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2h ago

Record Share of Americans Say Their Finances Are Getting Worse, Gallup Finds

A wartime gas spike is squeezing household budgets.

Fuel prices are displayed at a Brooklyn gas station on April 28, 2026 in New York City. As negotiations over the war in Iran continue to stall and show few signs of a resolution, gasoline prices in the United States hit their highest level in four years on Tuesday.
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Overview

  • Gallup reported Tuesday that 55% of U.S. adults say their finances are getting worse, the highest share since the question was first asked in 2001, based on 1,001 interviews from April 1–15.
  • Average gas prices reached $4.18 a gallon Tuesday after the Iran war pushed them up from under $3 before February 28, according to AAA.
  • Inflation reached 3.3% in March, the highest since May 2024, and 31% of respondents named the cost of living as their biggest financial problem.
  • Energy costs were cited by 13% as a top concern, up 10 points from a year ago, reflecting the sharper hit from oil and gas this spring.
  • Coverage notes political fallout for President Trump and Republicans as voters also report longer-term strains, including 62% worried about retirement and 28% uneasy about making credit-card minimums.