Americans have mixed feelings when looking back on 2021 but are hopeful about 2022 - CBS News poll

As the new year approaches, America overall has mixed feelings when it looks back on 2021. For 42% of Americans, 2021 was a year filled mostly with happiness. But for 40% of Americans, 2021 was filled mostly with sadness.

But while 2021 may not have been a very happy year for many Americans, it was an improvement over the previous year for many Americans. Twelve months ago, over half of Americans described the year 2021 as being filled mostly with sadness.

Though views of 2021 are mixed, most Americans feel hopeful when looking ahead to 2022. Seventy-one percent of Americans say they personally feel mostly hopeful, while just 22% feel mostly discouraged. Most Americans feel hopeful regardless of how they feel about the past twelve months, though those with a happier outlook on the past year (86%) are more likely to be hopeful than those who view the last twelve months with sadness (59%).