Short-form data and analysis from Pew Research Center writers and social scientists. To view all our reports and publications, visit our main Publications page.
What makes life meaningful? Globally, answers sometimes vary by age
Among those ages 18 to 29, friends and community often rank in the top three sources of meaning, fulfillment and satisfaction in their lives.
Inflation has risen around the world, but the U.S. has seen one of the biggest increases
Third-quarter 2021 inflation was higher in nearly all (39) of the 46 nations analyzed than in the pre-pandemic third quarter of 2019.
Republicans and Democrats alike say it’s stressful to talk politics with people who disagree
The share of Americans who say having political conversations with those they disagree with is “stressful and frustrating” has increased.
Growing share of childless adults in U.S. don’t expect to ever have children
The reasons Americans without children don’t expect to have them range from just not wanting to have kids to concerns about climate change.
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Inflation has risen around the world, but the U.S. has seen one of the biggest increases
Third-quarter 2021 inflation was higher in nearly all (39) of the 46 nations analyzed than in the pre-pandemic third quarter of 2019.
Republicans and Democrats alike say it’s stressful to talk politics with people who disagree
The share of Americans who say having political conversations with those they disagree with is “stressful and frustrating” has increased.
Republicans more likely than Democrats to believe in heaven, say only their faith leads there
A majority of Republicans along with a smaller but substantial majority of Democrats believe in heaven, hell or some other form of afterlife.
What makes life meaningful? Globally, answers sometimes vary by age
Among those ages 18 to 29, friends and community often rank in the top three sources of meaning, fulfillment and satisfaction in their lives.
Both Republicans and Democrats prioritize family, but they differ over other sources of meaning in life
Republicans and Democrats differ substantially over several sources of meaning in life, including faith, freedom, health and hobbies.
Growing share of childless adults in U.S. don’t expect to ever have children
The reasons Americans without children don’t expect to have them range from just not wanting to have kids to concerns about climate change.
Where Americans find meaning in life has changed over the past four years
Here are six facts about where Americans find meaning in life and how those responses have shifted over the past four years.
41 countries ban religion-related groups; Jehovah’s Witnesses, Baha’is among the most commonly targeted
Around a fifth (21%) of the 198 countries evaluated banned at least one religion-related group in 2019, our analysis found.
Among many U.S. children, reading for fun has become less common, federal data shows
The shares of American 9- and 13-year-olds who say they read for fun on an almost daily basis have dropped from nearly a decade ago.
16% of Americans say they have ever invested in, traded or used cryptocurrency
The vast majority of U.S. adults have heard at least a little about cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ether.
