The Index of Culture and Opportunity measures the health of American culture and the vitality of economic opportunity by tracking long-term trends across key social, moral, public health, and economic indicators. Culture shapes the habits, expectations, and norms that influence whether individuals flourish, families remain stable, communities are strengthened by a vibrant civic life, and society supports individual freedom, free enterprise, limited government, and productive lives. Opportunity encompasses the means by which individuals can exercise their unalienable rights to liberty and the pursuit of happiness and their ability to strive to achieve their full potential unencumbered by government. The Index tracks several indicators that are key to gauging social and economic changes in the United States over time and provides expert commentary to explain the context and causes of these trends, what they mean for American society, and their implications for our future.

The 2026 Index shows that many indicators of culture and opportunity continue to move in the wrong direction even as some areas, such as education choice, show improvement. Family formation has weakened, religious participation has declined, and social disorder remains elevated. Trends in crime, fertility, labor force participation, and youth development suggest that cultural erosion carries substantial social and economic costs that should serve as warning signs for policymakers.

How We Track

Each indicator tracked in the Index is represented by a time series that shows how the particular social or economic factor has changed over time. In most cases, the indicator is represented by a single time series, but in some cases, it has proved instructive to disaggregate the data by demographic groupings or discrete classifications. The time series for each indicator include historical data up to the most recent data that are publicly available at the time this Index was published. The data for each indicator are illustrated in chart visualizations at the beginning of each chapter.

The Index focuses on the long-term trends for indicators rather than short-term fluctuations. Year-to-year changes can be informative, but many cultural and social indicators evolve gradually and are influenced by such factors as demographic change, economic cycles, and policy shifts, and without historical context, it is difficult to ascertain whether one-year changes represent meaningful significant shifts from the status quo or random variation. For most indicators where the data come from a nationally representative survey or probabilistic estimates, confidence intervals are provided to help the reader to see where the time series trends have meaningfully changed on the order of statistical significance and where changes are not statistically different.

Data for each indicator are drawn from regularly updated, nationally recognized sources including federal statistical agencies, government surveys, and other authoritative data providers.

Commentary and Interpretation

A defining feature of the Index is the expert commentary that accompanies each indicator. Contributors are Heritage Foundation scholars, policy analysts, and subject-matter experts who explain why each indicator matters and place the data in their cultural, economic, and institutional context. The commentary does not merely describe trends; it also examines their implications for opportunity, human flourishing, and the future of American society.

What We Track

The Index monitors trends across nine key categories that measure the status of culture and opportunity in America:

• Family Formation and Stability. Marriage as a share of adult life continues to decline, and a large percentage of children are born outside of marriage. Divorces have fallen from their historic peak, but this is largely because fewer Americans marry in the first place. The rise of nonmarital childbearing and multi-partner fertility has contributed to greater instability for children and families. These trends are closely linked to worse outcomes for educational attainment, workforce participation, and long-term economic mobility.
• Culture of Life. America faces a deepening demographic challenge. Fertility has remained below replacement for decades and has fallen to historically low levels in recent years. At the same time, abortion rates have risen both because of cultural changes and because of regulatory changes that have expanded access to chemical abortion drugs even in states that legally protect the unborn. Persistent low fertility combined with declining marriage threatens long-term population growth, economic dynamism, and generational renewal.
• Youth Development. The data on teen sexual activity, cyberbullying, and tech usage underscore the pressures facing younger Americans. Technology has amplified both opportunity and risk, often weakening parental authority and social norms that once guided adolescent development. These trends raise concerns about the formation of the next generation, civic responsibility, and social development over the life course.
• Religious and Civic Participation. Religious practice and civic engagement continue to decline across much of American society, weakening the institutions that historically foster social trust, moral formation, and community cohesion. Fewer Americans attend religious services regularly, and charitable giving has diminished. These institutions play a critical role in transmitting norms of responsibility, service, and mutual obligation—norms that support family stability, law-abiding behavior, and productive citizenship. As religious life and civic life recede, social isolation increases and informal support networks erode, leaving individuals more vulnerable and communities less resilient.
• Social Disorder. Drug use, homelessness, and crime remain serious concerns. Illicit drug use among adults has increased over the past two decades, reflecting a cultural shift that treats substance abuse with greater tolerance and less stigma. Violent and nonviolent crime have declined substantially over the past three decades, but a recent uptick in crime has been fueled by Soros-funded rogue prosecutors, defunding of police departments, and demonization of the police. Recent sharp increases in illegal immigration and homelessness further strain communities and public resources and indicate that many are being left behind.
• Health and Social Well-Being. Indicators of physical and mental health reveal growing challenges. Depression, loneliness, obesity, and chronic disease affect a large and rising share of Americans. Declining social connection—reflected in reduced religious participation and increased isolation—has compounded these problems. Cultural factors, including weakened family and community ties, play a central role in shaping health outcomes.
• Education. Rising high school graduation rates mask serious concerns about academic readiness and skill development. At the same time, labor force participation—especially among younger Americans—has declined substantially from historic peaks. A bright spot has been widespread expansion of school choice, which enables parents to leave failing schools and give their children an education that matches their values.
• Freedom and Opportunity. The growth of government spending has imposed a heavier tax burden on American taxpayers, and ever-increasing government regulation weighs down small businesses and undermines entrepreneurship. The increased role of government has had distortionary and inflationary effects on the economy. Higher housing costs and lower workforce productivity growth limit upward mobility and impair the sense that Americans can afford to start and raise their families.
• Poverty and Dependence. Material living standards have improved in many respects, but long-term dependence on government assistance remains elevated, particularly among working-age adults. The persistence of poverty and reliance on transfer programs with built-in marriage penalties are closely linked to declining marriage rates, reduced labor force participation, and weakened expectations around work and self-sufficiency. When employment, family formation, and community support break down, public assistance increasingly substitutes for institutions that once helped individuals to move toward independence. Sustained opportunity depends not only on economic growth, but also on a culture that reinforces work, responsibility, and pathways out of dependence.

Why It Matters

The state of our nation’s culture has broad implications for socioeconomic outcomes, the vitality of civic life, and the well-being of individuals, families, communities, and society at large. Law and public policy alone cannot sustain liberty, opportunity, the rule of law, and the very principles on which this nation was founded if the cultural and moral foundations of our republic erode. As John Adams famously wrote, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Stable families, the protection of human rights, the cultivation of morals, participation in religious and civic institutions, the formation of our youth, and a culture of personal responsibility are essential complements to sound economic and social policies. If American opportunity is to be revitalized, the cultural conditions that allow individuals and communities to flourish must be restored and strengthened.

Cultivating a society in which opportunity flourishes is also essential to securing liberty, free enterprise, limited government, wealth, well-being, and the ability to achieve the American Dream. True freedom comes with the ability to achieve one’s potential through personal commitment. When families are burdened by taxation, held back by excessive government regulations, trapped in their conditions by government handouts, limited by poor health, constrained by inflation and the rising costs of living, or confined in their opportunities because they lack access to meaningful work or quality education, individuals are not fully free to pursue their dreams, build wealth for their families, or live truly fulfilling lives. If America is to remain a nation where freedom and wealth prosper, opportunity must be fostered and preserved both now and for the next generation.