Poll: Only 45% feel 'extremely' proud to be an American

(Roger Sayles)

American pride seems to be falling, according to a new Gallup poll that showed only 45% of those surveyed feel 'extremely' proud to be Americans.

"While 70% of U.S. adults overall say they are proud to be Americans, this includes fewer than half (45%) who are "extremely" proud, marking the second consecutive year that this reading is below the majority level," the poll states. 

The findings are from a survey of about 1,015 U.S. adult which shows that American pride has been dwindling in recent years. The latest number, 45%, is an all-time low since Gallup first starting measuring in 2001. 

Democrats also continue to be behind Republicans when it comes to expressing pride in the U.S. with only 22% saying they are extremely proud. That's down 10 points from last year. 

Americans seem to have been the most proud between 2002 and 2004 when Gallup reported the highest readings: 69% and 70%. This happened to be a year after the 9/11 terrorist attacks "when the American public expressed high levels of patriotism and rallied around the U.S. government."

However, Gallup reports that since the start of George W. Bush's second term as president in 2005, extreme American pride has dipped to fewer than 60%,

When it comes to what Americans are proud of, scientific success and the military ranks high while the U.S. political system and health and welfare system ranked low.