Three in ten ( 31%) participants in Gallup’s survey, between 1^st and 15^th April, cited the high cost of living or inflation in an open-ended question about the most important financial problems facing their families today.

This year’s figure was below the 41% peak recorded in 2024 and similar to the 29% recorded in 2025.

Gallup conducted its annual Economy and Personal Finance survey, part of its Gallup Poll Social Series (GPSS) of public opinion surveys, between 1^st and 15^th April.  

In addition to the cost of living, energy, housing and healthcare costs ranked highly among participants’ financial problems. Energy costs were the second-biggest concern, mentioned by 13% of participants, up 10 percentage points from last year and the highest since 2008, according to Gallup.  

Other affordability issues, including college expenses, transportation costs and childcare, all exceeded other types of financial concerns cited (including taxes, Social Security, debt or lack of savings).

Affordability concerns are usually the top category of responses to the economy and personal finance research, but Gallup said they have now led by a wide margin for five consecutive years.

The research also found that 46% of participants rated their financial situation as “excellent” or “good” – compared with 44% in 2025 and down from the 57% peak in 2021. Over a third of participants 35% called it “only fair” and around a fifth ( 19%) ranked their situation as “poor” ( 19%).

Lydia Saad, director of US social research at Gallup, wrote in a blog post on the latest data: “Affordability continues to be the main financial challenge for US households, with concerns about various costs far outpacing all other financial worries.

“Inflation rose steadily in 2021, from 1.4% in January to 7% by December, and peaked at 9.1% in June 2022. It has since retreated, registering under 3% for most months since early 2025. Yet it has not consistently returned to the sub–3% range typical of the decade before 2021 — something consumers may be anticipating. Combined with the lingering effects of sustained inflation during and after the pandemic, Americans’ financial perceptions and outlook remain cautious.”

Results are based on telephone interviews conducted 1^st-15^th April 2026, with a random sample of 1,001 adults, ages 18+, living in all 50 US states and the District of Columbia.