Affordability Still Dominates Americans’ Financial Worries in 2026
by Lydia Saad, Gallup News
April 28, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The high cost of living remains the top financial concern for Americans in 2026, Gallup’s latest Economy and Personal Finance survey reveals. Despite a slight decline from its peak in 2024, affordability issues continue to weigh heavily on the minds of U.S. households, reflecting persistent economic challenges faced across the country.
Affordability Tops the List
In an open-ended question about the most pressing financial problems, 31% of Americans cited inflation and high prices as their main worry. This marks a decrease from 41% in 2024 but stays consistent with figures from a year ago, maintaining one of the highest levels in over 20 years of Gallup polling. Affordability concerns encompass a broad range of everyday expenses, underscoring their continued dominance in shaping Americans’ financial worries.
Energy costs have emerged as a rapidly escalating concern. Thirteen percent of Americans named energy prices as a key issue, a significant 10-point increase from last year and the highest since 2008. This puts energy costs on par with housing expenses, which also rank as the second biggest financial concern. Healthcare costs remain the fourth most mentioned challenge, cited by 8% of respondents, echoing trends seen since 2020. When combined, worries about inflation, energy, housing, healthcare, along with college tuition, transportation, and childcare expenses, far outpace all other categories of financial concern named by Americans.
Other Financial Concerns
Beyond affordability, economic conditions and government programs feature prominently among financial challenges. Taxes concern 6% of those surveyed, while smaller shares highlight the state of the economy (2%), the stock market (2%), interest rates (2%), and Social Security (1%). Issues related to insufficient income, including low wages and job insecurity, also feature significantly, cited by 7% and 4% respectively.
Debt burdens remain on the radar for many, with 6% troubled by general debt and an additional 1% specifically worried about credit card debt. Conversely, concerns about savings deficits—retirement or emergency funds—are cited less frequently, at 3% and 2%, respectively.
This marks the fifth consecutive year affordability has been the leading financial issue by a large margin in Gallup’s annual tracking.
Financial Hardships and Outlook
Supporting these findings, a Gallup Panel survey shows that 55% of Americans report that recent price increases have made it harder to maintain their standard of living. This figure has remained relatively unchanged since 2023, after improving somewhat in late 2021 and early 2022. Americans’ assessments of their current finances are sobering. Less than half (46%) rate their financial situation as “excellent” or “good,” while 35% describe it as “only fair,” and 19% say it is “poor.” These sentiments reflect a persistence of financial strain that emerged after 2021 and echo levels observed during the years following the Great Recession, although slightly less negative than during the recession’s peak in 2009-2011. Most strikingly, a record 55% of Americans say their financial situation is getting worse. This marks an increase from 47% in 2024 and continues a worrying five-year trend where more Americans report declining personal finances than improving ones. A comparable period of sustained financial pessimism in recent history was seen during the Great Recession.
Continued Financial Worries
Concerns about specific financial challenges remain elevated compared to pre-pandemic years. A majority of Americans worry about having enough money for retirement (62%) and the possibility of being unable to afford medical expenses in a serious health emergency (60%). Worries about investment returns and maintaining current living standards are also high, each cited by 54% of respondents.
Nearly half (48%) express concern over routine healthcare costs, 41% are anxious about paying regular monthly bills, and 40% worry about affording college tuition. Housing costs concern 35%, while 28% fret about making minimum credit card payments. These concerns have generally remained steady over the past year but represent increases from 2021, when inflation and price hikes began to climb.
Notably, worries about minimum credit card payments have jumped 11 points since 2021, while fears about maintaining living standards and monthly bill payments have risen by nine points each. The cost of college education, stable in concern levels through 2025, has now increased noticeably.
Bottom Line
Gallup’s 2026 findings make clear that affordability continues to be the paramount financial challenge for American families. With inflation, energy prices, housing, healthcare, and education costs topping their list of worries, Americans are facing a tough economic environment marked by tightening budgets and uncertain financial futures.
As the country navigates these ongoing challenges, understanding the depth and breadth of Americans’ financial concerns will be essential for policymakers, employers, and communities aiming to provide the support needed to improve economic stability and well-being.
Gallup’s Economy and Personal Finance survey was conducted April 1-15, 2026, surveying a representative sample of U.S. adults to gauge their financial concerns and outlook.