As the calendar flips to a new year, it's a tradition for many of us to reflect on the past and set our sights on a better, brighter future. New Year's resolutions are a ubiquitous part of this annual ritual.
But how many of these resolutions actually come to fruition, and what drives us to set these goals in the first place?
In this article, we dive deep into the world of New Year's resolutions, exploring the statistics that surround them.
Top New Year's Resolutions Statistics [Editor's Choice]
- 38% of people make New Year's resolutions each year, but only 9% of people stick to them all year long
- 80% of New Year's resolutions are forgotten by February, while 46% of adults still stick to their resolutions after 6 months
- Improving their fitness (39%) and diet (33%) are the most common New Year's resolutions
- Friday is a popular day for goal-setters to drop their resolutions
How Many People Make New Year's Resolutions?
- 38% of adults will at least make a New Year's resolution.
While these resolutions often don't pan out, most adults head into them feeling positive (81%). Of that group, 86% of men feel confident they'll stick to their goals, while 79% of women feel confident about it. - Nearly 40% of Gen Zers feel pressured to make a resolution.
This is likely the reason why there are so many failed New Year’s resolutions in the first place. Additionally, men (35%) feel more pressured than women (28%) to make yearly goals. - 54% of parents make New Year's resolutions
This is 1.6x more than adults who don't have children. Parents who want to instill this tradition in their children can work on making resolutions together. - Back in 2007, people were slightly more dedicated to making their resolutions a reality.
12% stuck with their goal throughout the year. Over half (52%) of people also started off feeling confident they would meet their goal. - 77% of adults try to keep themselves accountable when it comes to sticking with a resolution.
Gen Zers make another appearance here. This group cites themselves as least likely to hold themselves accountable with their resolutions, implying that they need outside motivation. - 46% of adults are still sticking with their resolutions after 6 months.
On the flip side, out of the people who have similar goals yet don't actually make a resolution, only 4 percent are successful by mid-year.
What Are Common New Year's Resolutions?
There seems to be a common theme when it comes to making New Year’s goals. Whether it's sticking to a diet or working out more, goal-setters prioritize their health and wellness over other areas.
Let these New Year’s resolution statistics speak for themselves:
- 39% of adults set a goal of improving their fitness.
Other similar resolutions include improving and sticking with their diet (33%) and losing weight (37%). Just 6% of people list cutting down on alcohol consumption as a goal. - Improving mental health is important to 81% of goal-setters.
Common resolutions for this topic include meditation, seeing a therapist, focusing on spirituality, and taking social media breaks. Other suggested mental health resolutions can be improving self-talk and gratitude practices. - Getting a handle on finances is another popular New Year's goal for 30% of adults.
Some good resolutions for bettering finances? Saving more, improving your credit score, paying your credit card balance each month and improved budgeting are all great practices to enact. - Improving social life is a common goal for New Year's resolutions.
Up to 12% of adults want to become closer to family, and 11% want to have better relationships with their friends. 9% of goal-setters want to spend more time with friends in the new year.
How Many New Year's Resolutions Come True?
Making sure your goals for the new year come true requires dedication. As we all know, it's easy to set great-sounding goals but actually following through makes it tough. Consider putting together a New Year’s resolution list together to keep you on-task.
Let's see how many resolutions come true with these New Year's resolution statistics below!
- Just 9% of adults keep their resolutions all year long.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, 80% of New Year's resolutions are forgotten by mid-winter, while many adults(23%) quit the first week of the year. - 52% of goal-setters plan on using external sources to keep them accountable.
Examples of this include apps, online platforms, memberships, and other similar tools. 59% of men will rely on this method, while 50% of women will. - 85% of people with resolutions believe the impact will extend beyond a single year.
Up to 25% believe their resolution will have an impact lasting one to two years, and over half see it extending into five years (57%).
Why Do New Year's Resolutions Fail?
There are many reasons why a resolution for the new year can fail. As we've covered throughout this post, motivation is key. Getting distracted by other areas of life can have a negative impact on these goals.
The good news here is that there's no shame in picking back up if you've slacked on a goal for a bit! These New Year’s resolution statistics will give you an idea…
- 92% of adults will not follow through on a resolution.
It's not uncommon for people to lose the excitement they had in early January. This is a major reason for people to lose sight of their initial resolution. - Watch out for Fridays!
Strangely, Friday is a popular day for goal-setters to drop their resolutions. More specifically, people are likely to quit on the second Friday of the month--dubbing it "Quitter's Day." - 43% of goal-setters have forgotten their resolution by February.
This is normal. The excitement of the new year wears off, and people simply become distracted with other duties. Some tips to keep New Year's resolutions include planning out your goal, making that goal specific, and not making too many.
Final Thoughts
At this point we can all agree on one thing: it's hard sticking to New Year's resolutions.
But there's hope, and hopefully, these New Year's resolutions statistics gave you some more information on the topic. Narrowing down your main goals, planning out how to achieve those goals, and giving yourself plenty of time throughout the year are a few ways to ensure you stay with it!
Whether you want to better your finances, improve your mental health, or make new connections, achieving your New Year's resolution can be a fun project for the year.
Sourcing
- Good Housekeeping
- Ohio State University
- Inside Out Mastery
- Forbes
- Discover Happy Habits
- Psychiatry.org
- Talkspace
- CNBC
- UC Davis
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Lark Allen
As a Content Marketing Specialist, Lark has a strong background and passion for creative, professional, and journalistic writing. She is also a self-proclaimed music freak and 90s enthusiast.
Learn more about Lark, here.
