A new Gallup poll released last week found that high inflation and the current state of the economy were the two biggest concerns for Americans.
According to the poll, around 60 percent of respondents said they have a "great deal" about inflation and the current state of the economy, with the percentage increasing by two points for both categories from a similar poll conducted in 2022. Researchers also found that respondents said they were likewise worried about crime and violence, along with the availability and affordability of health care, federal spending, and the budget deficit.
The response about drug use saw a substantial increase since last year, going from 38 to 46 percent.
Surprisingly, unemployment was at the bottom of the list of 15 key topics Gallup polled, with only 32 percent of respondents saying they were worried about losing their jobs and overall joblessness.
In both last year's and this year's polls, Gallup included inflation, topping the list along with the economy in both polls.
"Inflation and the economy have been the top two issues in both 2022 and 2023, as the rate of price increases in the U.S. reached levels not seen in four decades," the analysis stated.
Since the early 2000s, Gallup has tracked concerns about the American economy, with 71 percent being the highest percentage saying they were concerned about its current state in 2011 and 2012.
In 2019 and 2020, only 33 percent were concerned about the state of the American economy. Pollsters say that American citizens are usually more concerned about economic hardships and challenges when they exist than any other political issue.
The analysis notes that when gas prices rose last year before hitting a record high in summer, 47 percent of Americans stated they were worried about affording energy, one point below Gallup measured the concern in 2006 and 2012.
In 2022, the figure had a 10-point increase from 2021, given that gas prices averaged 80 cents less per gallon one year ago and $1.50 less last summer. The Gallup poll also found that Americans are concerned with Social Security among all political groups as economic experts continue to warn about the program potentially becoming insolvent in the near future.
Economists have and continue to warn about the increasing inflation rates that could cause a recession. They have called on the federal government to stop the gigantic amounts of spending currently being undertaken and reign in the federal debt by cutting government spending and reducing taxes and regulations.
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