# Three-quarters of Americans say society should encourage empathy

Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/culture/empathy-as-a-moral-good-three-quarters-of-americans-say-society-should-encourage-it/

> Indexed question in Culture.

## Reading

In a Verasight survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted March 6 to 16, 2026, 73% of Americans agreed that empathy, feeling and identifying with the suffering of others, is a moral good that society should encourage. This includes 32% who strongly agree and 41% who agree.

Few Americans disagreed (6%), with 4% who disagree and 3% who strongly disagree. Another 21% were neutral.

## Topline

Empathy, feeling and identifying with the suffering of others, is a moral good that society should encourage.

73% of Americans say empathy is a moral good society should encourage.

Net findings combine adjacent response options from the same scale.

- Agree: 40.9%
- Strongly agree: 32.0%
- Neither agree nor disagree: 20.8%
- Disagree: 3.8%
- Strongly disagree: 2.5%

## Methodology

- Mode: Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
- Population: US adults age 18+
- Field dates: 2026-03-06 → 2026-03-16
- Base (unweighted): 1,000
- Margin of error: +/- 3.5%
- Module: Module 5: Health, Community, & Personal Values
- Sponsor: Verasight
- Weight variable: weight
- Weighting targets: age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status

## Source

- Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/omnibus-2026-044#q-5-4](https://reports.verasight.io/r/omnibus-2026-044#q-5-4)

## Citation

Verasight Client Omnibus Survey #2026-044, fielded March 6-16, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.5%.

Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/omnibus-2026-044#q-5-4](https://reports.verasight.io/r/omnibus-2026-044#q-5-4)