Gratitude Statistics 2026: 16 Facts

A 2024 Harvard study of 49,275 women found that those with the highest gratitude scores had a 9% lower risk of dying over the following four years. A 2025 PNAS meta-analysis across 145 studies and 24,804 participants from 28 countries confirmed that gratitude interventions reliably increase well-being worldwide. Robert Emmons' research found that a consistent gratitude practice increases happiness by 25% and improves sleep quality by 25%. These 16 statistics reveal what peer-reviewed science says about gratitude's effects on the brain, body, and daily life.

Gratitude has moved from inspirational poster to rigorous scientific subject. Researchers at Harvard, Berkeley, and institutions across 28 countries have now measured its effects on mortality, sleep, depression, cardiovascular health, and workplace performance. The results are consistent enough to appear in JAMA Psychiatry, PNAS, and PubMed meta-analyses.

This post covers 16 of the most compelling gratitude statistics drawn from peer-reviewed research, large national surveys, and named longitudinal studies. Each stat is sourced and presented with context so you can assess what the evidence actually shows.

1. Grateful Women Had a 9% Lower Risk of Dying Over Four Years

A 2024 study published in JAMA Psychiatry used data from the Nurses' Health Study to examine 49,275 older women and found a clear link between gratitude and survival. Participants whose Gratitude Questionnaire scores fell in the highest third had a 9% lower risk of all-cause mortality over four years compared to those in the bottom third. Gratitude was also associated with fewer cardiovascular-related deaths, with a hazard ratio of 0.85. The researchers controlled for sociodemographic factors, health history, lifestyle, social participation, religious involvement, and optimism to isolate gratitude's effect. While the study is observational and cannot prove causation, its scale - nearly 50,000 participants - and careful methodology make it one of the strongest pieces of evidence linking gratitude to longer life.

Source: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health - Experiencing gratitude associated with greater longevity

2. A PNAS Meta-Analysis Found Gratitude Interventions Work in 28 Countries

A 2025 meta-analysis published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences analyzed 145 studies, 163 samples, 727 effect sizes, and 24,804 participants drawn from 28 countries. The study found that gratitude interventions produced consistent, small-to-moderate increases in well-being globally, with a Hedges' g of 0.19. Effectiveness was highest when interventions combined multiple gratitude practices and when positive emotions were the measured outcome. The fact that benefits appeared across geographically and culturally diverse populations - including countries rarely represented in psychological research - strengthens the case that gratitude's effects are not limited to Western, educated, or high-income groups.

Source: PNAS - A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of gratitude interventions on well-being across cultures

3. Gratitude Practice Increases Happiness by 25%

Research by Robert Emmons, one of the leading scientists in the study of gratitude, found that a consistent gratitude practice can increase long-term happiness levels by 25%. Emmons' work, which included controlled experimental studies with gratitude journaling, also found 25% improvements in sleep quality and a 35% reduction in physician visits among those who practiced regularly. His research established the foundational framework for modern gratitude science and helped launch the field of positive psychology as applied to daily habits. A five-minute daily gratitude journal - one of the simplest possible interventions - was sufficient to produce meaningful changes in well-being scores over time.

Source: Penn State PRO Wellness - 10 Amazing Statistics to Celebrate National Gratitude Month

4. Gratitude Reduces Depression Symptoms by 6.89% and Anxiety by 7.76%

A systematic review and meta-analysis of gratitude interventions found that participants who practiced gratitude showed 6.89% fewer depression symptoms and 7.76% fewer anxiety symptoms compared to control groups. They also reported 6.86% greater life satisfaction and 5.8% better overall mental health. The same analysis drew from 145 studies spanning 28 countries and 24,804 participants, making these percentage reductions some of the most reliable estimates available. While the effect sizes are modest, they are statistically significant and consistent across different populations, intervention types, and measurement tools - suggesting gratitude practice has a genuine, if supplementary, role in mental health management.

Source: PMC - The effects of gratitude interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis

5. A Meta-Analysis of 26,427 Participants Linked Gratitude to Lower Depression

A meta-analysis synthesizing 70 reported effect sizes from 62 articles and 26,427 participants found a significant and consistent association between trait gratitude and lower levels of depression. Individuals who experience more gratitude in daily life systematically reported fewer depressive symptoms across studies conducted in different countries and demographic groups. The relationship held after controlling for other positive psychological variables, suggesting gratitude has a distinct contribution to mental health beyond general positivity or optimism. This large dataset reinforces the argument that gratitude is not merely a symptom of good mental health but may actively help protect against depression.

Source: ClinMed Journals - The Association between Gratitude and Depression: A Meta-Analysis

6. Over 90% of Americans Say Expressing Gratitude Makes Them Happy

A national survey found that more than 90% of American teens and adults agreed that expressing gratitude made them "extremely happy" or "somewhat happy." Despite this near-universal recognition of gratitude's mood benefits, the same survey - conducted by Penn, Schoen, Berland for the John Templeton Foundation and involving more than 2,000 online interviews - found that only 52% of women and 44% of men actually express gratitude on a regular basis. There is a significant gap between knowing gratitude feels good and making it a consistent practice. The survey also found that people are least likely to express gratitude at work, with 74% saying they rarely or never thank their boss.

