- 31% of Americans plan to set New Year's resolutions for 2026.
- Younger adults are more likely to make New Year's resolutions than older adults.
- Most common resolution is exercising more, cited by 25% of respondents.
Do you want to make a New Year’s resolution for 2026 but don’t know what you want your goal to be? Here’s a look at some of the most common resolutions being made this year.
A recent YouGov survey asked Americans if they’re setting New Year’s resolutions and what those resolutions are.
Thirty-one percent of the respondents said they will be making New Year’s resolutions or setting a goal for 2026. According to YouGov, adults under age 45 are twice as likely as older Americans to say they will make a New Year’s resolution.
Of 25 New Year’s resolutions listed in the survey, the most common one for 2026 is to exercise more.
Here’s a look at what Americans said about their New Year’s goals:
The most common New Year’s resolutions
Twenty-five percent of Americans answering the survey said their resolution is to exercise more.
Here are some of the other popular resolutions and how many people claimed them:
- Being happy — 23%
- Eating healthier — 22%
- Saving more money — 21%
- Improving physical health — 21%
Here’s a look at the four least common New Year’s resolutions:
- Moving — 6%
- Volunteer more — 6%
- Showing up on time more often — 4%
- Getting more involved politically — 4%
According to YouGov, adults under age 30 are more likely than older Americans to resolve to be happy and spend more time with family.
When it comes to losing weight, women are more likely than men to say that it is their New Year’s resolution. Women are also more likely to have a New Year’s resolution to be happy.
Do Americans think they will keep their resolutions?
Out of the people who are planning to make a New Year’s resolution, 39% said it is very likely they will keep the resolution throughout 2026, per YouGov. Another 50% said it’s somewhat likely, 7% said it’s not very likely and 2% said it’s not at all likely.
About one-third of people think that when they make New Year’s resolutions, they make the upcoming year better for themselves. Another 8% think resolutions make the year much better.
Ten percent think people who make resolutions are making the upcoming year worse for themselves. Another 42% think it doesn’t make the year better or worse.
Out of people who plan to make a New Year’s resolution, 63% think making a resolution makes the year better for themselves. Among people who aren’t setting resolutions, only 14% say the same.
What was last year’s most common resolution?
The most popular resolution going into 2025 was saving more money, with 26% of people saying that was their resolution. Last year, 22% of people resolved to exercise more, per YouGov.
It is more likely for adults under 45 than older adults to resolve to save more money. Younger adults are also more likely to resolve to pursue a career goal, improve their mental health and learn something new.