Are New Years Resolution Pointless in 2026: Interesting & Dumb Data Insights.

As the calendar turns, New Year’s resolutions remain a familiar ritual for Americans looking to reset habits and priorities. Brands have learned how to speak fluently in the language of “new year, new me” in the form of fitness, wellness and subscriptions as marketing is now built around the motivation peaks of January.
Numerator’s December survey of 1,000 adult shoppers found that 53% of US consumers plan to make New Year’s resolutions in 2025, a five-point increase from 2024. Younger generations lead in the practice with 71% of Gen Z and 66% of Millennials saying they plan to set resolutions, compared with 53% of Gen X and just 39% of Boomers. 

For many Americans, resolutions remain rooted in physical and financial well-being. Statista shows that for 2026, exercising more tops the list, cited by 48% of resolution-setters, followed closely by saving more money at 46%, eating healthier at 45%, and spending more time with family and friends at 42%. The Health & Fitness Association also found that roughly 96 million U.S. adults plan to prioritize health, fitness, or exercise in 2025. About half say their goal is specifically to build muscle or strength, a trend that helped make 2025 a strong year for protein-rich foods and snacks. 

Gym visits in January 2025 were 21.2% higher than in December 2024, and this trend often spills over into related sectors. January and February typically bring a 96% increase at sports retailers, a 55% rise at health stores, and a 15% increase in eating out. 
Resolution-driven behaviour entices many businesses to open their door for new memberships and promotional pricing designed to capture fresh enthusiasm of the new year. 
A Wells Fargo survey of US adults aged 25 and older with household incomes under $100,000 found that nearly all respondents planning New Year’s resolutions for 2026 included a financial goal. Saving more money topped the list at 70%, while 49% aimed to spend less, 39% sought to improve credit scores, 38% planned to pay off debt, and 35% hoped to start a side hustle or new income stream. Even so, only 34% said they were very confident they would meet those financial goals. 

YouGov data shows that the share of Americans aged 30 to 44 planning to make resolutions fell to 29% from 44% in December 2023, while participation among adults under 30 rose to 58% from 52%. In 2024, 49% of adults aged 18 to 29 reported making at least one resolution, compared with 31% of those aged 30 to 49 and 21% of those 50 and older. 
For all these, follow-through remains a challenge and research shows that just 9% of Americans actually keep their resolutions throughout the year. Many resolution-setters abandon their goals early, with the second Friday of January earning the nickname “Quitter’s Day.” 
 
Taken together, New Year’s resolutions remain less about sudden reinvention and more about a brief window when motivation, spending, and self-expectation all peak at once. For now, resolutions still function as an annual reset button, often short-lived, but powerful enough to shape behavior and markets at the very start of the year.