The U.S. is often described as “the land of the free,” but a large number of Americans — and women in particular — aren’t happy with the freedom they have, according to new polling.

In the latest Gallup survey, 72% of respondents said they were satisfied “with their freedom to choose what they do with their lives.” This is just 1 point higher than the record low of 71%, which was registered in 2023.

Satisfaction was generally above 80% for most of the 2000s and 2010s — before it plummeted to 73% in 2022.

By comparison, the latest U.S. satisfaction rate is below that of most other countries.

Across 142 countries and territories, the median satisfaction rate was 81% — 9 points higher than in the U.S. And across countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the median satisfaction rate was 86%.

Both of these figures have been relatively steady in recent years in contrast to the dramatic drop in satisfaction experienced in the U.S.

In fact, just three other countries — Pakistan, Croatia and North Macedonia — have seen declines of the same magnitude as the U.S. since 2021.

The poll, which sampled about 1,000 U.S. adults, was conducted between June to August of 2024 — before the presidential election that sent President Donald Trump back to the White House. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

Gender gap

The poll also found that the U.S. has a large — and globally rare — gender gap when it comes to feelings about personal freedom.

In 2024, 77% of men said they were happy “with their freedom to choose what they do with their lives.” This is up from 73% in 2023 but still down compared to previous years.

In contrast, 66% of women said they were happy with their personal freedom, marking an all-time low. This figure has declined over time, dropping precipitously from 81% in 2021 to 71% in 2022 — and to 69% in 2023.

The large decline in 2022 coincided with the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion, suggesting this change may be “a strong factor” for women’s change in outlook.

This sizable gender gap when it comes to satisfaction with personal freedom makes the U.S. a global outlier.

“In 2024, only 21 countries of 142 surveyed showed statistically significant gender differences: seven where men were more satisfied, and 14 where women were,” according to Gallup.

Among the nations where women have higher satisfaction rates than men were Russia and Ukraine — two countries that have been engaged in a yearslong war — and Canada, Lithuania and Guinea.

In comparison, Italy, Pakistan and Bolivia join the U.S. as countries where men had sizably higher satisfaction with their personal freedom than women.

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