About three in 10 U.S. adults said they had made a New Year’s resolution in January 2024, and a similar share said in December that they planned to make one for 2025. Money and health goals were common, but early progress figures are not year-end success rates. The numbers below keep each survey’s population, timing, and question in view.
How many people make New Year’s resolutions?
A Pew Research Center survey found that 30% of U.S. adults had made at least one New Year’s resolution when asked January 16–21, 2024. Half of those resolution-makers said they had made more than one.
A separate YouGov survey conducted December 9–11, 2024, found that 31% of U.S. adult citizens planned to make a resolution or set a goal for 2025. These figures are close, but they are not a direct year-over-year comparison: Pew asked people after New Year’s Day whether they had made a resolution, while YouGov asked about future intentions before 2025 began. The surveys also used different panels and population definitions.
Participation varied by age
In Pew’s January 2024 survey, younger adults were more likely to report making a resolution:
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| Age group | Share who said they had made a resolution |
|---|---|
| 18–29 | 49% |
| 30–49 | 31% |
| 50 and older | 21% |
YouGov’s December 2024 survey likewise found that 58% of U.S. adults under 30 planned to make a resolution or set a goal for 2025. That is an intention measure from a different poll, not a continuation of Pew’s age-group results.
What are the most common New Year’s resolutions?
The leading themes depend on whether a poll asks what people have already chosen or what all adults plan to do. In Pew’s January 2024 survey, respondents who had made resolutions could name multiple topics. Health, exercise, or diet was most common, followed by finances:
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| Resolution topic | Share of Pew resolution-makers |
|---|---|
| Health, exercise, or diet | 79% |
| Money or finances | 61% |
| Relationships | 57% |
| Hobbies or personal interests | 55% |
| Work or career | 49% |
Because respondents could identify more than one topic, these percentages do not add up to 100%.
YouGov’s December 2024 poll asked all U.S. adults what they planned to do differently in 2025. Saving more money led, while several health and well-being intentions were also common:
| Planned change for 2025 | Share of all adults surveyed |
|---|---|
| Save more money | 26% |
| Improve physical health | 22% |
| Exercise more | 22% |
| Be happier | 22% |
| Eat healthier | 20% |
The Pew percentages use people who had made a resolution as the denominator; YouGov’s reported intention percentages use all adults. The lists therefore describe related but different questions and populations.
What percentage of people keep their resolutions?
There is no single universal failure rate established by these surveys. The available figures measure self-reported progress early in the year, at different dates and with different answer choices; they do not verify behavior or establish who maintained a goal through year-end.
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Pew’s January 2024 check-in
Less than a month into 2024, Pew asked people who had made resolutions how they were doing so far. Fifty-nine percent said they had kept all their resolutions, 28% some, and 13% none. These are early progress reports, not a measure of full-year adherence.
YouGov’s March 2024 check-in
YouGov surveyed U.S. adult citizens who had made resolutions on March 4–8, 2024. Eighteen percent said they had kept their resolutions entirely, 53% mostly, 18% had mostly given them up, 2% entirely, and 10% were unsure. The response options differ from Pew’s, so the results should not be combined into one rate.
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YouGov also reported a January 2024 aggregate across 17 markets: 62% said they had closely stuck to their resolutions and 32% said they had not. This is a multi-market figure, not a U.S.-only result; sample sizes ranged from 500 to 2,040 per market.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why do some people skip resolutions?
Among U.S. adults who had not made a resolution, Pew found that 56% said the main reason was that they simply did not like making resolutions. Other reported reasons were breaking them too easily (12%), not being able to think of one (9%), forgetting (6%), or another reason (17%). These responses describe reasons given by non-makers, not a judgment about whether resolutions work.
How to read resolution statistics
- Check the date. A poll taken before New Year’s Day measures plans; one taken afterward may measure what respondents recall doing or how they say they are progressing.
- Check the denominator. A percentage among resolution-makers is not the same as a percentage of all adults.
- Check the wording and response choices. “Kept all,” “kept them entirely,” and “closely stuck” are not interchangeable measures.
- Check the population and survey method. Pew surveyed U.S. adults through its American Trends Panel; YouGov used online opt-in panels of U.S. adult citizens for its cited domestic polls. Sampling and weighting differ.
- Do not treat early progress as annual success. Neither a January nor March self-report establishes year-end adherence.
The Pew survey included 5,140 U.S. adults and was conducted January 16–21, 2024 through the American Trends Panel, recruited through national random sampling of residential addresses and weighted to represent U.S. adults. YouGov’s December 2024 intention survey included 1,122 U.S. adult citizens from an opt-in panel and reported an approximate 4% margin of error for the overall sample. Its March 2024 follow-up included 1,000 U.S. adult citizens recruited through sample matching, also with an approximate 4% overall margin of error.
Popular claims that a fixed percentage of people fail by February should be treated cautiously unless the original study, sample, follow-up period, and definition of failure are clear. The surveys summarized here do not establish one universal failure rate.
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