The following is a list of television Nielsen ratings and rankings for American daytime soap operas from 1950 to the present, as compiled by Nielsen Media Research. The numbers provided represent the percentage of TV households in the United States watching that particular show in a year. Ratings beginning with the 2013-14 television season count Live+Same Day households as opposed to Live+7 Days. Before 1996, the season average included only ratings from late September through mid-April. Since 1996, the numbers represent full-year ratings, from September through September.

1950s

1950–1951 Season 1951–1952 Season 1952–1953 Season 1953–1954 Season 1954–1955 Season 1955–1956 Season 1956–1957 Season 1957–1958 Season 1958–1959 Season 1950s Rankings: #1: Search for Tomorrow; #2: The Guiding Light; #3: Love of Life

1960s

1959–1960 Season 1960–1961 Season 1961–1962 Season 1962–1963 Season 1963–1964 Season 1964–1965 Season 1965–1966 Season 1966–1967 Season 1967–1968 Season 1968–1969 Season 1960s Rankings: #1: As the World Turns; #2: The Guiding Light; #3: Search for Tomorrow

1970s

1969–1970 Season 1970–1971 Season 1971–1972 Season 1972–1973 Season 1973–1974 Season 1974–1975 Season 1975–1976 Season 1976–1977 Season 1977–1978 Season 1978–1979 Season 1970s Rankings: #1: As the World Turns; #2: Another World; #3: Days of Our Lives

1980s

1979–1980 Season 1980–1981 Season 1981–1982 Season 1982–1983 Season 1983–1984 Season 1984–1985 Season 1985–1986 Season 1986–1987 Season 1987–1988 Season 1988–1989 Season 1980s Rankings: #1: General Hospital; #2: All My Children; #3: The Young and the Restless, #4: One Life to Live

1990s

1989–1990 Season 1990–1991 Season 1991–1992 Season 1992–1993 Season 1993–1994 Season 1994–1995 Season 1995–1996 Season 1996–1997 Season 1997–1998 Season 1998–1999 Season 1990s Rankings: #1: The Young and the Restless; #2: All My Children; #3: General Hospital

2000s

1999–2000 Season 2000–2001 Season 2001–2002 Season 2002–2003 Season 2003–2004 Season 2004–2005 Season 2005–2006 Season 2006–2007 Season 2007–2008 Season 2008–2009 Season 2000s Rankings: #1: The Young and the Restless; #2: The Bold and the Beautiful; #3: General Hospital

2010s

2009–2010 Season 2010–2011 Season 2011–2012 Season 2012–2013 Season 2013–2014 Season 2014–2015 Season 2015–2016 Season 2016–2017 Season 2017–2018 Season 2018–2019 Season

2020s

2019–2020 Season 2020–2021 Season 2021–2022 Season 2022–2023 Season 2023–2024 Season