Pew Research: 14 Key Findings That Shaped America in 2024
Pew Research Center's annual roundup of significant findings offers a fascinating snapshot of America's evolving social, political, and demographic landscape in 2024. From shifting political dynamics to demographic milestones, technological changes, and evolving public attitudes, their research illuminates the complex forces shaping our society. Here are the year's most noteworthy discoveries:
America's centenarian population is experiencing remarkable growth, with projections showing it will more than quadruple from 101,000 in 2024 to 422,000 by 2054. Currently, this population is predominantly female (78%) and White (77%), though racial demographics are expected to become somewhat more diverse by 2054.
A striking shift occurred in voter confidence following the 2024 presidential election. Trump supporters showed dramatically increased confidence in vote counting compared to 2020, with 72% expressing confidence in mail-in ballot counting (up from 19% in 2020). Meanwhile, Harris supporters showed slightly lower confidence levels compared to Biden supporters in 2020.
Immigration views revealed some unexpected common ground, with majorities of both Harris supporters (90%) and Trump supporters (59%) agreeing that undocumented immigrants primarily fill jobs that American citizens don't want.
Social media's role in news consumption continues to evolve, with 21% of Americans regularly getting news from influencers. This trend is particularly pronounced among young adults (37% of those under 30). Most of these influencers (77%) have no formal journalism background.
Global perceptions of American democracy have declined, with a median of 40% across 34 surveyed countries saying the U.S. used to be a good example of democracy but no longer is. Notably, Americans themselves were the most likely to hold this view (72%).
Other significant findings include:
60% of Americans indicated they wouldn't get the 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine
A generational divide emerged on Middle East sympathies, with younger Americans showing more support for Palestinians while older Americans favored Israel
Public school safety concerns persist, with 59% of K-12 teachers worried about potential school shootings
Perceptions of Joe Biden's mental sharpness declined significantly during his presidency, dropping from 46% in 2020 to 24% in 2024
Reports of discrimination against Jewish people doubled since 2021, rising from 20% to 40%
The research also highlighted interesting technological trends, including significant "link rot" on the internet, with 38% of webpages from 2013 no longer accessible by 2023.