The share of Americans who rate their lives so poorly they are considered to be “suffering” is climbing, according to a Gallup survey that says economic stress from inflation and worry over moral values is fueling the problem.
The pollsters said the share of people considered to be suffering reached 5.6% in July, the highest mark since Gallup began measuring the concept in 2008 with its Life Evaluation Index.
The survey asks people to rate their lives on a 0 to 10 scale so they can be classified as “thriving,” “struggling” or “suffering.”
Those who grade their current and future lives as 4 or below are considered to be suffering, while those who give their current lives at least a 7 and future lives an 8 or higher are thriving.