to 2025.

About three-quarters of adults plan to celebrate New Year’s Eve. People ages 30-44 are the most likely to celebrate with 84% planning to ring in the New Year. Those ages 60 and older are least likely (70%). Among those celebrating, 72% will celebrate at home, 21% will make merry at the home of a friend or family member, and 6% will party at a bar, restaurant, or event.

Adults under age 30 are more inclined to go out to a bar, restaurant or event, while those age 60 and older are most likely to celebrate at home.

Fifty-seven percent of adults plan to make at least one New Year’s resolution this year. Resolutions are more popular with young adults than older people.

Among those making resolutions, resolutions concerning health (including mental health), exercise, or diet top the list. Goals related to finances or relationships are also popular.

The nationwide poll was conducted December 5-9, 2024 using the AmeriSpeak® Panel, the probability-based panel of NORC at the University of Chicago. Online and telephone interviews using landlines and cell phones were conducted with 1,251 adults. The overall margin of sampling error is +/- 3.7 percentage points.