New Year’s resolutions are popular, but success is far from guaranteed. Across the page, you’ll see how participation varies by age, gender, and education, and how well people keep their plans. We also connect evidence-based strategies—like self-monitoring and specific goal setting—with real-world trends, including health app growth and workplace wellness spending.
Key Takeaways
- 21% of adults in the U.S. said they do not set New Year’s resolutions at all
- In a 2015 study, higher income participants showed greater ability to keep at least some New Year’s resolutions than lower income participants
- 29% of U.S. adults aged 35–44 reported making a New Year’s resolution (2019 survey results)
- 28% of U.S. men reported making a New Year’s resolution (2019 survey results)
- In a 2019 randomized trial of a self-management program for weight control, adherence improved by 15 percentage points with structured goal tracking
- In a meta-analysis, self-monitoring was associated with improved behavior change outcomes (r = 0.24)
- In a review of behavior change techniques, feedback on performance is linked to improved goal achievement compared with no feedback (standardized mean difference about 0.44)
- In the context of New Year’s resolutions, a meta-analysis found a moderate positive relationship between goal specificity and performance (r = 0.25)
- In a meta-analysis, self-efficacy showed a moderate positive association with health behavior change (r ≈ 0.30)
- In a randomized controlled trial, participants who received implementation intentions achieved higher behavioral adherence than controls (OR > 1)
- In a widely cited psychological study, about 8% of people who make a resolution actually succeed
- A 2009 peer-reviewed study reported that goal intention strength predicts follow-through for New Year’s resolutions
- In a 2011 study, participants with concrete plans (implementation intentions) were more likely to follow through with intended behaviors than participants without concrete plans
- $3.0 billion expected U.S. consumer spending on weight-loss products/services during the New Year period in 2024 (seasonal uplift)
- 4.2% growth in U.S. digital health and fitness app revenues in 2023 as consumers adopted structured tracking behaviors commonly used in resolutions
Most adults skip resolutions, but tracking, specific goals, and planning notably improve follow through.
Related reading
01 · Category
Success & Failure Rates8 stats
01
In a widely cited psychological study, about 8% of people who make a resolution actually succeed
02
A 2009 peer-reviewed study reported that goal intention strength predicts follow-through for New Year’s resolutions
03
In a 2011 study, participants with concrete plans (implementation intentions) were more likely to follow through with intended behaviors than participants without concrete plans
04
In a 2012 study, participants using a structured goal-setting approach showed higher adherence to health goals than those using less structured approaches
05
In a 2014 meta-analysis, implementation intentions had a small-to-moderate positive effect on goal achievement (d ≈ 0.65)
06
In a 2018 review of behavior change interventions, goal-setting interventions produced improvements in target behaviors with an average standardized effect size (Hedges g) of about 0.47
07
In a 2015 meta-analysis of health behavior change, behavior change techniques that include goal-setting/improved planning showed beneficial effects (OR > 1)
08
In a study of health behavior, action planning and coping planning together improved follow-through outcomes compared with control conditions
Interpretation
Success & Failure Rates Interpretation
Across Success and Failure Rates, only about 8% of people actually succeed with New Year’s resolutions, but studies show that using stronger goal intentions and concrete planning can meaningfully improve follow-through, with implementation intentions delivering an average effect of d ≈ 0.65.
02 · Category
Economic & Market Impact8 stats
01
$3.0 billion expected U.S. consumer spending on weight-loss products/services during the New Year period in 2024 (seasonal uplift)
02
4.2% growth in U.S. digital health and fitness app revenues in 2023 as consumers adopted structured tracking behaviors commonly used in resolutions
03
6.1% of global health app downloads in 2023 were fitness/health tracker apps (a category aligned with New Year’s fitness resolutions)
04
In 2023, the global workplace wellness market was valued at $87.1 billion (frequently targeted to resolution-driven behavior change)
05
In 2022, the global personal finance software market was $6.4 billion (relevant to resolution-driven budgeting)
06
In 2024, the global weight loss market was valued at $305.6 billion (a market often stimulated by New Year weight-loss resolutions)
07
In 2023, the global fitness equipment market size was $26.7 billion (with annual demand influenced by New Year cycles)
08
In 2023, the global nutrition supplements market was $177.1 billion (diet-related resolutions contribute to demand)
Interpretation
Economic & Market Impact Interpretation
Economic and market impact from New Year’s resolutions looks especially strong in fitness and weight loss, with the global weight loss market reaching $305.6 billion in 2024 and the expected $3.0 billion in U.S. consumer spending on weight-loss products and services during the New Year period in 2024.
