Unhappiness reaches historic high in U.S., poll says

The pollster found a significant increase in reported alcohol consumption as more people report being unhappy. (Shutterstock)

It’s starting to look like the Unhappy States of America.

Beaten down by coronavirus lockdowns and soaring unemployment, America has descended into a gloomy mood, with more people saying they’re unhappy than at any other time in 48 years of record-keeping, according to a new survey.

Some 23% of Americans polled in late May said they felt less than happy, a historic surge for a figure that has stuck to a band between 10% and 14% for almost two decades, according to NORC, a pollster at the University of Chicago.

The share of people who characterized themselves as very happy dove to 14%, the lowest rate for the question since its introduction in 1972.

“This is really extraordinary,” Tom W. Smith, principal investigator on the study, told the Daily News. He said loneliness appeared to fuel the misery.

The percentage of people who said they lacked companionship sometimes or often shot from 27% to 45% in the last two years, according to the research. The number of people who said they felt isolated doubled.

But the share of Americans who said they’re pretty happy climbed slightly to 62%, indicating there’s still a moderately content majority amid the challenging times.

The survey relied on responses from 2,279 adults — some by telephone, some online — in all 50 states between May 21 and May 29. It’s the first round in an ongoing study.

Smith also said the pollster found a significant increase in reported alcohol consumption, suggesting some stressed and lonely citizens have turned to booze.