As we ring in the new year, about a third of Americans will pull out their vision boards and draw up resolutions for 2026. In a shift from 2025, Americans said they will prioritize taking better care of their physical and mental health.
According to a survey from YouGov, 31% of Americans will make resolutions in 2026. Americans under 45 are about twice as likely to make one than those over 45.
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Retaking the top spot in 2026 is exercising more – a quarter of those surveyed said it would be their top goal for the new year. Other health-based goals included eating healthier (22%), improving physical health (21%) and losing weight (17%).
Last year’s most popular resolution, saving more money, dropped into the fourth spot at 21%.
Younger Americans’ priorities shifting
Younger Americans placed greater emphasis on being happy – 34% of those under 30 said their resolution was to be happy, and another 24% said they wanted to improve their mental health.
The under-30 group is placing less priority on physical health goals. About 10% fewer people said they would resolve to exercise more and 9% fewer people resolved to improve their physical health. Only about 1% fewer people resolved to lose weight, however.
Financial goals also shifted. Only 29% of those under 30 said they were resolving to save more money, down from 47% in 2025.
Older Americans prioritize exercise, happiness
Americans over the age of 65 also shifted their stated resolutions for 2026, shifting towards exercising and being happy, instead of just resolving to lose weight.
That shift comes as more older Americans are stepping away from using GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic or Wegovy due to the side effects, including muscle loss. A report from The New York Times showed that some older people using GLP-1s stopped the drugs because they no longer had the muscle mass to continue their hobbies.
Keeping resolutions throughout the year
Unbiased. Straight Facts.TM
Americans who made New Year’s resolutions for 2026 were almost twice as likely to say the new year would be better for themselves.
Of the 31% of Americans who made resolutions this year, a majority of them said they plan to meet their goals. About 39% said it was highly likely that they’d keep their resolutions, and 50% said it was somewhat likely.
The YouGov survey also found that Americans who made resolutions were more likely to have a positive outlook on the year ahead. While 32% of Americans said they would make 2026 better for themselves, that number jumps to 63% when just looking at Americans making resolutions.
