A survey by the non-profit think tank Pew Research Center found that 25 per cent of Americans believe that they haven't moved forward in life in the past five years, while another 31 per cent say they have fallen back-wards. Nearly two-thirds say they have a higher standard of living than their parents had at their age. For the past two decades, middle-income Americans have been spending more & borrowing more. 79% said it is more difficult now to maintain standard of living.