Report · Health

Thinking about death at least occasionally is common

Reading

In a Verasight survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted Feb. 28 to March 6, 2025, 59% of Americans said they think about death at least occasionally. Including 39% who think about it occasionally and 20% who think about it frequently or very frequently.

About four-in-ten said they rarely or never think about death (41%), with 9% who said never and 33% who said rarely or very rarely.

Topline

single choice

Topline distribution

59% of Americans say they think about death at least occasionally.

How often do you think about death?

  • Occasionally 38.8%
  • Rarely 16.6%
  • Very Rarely 16.1%
  • Frequently 14.1%
  • Never 8.5%
  • Very Frequently 6.0%

2025 · base n 1,000 · +/- 3.5%

health

View source

Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2025-02-28 → 2025-03-06
Base (unweighted)
1,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.5%
Module
health

Source

  • 01
    Thinking about death at least occasionally is commonreports.verasight.io/reports/verasight-spsp-omnibus-survey-2025-010

Citation

Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2025-010, fielded February 28-March 6, 2025, N=1,000 United States adults, +/- 3.5%.

https://reports.verasight.io/reports/verasight-spsp-omnibus-survey-2025-010#q-health-7

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. Each wave's specific field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that wave's report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
Every wave is published as a standalone report at verasight.io/reports with full instrument and methodology.
Transparency
AAPOR transparency standards.

Wave-specific methodology, full weighting variable lists, and verbatim instrument text live in each report at verasight.io/reports.