Americans are growing increasingly worried about the cost of living, with concerns about gasoline, food and housing mounting as the economy becomes the leading issue for voters ahead of November's midterm elections, according to new polling. A Pew Research Center survey released Thursday found that 74 percent of U.S. adults were very concerned about gasoline and energy prices, up from 60 percent in July and 43 percent in January. A separate analysis of the same survey found that 84 percent of registered voters considered the economy very important to their vote in the upcoming November 3 elections, making it the leading issue across both major parties.
The findings come as President Donald Trump continues to promote his administration's economic record, despite rising prices and growing public dissatisfaction with economic conditions. Inflation has remained above the Federal Reserve's 2 percent target, with the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) figures showing consumer prices increased 3.4 percent over the 12 months ending in August. Energy prices rose considerably faster, increasing 16.3 percent over the same period, owing largely to the ongoing U.S.-Israel war in Iran.
The new polling suggests the economy remains a major concern for voters across both parties, although their views of Trump's economic policies differ. Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment via email and is awaiting a response. Pew surveyed 5,062 U.S. adults between September 28 and October 4, with results showing pervasive concern about the cost of essential goods and services.
Alongside the 74 percent concerned about gasoline and energy prices, 73 percent reported feeling very concerned about food and consumer goods, 69 percent about health care costs and 66 percent about housing. Concerns about employment have also grown, with nearly half of Americans, 48 percent, saying they were very concerned about people who want to work being unable to find jobs, compared with 44 percent in July and 29 percent in October 2022. The increase in concern about energy prices has been particularly pronounced since the start of the Iran war.
According to Pew, 81 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are now very concerned about gasoline and energy prices, compared with 65 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents. The survey also found increasingly negative views of Trump's economic record. Nearly two-thirds of Americans, 65 percent, said his policies had made economic conditions worse, up from 52 percent in January.
Another 19 percent said they had improved conditions, while 15 percent believed they had made little difference. Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, 39 percent said Trump's policies had improved the economy, down from 57 percent in January. Meanwhile, the proportion saying his policies had made conditions worse nearly doubled, from 18 percent to 35 percent.
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