Fewer Democrats and Republicans say life "should" be fair. (Screenshot)

A new survey of American adults finds that the percent who believe “Life is fair” has fallen over the past year – and the share of those who think life even “should” be fair has declined, as well.

The nationwide survey by YouGov shows that only 29% of Americans now say life is fair, down from 38% in December of 2016. And, while Republicans are more likely than Democrats to view life as fair, both saw a drop in optimism since last year.

"Life Is Fair":

Republicans: 39%, Down from 47%

Democrats: 26%, Down 34%

Total: 29%, Down from 38%

Likewise, a smaller percentage of both Democrats and Republicans now say life “should” be fair. Overall, 55% of Americans believe it should, down from 63% in 2016 – and one in five (20%) said “Life shouldn’t be fair” – while 25% weren’t sure.

"Life SHOULD Be Fair":

Republicans: 45%, Down from 58%

Democrats: 63%, Down from 70%

Total: 55%, Down from 63%

In 2016, those earning over $80,000 were the most likely to say life was fair (50%), but that fell to only 31% in 2017. This year, less than a third of Americans of any income level studied by YouGov say life is fair.

Survey results are the product of 4,260 U.S. adults who were questioned on Dec 6, 2017, and are weighted to be representative of the US population.