WASHINGTON — Freedoms and liberties stand out as the primary sources of pride for U.S. citizens, a Pew Research Center survey released this week reveals. The study polled over 30,000 adults in 25 nations, including the United States, Argentina, Australia and Brazil.

Researchers asked respondents what makes them proud of their country. In the U.S., 22% pointed to freedoms and liberties. That figure topped all other responses. The study notes the U.S. stands apart: it ranks among the few countries where this theme dominates.

“I am proud that the United States has a commitment to individual liberty, freedom of religion, and speech for its citizens,” a 54-year-old American woman told surveyors, according to the report.

Partisan divides sharpen the picture. Republicans were far more likely than Democrats to highlight freedoms. Some 32% of Republicans cited them. Just 15% of Democrats did. No other surveyed country showed such a stark gap on this point, Pew states.

Other U.S. responses trailed behind. The economy drew notice from some. Others praised the American dream, the people themselves or broad opportunities. Those themes surfaced less often than freedoms.

The survey spanned a wide field: Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the U.K.

Freedoms echoed elsewhere, though not as strongly. In Canada, 17% of respondents mentioned freedom or freedom of expression. France hit 22%. Germany logged 16%, Kenya 15%, South Africa 11% and Sweden 24%. Many in the Netherlands spotlighted their “large degree of freedom of speech,” the report adds.

Britons took a different tack. Few named freedom. Instead, 25% praised their compatriots as “kind” and “honest.”

The findings arrive ahead of a milestone. July 4, 2026, brings the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Its signers proclaimed the colonies “free and independent states” and absolved of allegiance to the British Crown. They styled themselves a free people.

Pew conducted the survey from Jan. 8 to Feb. 2, 2026. It carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points for the U.S. sample. Fieldwork relied on phone and online interviews in most countries. Exceptions included face-to-face polling in places like Kenya and Nigeria.

National pride levels varied sharply. Greece recorded the lowest at 35%. Kenyans topped the list with 92%. Americans fell in the middle, at 64%. The study ties into broader Pew efforts tracking global attitudes toward democracy, rights and identity.

Researchers stress the open-ended question format. Respondents supplied their own words, without prompts. That approach surfaced raw priorities. Freedoms emerged unbidden for Americans more than in most places.