Affordability Remains Leading Financial Concern for Americans in 2026
By Lydia Saad, April 28, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Despite some fluctuations in recent years, Americans’ worries about the affordability of everyday expenses continue to dominate their financial concerns in 2026. According to Gallup’s annual Economy and Personal Finance survey conducted from April 1 to April 15, 31% of Americans cite inflation and high prices as the top financial problem facing their households. Although this figure is down from a peak of 41% in 2024, it remains near levels seen a year ago and is among the highest recorded in Gallup’s more than two decades of tracking this issue.
Energy Costs Surge as a Major Concern
Energy costs have notably risen this year, with 13% of Americans identifying them as a key financial worry, marking a 10-point increase from last year and reaching their highest level since 2008. This puts energy costs tied with housing expenses as the second most pressing financial concern. Healthcare costs continue to rank fourth, named by 8% of respondents, maintaining stability in line with trends since 2020. When combining concerns related to inflation, energy, housing, healthcare, as well as college expenses, transportation, and childcare, affordability-related worries vastly outweigh other financial issues among Americans.
Other Financial Worries: Taxes, Economy, Debt, and Income
Beyond affordability, Americans highlight economic conditions and government programs as significant concerns. Taxes are mentioned by 6% of respondents, while the overall state of the economy, stock market performance, interest rates, and Social Security each attract smaller shares of worry, between 1% and 2%.
Insufficient income emerges as another major issue, with 7% expressing concern over low wages or lack of money, and 4% worried about unemployment or job loss. Debt continues to weigh on many Americans, with 6% troubled by general debt and 1% specifically mentioning credit card debt. Worries about insufficient savings, whether retirement-related (3%) or general savings (2%), are less commonly cited but remain present.
Longstanding Trends Highlight Affordability Challenges
Affordability has topped the list of financial worries for five consecutive years, illustrating a persistent challenge for U.S. households. Supporting this, recent data from a Gallup Panel survey reveals that 55% of Americans feel that recent price increases have made it difficult to maintain their standard of living— a figure largely unchanged from 2023 and significantly higher than in late 2021 and early 2022. ### Consumers’ Financial Outlook Remains Grim
Americans’ current assessments of their financial situations have remained relatively stable but subdued since 2022. Only 46% rate their finances as “excellent” or “good,” while 35% describe their situation as “only fair,” and 19% say it is “poor.” This outlook contrasts with the pre-pandemic period of 2016 through 2021, when 50% or more consistently rated their finances positively.
Moreover, a record 55% of Americans now believe their financial situation is worsening, up from 53% last year and 47% in 2024. This marks five consecutive years where a majority says their finances are declining, echoing patterns last seen during the Great Recession.
Elevated Financial Anxieties on Multiple Fronts
Concerns about specific financial aspects remain at heightened levels compared to 2021. Notably, 62% of Americans worry about having enough money for retirement, and 60% fear being unable to cover medical expenses following a serious accident or illness. Investment returns and maintaining living standards worry 54% of respondents each.
Approximately half of Americans are concerned with routine healthcare costs (48%), while 41% fear falling behind on monthly bills and 40% are anxious about affording college tuition. Housing costs worry 35%, and 28% express concerns about making minimum credit card payments. Since 2021, worries about credit card payments have risen 11 points, with a nine-point increase each in concerns about maintaining living standards and paying monthly bills. Concerns about college expenses, relatively flat from 2021 to 2025, have now climbed to 40%.
The Bottom Line
Affordability remains the central financial challenge for American households in 2026. High inflation and rising costs in energy, housing, healthcare, and education have solidified concerns about everyday expenses far above other financial issues such as taxes, debt, and income insecurity. With more than half of Americans perceiving their financial situation as deteriorating, the affordability crisis continues to exert pressure on families nationwide.
The findings detailed in this article are based on Gallup’s Economy and Personal Finance survey, reflecting the views of a broad spectrum of U.S. adults to better understand current economic anxieties and trends.