Was 2024 the worst year ever? Survey says…

How was your year? The average American rates 2024 as a six out of 10, according to new research.

That’s the verdict of a survey of 2,000 Americans, who were asked to rate the year overall out of 10, and which saw respondents vote for a distinctly average 6.1 score overall.

The most common score given was a resoundingly OK five out of 10 rating, although a more positive 30% of people said this year has been an eight out of 10 or higher for them.

And while it was an up and down year for many, the survey examined the ways Americans found the year memorable. When respondents were asked what things made the year standout for them, the top response was a heartwarming one: “reconnecting with an old relative or family member.”

The survey, conducted by Talker Research, pinpointed the 20 most memorable things for Americans in 2024 and saw many people identify factors like personal growth, getting a new pet or learning a new skill as significant for them.

Also in the list of memorable occurrences in 2024 was venturing to a new state, starting a new job and buying a car.

Respondents were shown a curated list of common life experiences and were able to select the memorable moments applicable to them this year — the average respondent chose three significant moments.

The theme of personal growth was also prominent in the results and 67% of the 2,000 respondents felt they had some sort of growth in the past year.

Just 18% felt they had no sort of growth at all, while 15% weren’t sure if they’ve grown or not.

Of those who say they did do some growing in 2024, over half (52%) felt they’d seen improvements in their personal life, while 38% saw developments in their mental and emotional life.

Twenty-nine percent felt they’d made improvements in their physical health and fitness and a quarter (25%) felt they’d made progress in their financial life in the last 12 months.

HOW AMERICA SCORED 2024 (OUT OF 10 — WITH 10 BEING INCREDIBLE)

1. - 5%
2. - 4%
3. - 6%
4. - 8%
5. - 17%
6. - 13%
7. - 17%
8. - 16%
9. - 6%
10. - 8%

AVERAGE = 6.1 / 10

WHAT EVENTS MADE 2024 MEMORABLE FOR AMERICANS?

1. Reconnected with an old friend or family member - 17%
2. Creative and personal Growth - 12%
3. Got a new pet - 12%
4. Learned a new skill or hobby - 12%
5. Volunteered or contributed to a cause - 11%
6. Visited a new state or city - 10%
7. Overcame a major health challenge - 9%
8. Made a new best friend - 9%
9. Started a new job - 9%
10. Experienced a once-in-a-lifetime event (e.g., eclipse, concert) - 9%
11. Made significant progress on a fitness goal - 9%
12. Paid off a significant debt (e.g., student loan, credit card) - 8%
13. Bought a car - 8%
14. Reached a savings or financial goal - 7%
15. Celebrated a major milestone birthday - 7%
16. Attended a major event or festival - 7%
17. Achieved a bucket list goal - 7%
18. Quit smoking or another habit - 7%
19. Went on a dream vacation - 6%
20. Moved to a new home or city - 6%

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 Americans. The survey was commissioned by Talker News and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between December 13 and December 19, 2024.

We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:

• Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
• Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in

Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.

Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.

Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:

• Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
• Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
• Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
• Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once

It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.