Source: Greater Good Science Center - How Grateful are Americans?

7. Gratitude Improves Sleep by Reducing Negative Pre-Sleep Thoughts

A study with over 400 participants found that gratitude practice directly improved sleep quality by changing pre-sleep thought patterns. People who scored higher on trait gratitude experienced more positive pre-sleep cognitions and fewer negative ones - the mental rehearsal of tomorrow's stressors that commonly disrupts sleep onset. A separate study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research confirmed that gratitude predicts greater subjective sleep quality, longer sleep duration, less sleep latency, and less daytime dysfunction. Gratitude is thought to improve sleep partly through hypothalamic pathways, since the hypothalamus plays a central role in regulating sleep cycles. Both sleep quality and quantity respond to regular gratitude practice.

Source: PubMed - Gratitude influences sleep through the mechanism of pre-sleep cognitions

8. Grateful People Have 9-13% Lower Hemoglobin A1c Levels

Grateful individuals have been found to have Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels 9-13% lower than less grateful counterparts, according to research compiled in gratitude health studies. HbA1c is a key biomarker for blood sugar regulation and long-term diabetes risk. Lower levels indicate better metabolic health. This finding places gratitude among the lifestyle factors - alongside diet, sleep, and exercise - that meaningfully influence physiological health markers. The mechanism is thought to involve stress hormone regulation, since chronic stress raises cortisol and disrupts blood sugar control. Gratitude's known role in lowering perceived stress may indirectly improve metabolic markers over time.

Source: Research.com - 35 Scientific Benefits of Gratitude: Mental Health Research Findings for 2026

9. Gratitude Linked to Fewer Cardiovascular Deaths (HR = 0.85)

The same 2024 Nurses' Health Study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that high gratitude was associated with fewer deaths specifically from cardiovascular disease, with a hazard ratio of 0.85. A hazard ratio below 1.0 indicates a protective effect - in this case, a 15% lower rate of cardiovascular-related death among the most grateful participants compared to the least grateful. The study was conservative in its controls, adjusting for physical health, economic circumstances, social participation, and psychological factors including optimism. Separate research has also found that gratitude is associated with favorable inflammatory biomarkers and better cardiovascular functioning, suggesting multiple pathways through which gratitude may benefit heart health.

Source: Harvard Health - Gratitude linked to longer life and fewer heart-related deaths

10. 81% of Employees Say They Would Work Harder for a Grateful Boss

A national survey conducted by Penn, Schoen, Berland for the John Templeton Foundation found that 81% of employees would work harder if their boss expressed more gratitude toward them, and 70% would feel better about themselves if their manager were more appreciative. Additionally, 95% of employees agreed that a grateful boss is more likely to be successful. Despite this, 74% of workers said they rarely or never express gratitude to their supervisor, and people are generally less likely to express gratitude at work than in any other life domain. The data points to a large, untapped performance lever: creating cultures where gratitude is expressed consistently costs nothing but has measurable effects on effort and morale.

Source: Greater Good Science Center - How Grateful are Americans?

11. Recognition Programs Cut Voluntary Turnover by 31%

Companies that run employee recognition programs - a workplace form of expressed gratitude - see 31% lower voluntary turnover compared to organizations without them. Research also shows that well-recognized employees are 45% more likely to remain with their employer after two years, according to Gallup longitudinal data. Organizations with strong appreciation cultures report a 29% increase in retention rates, according to SHRM research. A separate finding from inFeedo shows that consistent, genuine expressions of gratitude can reduce employee attrition by up to 40%. These numbers underscore that gratitude in professional settings is not a soft benefit but a measurable driver of retention and organizational stability.

Source: inFeedo - How a Simple Thank You Can Reduce Employee Attrition by 40%

12. Writing a Gratitude Letter Produced the Largest Happiness Increase of Any Intervention Tested

A study by Martin Seligman and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania tested several positive psychology exercises and found that writing and personally delivering a gratitude letter to someone who had never been properly thanked produced a larger immediate increase in happiness scores than any other intervention tested. The happiness boost from this single exercise lasted for an entire month - longer than any other activity in the study. This "gratitude visit" exercise has since been replicated and incorporated into clinical positive psychology programs around the world. The combination of deliberate reflection, written expression, and social connection appears to amplify the benefits compared to silent or private gratitude exercises.

Source: Harvard Health - Giving thanks can make you happier

13. A 2025 Cross-National Study Found Gratitude in 202,898 People Across 22 Countries

A 2025 study published using data from the Global Flourishing Study analyzed nationally representative samples from 202,898 participants across 22 geographically and culturally diverse countries. Mean gratitude scores were highest in Indonesia (8.93 out of 10) and lowest in Japan (5.81). Across all countries, the groups reporting highest gratitude included older adults, women, married people, immigrants, retirees, those with 16 or more years of education, and people who attend religious services more than once weekly. The study's scale - over 200,000 participants across six continents - makes it one of the largest gratitude datasets ever assembled, giving researchers a far richer picture of how cultural, demographic, and social factors interact with gratitude.

