GoKawiilData for Progress survey finds sharp drop in Americans' social participation since 1995
Data for Progress surveyed 1,098 U.S. adults, replicating questions from the 1975-1999 DDB Needham Life Style surveys, and compared results with 1995 data. The firm found double-digit percentage-point declines in activities such as attending a class or seminar, entertaining people at home, and attending church, with participation in several activities falling by more than 20 points.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The findings add granular, activity-level evidence to broader warnings, including the 2023 U.S. surgeon general advisory on loneliness, that American social connection has eroded over recent decades. Because the comparison spans three decades, it could help researchers pinpoint which specific routines—like home entertaining or group classes—have faded most, rather than relying only on aggregate measures like friend counts or time-use totals.
- Data for Progress surveyed 1,098 U.S. adults in 2026, replicating 1995 DDB Needham Life Style survey questions.
- Activities including attending classes/seminars, home entertaining, and church attendance dropped by over 20 percentage points.
- The results follow other data, like the American Perspectives Survey, showing a 25-point drop in Americans with five or more close friends since 1990.
Source: dataforprogress.org — Lew Blank, 2026-10-14
Published there as: “Americans' social activity has steeply declined in the past 30 years”
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