AA has a very low recovery rate. It is ESTIMATED (since no records are kept), as low as 3% to 5% of those coming into AA are still sober 5 years later. That is very low; however it seems to be higher than anything else that I have been made aware of to date.
The people that I know with long term sobriety, and there are many, in AA are happy, joyous and free. You can deem a program a success if only 1 in 1000 is sober for several years if that 1 is you!!
AA is a success in my book.
Jon