Some Americans are less likely than others to feel a connection to people in their country

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Americans are less likely than people abroad to feel close to others in their country and community, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey of 24 nations. This is especially the case among certain groups of Americans, including younger adults, those with lower incomes and less education, those who identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party, and those who are religiously unaffiliated.

Across all 24 countries surveyed, a median of 83% of adults say they feel very or somewhat close to other people in their country. A majority of U.S. adults (66%) also hold this view, but Americans are the least likely among those in the countries surveyed to do so.

Even fewer Americans feel close to people in their local community: 54% feel a connection to others near them, compared with a median of 78% of adults across all 24 countries. South Korea is the only country with a lower share of adults who feel connected with others in their community (50%).

Some Americans are less likely than others to feel a connection to people in their country. For example, only 46% of adults under 30 feel connected to other Americans, compared with 83% of those ages 65 and older.

There are also differences by party and ideology. Six-in-ten Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents – compared with three-quarters of Republicans and Republican leaners – feel close to other Americans. Liberal Democrats are the least likely to say they feel close to other Americans, while conservative Republicans are the most likely to do so.

A similar ideological gap exists in several other countries, with people on the political left less likely than those on the right to feel close to people in their country.

Religion also plays a role. Religiously unaffiliated Americans are far less likely than their affiliated counterparts to feel close to others in the U.S. (51% vs. 73%). This pattern is mirrored in other measures of religiosity. For example, Americans who say religion is not too or not all important to them, or who never attend religious services, are generally less likely to feel close to other Americans.