Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Americans are increasingly critical of the response to COVID-19 from elected officeholders and public health officials. Positive ratings of public health officials, such as those at the CDC, have fallen 10 points since August. And 60% of U.S. adults say they’ve felt confused as a result of changes to recommendations on how to slow the spread of COVID-19.

53% of parents of K-12 students say schools in the United States should be providing a mix of in-person and online instruction this winter.

37% of U.S. adults say they are following news about the coronavirus outbreak very closely. That is up from 31% in March 2021.

Among adults 25 and older who have no education beyond high school, more women have left the labor force than men.

As 2021 draws to a close, here are some of Pew Research Center’s most striking research findings from the past year.

Nearly half of U.S. adults say the pandemic has driven people in their community apart. Many see a long road to recovery: About one-in-five say life in their community will never get back to the way it was before COVID-19.

There are racial and ethnic differences in who takes on gig platform jobs and the negative experiences some of these workers say they face.

Family is preeminent for most publics but work, material well-being and health also play a key role.

Pew Research Center’s political typology sorts Americans into cohesive, like-minded groups based on their values, beliefs, and views about politics and the political system. Use this tool to compare the groups on some key topics and their demographics.

Dissatisfaction with the functioning of democracy is linked to concerns about the economy, the pandemic and social divisions.