Northwestern Mutual’s Personal Prosperity Index reached 71 out of 100 in its latest survey, three points above midyear, even as respondents reported worsening national conditions, highlighting a gap between personal assessments and broader concerns.
Over the previous six months, 61% said the national economy had worsened, 59% said the political climate had worsened and 58% said the cost of basic necessities had worsened. Still, 77% said they felt prosperous, and 34% said they felt more prosperous than six months earlier.
The online survey, conducted by The Harris Poll for Northwestern Mutual, included 2,000 U.S. adults from Aug. 25 to Sept. 3, 2026. Northwestern Mutual said the results were weighted to represent the adult population. The index averages six equally weighted responses about financial sufficiency, fulfillment, relationships, happiness, ways of finding peace and work. It reflects respondents’ views, not an official measure of economic output.
Some personal well-being measures also improved: 36% reported better emotional health or mental well-being, and 35% said their physical health had improved. Among working Americans, 30% were concerned about losing their jobs within the next six months.
Financial security varied across groups. Northwestern Mutual said 30% of Americans were at or below what it called basic financial survival: 23% had enough for basic expenses but nothing extra, while 7% could not cover those expenses. The company placed 24% of renters and other non-homeowners in its “poor” prosperity group, defined as a score below 55, compared with 4% of people with at least $1 million in investable assets.
The three-point rise compares survey waves conducted by different firms and with different sample sizes. Ipsos conducted the midyear poll among 2,545 U.S. adults; The Harris Poll surveyed 2,000 adults for the latest wave. Northwestern Mutual plans to publish the index twice a year, but its Nov. 4 release did not give a date for the next survey.
