Most Americans in 2023 still believe in the American Dream, according to survey research conducted in May by the Archbridge Institute and National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago.
United States households were randomly selected and a sample of 2,187 respondents were used for the study. Participants were asked a series of questions pertaining to the American Dream.
In response to being asked to what extent they believed their family had achieved the American Dream, a full third (33%) responded that they had already achieved it, while another 42% believed they were "on [their] way to achieving it."
Fewer than a quarter (24%) of respondents felt the American Dream was out of reach.
Furthermore, people's answers to the question have remained relatively consistent overall for the four years the polling has been conducted.
Age and education matter on American Dream
Respondents with less formal education and the younger generation viewed the American Dream with less optimism.
Thirty-one percent of those with only a high school diploma said the American Dream is out of reach compared to 16% of those with a college degree.
While age groups across the board were more pessimistic than in the past, respondents ages 18-29 saw the largest contrast since 2022. Last year, only 14 percent of people in that age group said they had fewer opportunities than their parents, compared to 25 percent in 2023. For respondents ages 30-44, pessimism climbed from 18 percent in 2022 to 23 percent this year, and for respondents ages 45-59, it climbed from 13 percent to 20 percent.