Story Highlights
- 46% rate personal finances positively, down from 57% last year
- Inflation named biggest financial problem by a wide margin
- Half say gas prices caused hardship; majority expect they are temporary
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Many fewer Americans now than a year ago rate their financial situation positively and more say their finances are getting worse than say they are improving. A record-high percentage mention inflation as the biggest financial problem facing their family. Meanwhile, about half say recent gas price increases have caused hardship for their family, well below what Gallup has measured during other times of rising fuel prices. The subdued reaction to gas price hikes may reflect that Americans expect those changes to be temporary rather than permanent.
These findings are from Gallup’s annual Economy and Personal Finance poll, conducted April 1-19.
Americans More Pessimistic About Their Finances
Forty-six percent of U.S. adults, down from 57% last year, rate their financial situation as either “excellent” or “good.” The current figure is the lowest since 2015, though somewhat better than the low points in the trend registered between 2009 and 2012 when as few as 41% rated their finances positively.
Additionally, 38% of Americans…