03 · Category
Demographics & Differences6 stats
01
In a 2015 study, higher income participants showed greater ability to keep at least some New Year’s resolutions than lower income participants
02
29% of U.S. adults aged 35–44 reported making a New Year’s resolution (2019 survey results)
03
28% of U.S. men reported making a New Year’s resolution (2019 survey results)
04
Among U.S. respondents, 27% of those without college education reported making a New Year’s resolution (2019 survey results)
05
26% of unemployed U.S. adults reported making a New Year’s resolution (2019 survey results)
06
In a 2014 behavioral science paper, individuals with higher baseline motivation showed greater New Year’s resolution persistence (reported as a positive association)
Interpretation
Demographics & Differences Interpretation
Across demographics, making and sticking with New Year’s resolutions varies noticeably by social and economic factors, with 29% of U.S. adults aged 35 to 44 making one in 2019 compared with only 26% of unemployed adults and lower shares among men or those without college education, while research also suggests higher baseline motivation and higher income are linked to better resolution persistence.
More related reading
04 · Category
Behavioral Implementation6 stats
01
In a 2019 randomized trial of a self-management program for weight control, adherence improved by 15 percentage points with structured goal tracking
02
In a meta-analysis, self-monitoring was associated with improved behavior change outcomes (r = 0.24)
03
In a review of behavior change techniques, feedback on performance is linked to improved goal achievement compared with no feedback (standardized mean difference about 0.44)
04
In a randomized trial, participants who used habit formation interventions improved adherence by about 25% relative to controls
05
In a 2016 meta-analysis, behavior change techniques involving feedback and monitoring showed positive effects for physical activity (Hedges g around 0.30)
06
In a 2017 review, mHealth interventions for health behavior included goal setting and tracking features in the majority of studies evaluated (over half)
Interpretation
Behavioral Implementation Interpretation
Across studies in Behavioral Implementation, adding structured goal setting and self monitoring boosts adherence by roughly 15 to 25 percentage points and is consistently tied to better outcomes, with meta analytic evidence showing small but significant effects (r = 0.24) when people receive feedback and track progress.
05 · Category
Resolution Motivation6 stats
01
22% of U.S. adults reported starting to plan or work on their New Year's resolution in the first week of January (2022 survey)
02
56% of U.S. adults with a New Year's resolution said they plan to stick to it (2022 survey)
03
68% of U.S. adults who made a New Year's resolution said they set a goal for the resolution (2022 survey)
04
47% of U.S. adults with a New Year's resolution said they would like more motivation to help them stay with it (2022 survey)
05
51% of U.S. adults with a New Year's resolution said they are tracking their progress (2022 survey)
06
44% of U.S. adults with a New Year's resolution said they will ask for help to stay on track (2022 survey)
Interpretation
Resolution Motivation Interpretation
About half of U.S. adults with a New Year's resolution, 47% of them, say they want more motivation to stay with it, underscoring that resolution motivation is the key need even for many who set goals and plan or track their progress.
06 · Category
Industry Overview9 stats
01
In the context of New Year’s resolutions, a meta-analysis found a moderate positive relationship between goal specificity and performance (r = 0.25)
02
In a meta-analysis, self-efficacy showed a moderate positive association with health behavior change (r ≈ 0.30)
03
In a randomized controlled trial, participants who received implementation intentions achieved higher behavioral adherence than controls (OR > 1)
04
In a large study of goal pursuit, 62% of participants reported setting goals and trying to implement them as part of ongoing behavior change (including New Year-type resolutions)
05
44% of U.S. adults reported making a New Year's resolution (2017 survey)
06
41% of U.S. adults reported making a New Year's resolution (2016 survey)
07
21% of adults in the U.S. said they do not set New Year’s resolutions at all
08
18% of U.S. adults with a New Year's resolution said they achieved their resolution by mid-February (2022 survey)
09
38% of adults in the UK reported using a fitness app at least once in the last month (behavior supportive of resolution tracking)
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
Across this Industry Overview, the data suggest New Year’s resolutions are both widely adopted and backed by evidence-based behavior science, with 44% of U.S. adults in 2017 and 41% in 2016 making a resolution while studies show moderate positive effects like goal specificity and self-efficacy aligning with better health and adherence outcomes.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Christopher Morgan. (2026, February 13). New Years Resolutions Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/new-years-resolutions-statistics
MLA
Christopher Morgan. "New Years Resolutions Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/new-years-resolutions-statistics.
Chicago
Christopher Morgan. 2026. "New Years Resolutions Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/new-years-resolutions-statistics.
Sources & references
43 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+27 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)