Source: PubMed - Sociodemographic Variation in Gratitude Using a Cross-National Analysis with 22 Countries

14. Gratitude Journaling Produces up to 10% Better Well-Being and Resilience Scores

A 2024 systematic review of gratitude journaling interventions found consistent therapeutic benefits, with participant surveys showing up to 10% improvement in subjective well-being and resilience scores compared to control groups. The review found that five minutes per day was sufficient to produce these improvements when practiced consistently. Earlier research had already shown that 15 minutes of journaling three times per week over ten weeks raised subjective optimism by 5-15%. Gratitude journaling works in part because it trains the brain to scan for positive information - a cognitive habit that can counterbalance the negativity bias humans naturally carry. Regular journaling practice appears to make the mind more efficient at noticing and encoding positive experiences throughout the day.

Source: Research.com - 35 Scientific Benefits of Gratitude: Mental Health Research Findings for 2026

15. A Gratitude Practice Leads to 25% Better Sleep and 35% Fewer Doctor Visits

Robert Emmons' controlled experimental research found that participants assigned to a weekly gratitude journaling condition reported 25% higher sleep quality than control participants over the course of the studies. The same research framework found that people who practiced gratitude consistently visited physicians 35% less often than their counterparts who did not. Both outcomes suggest gratitude may have a systemic effect on health, operating through stress reduction, improved sleep, and healthier lifestyle choices rather than through any single direct pathway. The sleep finding is particularly significant because poor sleep is itself a risk factor for depression, cardiovascular disease, metabolic dysfunction, and reduced immunity.

Source: HALO - 10 Amazing Statistics to Celebrate National Gratitude Month

16. Gratitude Interventions Outperform Neutral Activities Across 145 Studies

The 2025 PNAS meta-analysis that analyzed 145 studies and 24,804 participants found that gratitude interventions consistently outperformed neutral comparison conditions on well-being measures, with effects appearing at both post-intervention assessments and longer-term follow-up. The analysis included studies from 28 countries, covering a range of gratitude formats - counting blessings, writing gratitude letters, gratitude visits, and daily journaling. Moderation analyses showed interventions were most effective when they combined multiple gratitude formats and when they specifically targeted positive emotional experience. The consistent superiority of gratitude conditions over controls, replicated across 145 independent study samples, represents a strong scientific foundation for recommending gratitude practice as a reliable well-being tool.

Source: PMC - A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of gratitude interventions on well-being across cultures

What These Statistics Reveal About Gratitude

The data converges on a clear picture. Gratitude is not simply a feeling - it is a practice with measurable consequences for brain chemistry, cardiovascular health, sleep quality, and longevity. The scale of the evidence is now large enough that individual studies can no longer be dismissed as flukes. A PNAS meta-analysis of 24,804 people across 28 countries and a Harvard study of nearly 50,000 nurses are not small, convenience-sample findings.

What is striking about these statistics is the range of outcomes affected. Gratitude correlates with lower mortality, fewer depressive symptoms, better sleep, healthier blood sugar, greater workplace productivity, and stronger social bonds. No single mechanism explains all of this. Researchers point to a combination of factors: gratitude lowers stress hormones, shifts attention toward positive information, strengthens social relationships, and builds a stable, secure self-concept. These pathways reinforce each other over time.

The gap between knowing and doing is the challenge the data reveals most clearly. Over 90% of Americans know expressing gratitude makes them happier - yet fewer than half do it regularly. The research strongly suggests that the people who close this gap and make gratitude a consistent daily practice are the ones who see the health, sleep, and longevity benefits documented across these 16 statistics.

The science is no longer equivocal: a consistent gratitude practice produces real, measurable improvements in mental health, physical health, and longevity - and the benefits are accessible to anyone willing to practice daily.

Build a Gratitude Practice With Science on Your Side

These statistics make the case for consistency. A five-minute daily gratitude practice is enough to shift sleep quality, mood, and resilience scores within weeks. The challenge is building and maintaining the habit - which is exactly where having the right tool makes a difference. You are - Daily Affirmations pairs 500+ science-backed affirmations with daily prompts designed to help you anchor a gratitude and self-reflection practice into your morning routine.

Gratitude and affirmation naturally reinforce each other. Affirmations help you hold a positive self-concept under stress; gratitude trains your attention to notice what is already working. Used together, they address two of the most well-researched levers for well-being that science has identified. The You are app is built specifically for this kind of daily, intentional practice - simple enough to use every morning and substantive enough to produce real results over time.

Try You are - Daily Affirmations free and start a daily gratitude and affirmation practice backed by the science in this post.

500+ science-backed affirmations | Built for iOS