Posted in Health Care

Americans See Health Care Costs, Deficit, Inflation as Big Problems Facing the Nation

   Published Date: May 11, 2026  Leave a Comment on Americans See Health Care Costs, Deficit, Inflation as Big Problems Facing the Nation

About this research

This Pew Research Center analysis examines Americans’ views of problems facing the country.

Why did we do this?

Pew Research Center conducts research to help the public, media and decision-makers understand important topics. We have studied Americans’ views of politics and major policy issues for decades.

Learn more about Pew Research Center. 

How did we do this?

We surveyed 5,103 U.S. adults from April 20 to 26, 2026. Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel. The survey represents the views of the full U.S. adult population.

Here are the survey questions used for this analysis, the detailed responses and the survey methodology.

Economic issues continue to dominate Americans’ ranking of the top problems facing the country. And over the course of the last year, the shares who view issues like health care affordability and the budget deficit as very big problems have risen.

Large – and growing – shares see key economic issues as very big problems

% who say __ is a very big problem for the country today

Chart

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted April 20-26, 2026.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Large – and growing – shares see key economic issues as very big problems

% who say __ is a very big problem for the country today

Feb 2025 Apr 2026
The affordability of health care 67 73
Inflation 63 66
The federal budget deficit 57 64
Unemployment 25 36

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted April 20-26, 2026.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER

  • 73% of adults now say the affordability of health care is a very big problem for the country, up 6 percentage points from February of last year.
  • 64% view the federal budget deficit as a very big problem, up 7 points from last February.

Inflation also continues to loom large for the public: 66% say inflation is a very big problem, up modestly from 63% last year.

And while a far smaller share sees unemployment as a very big problem in the country today (36%), this is also up (by 11 points) from early 2025.

The national survey by Pew Research Center – conducted April 20-26 among 5,103 U.S. adults – also finds shifting partisan dynamics on several of these issues.

Share of Democrats saying federal budget deficit is a top problem spikes

% who say ___ is a very big problem for the country today

Inflation

Chart

The affordability of health care

Chart

The federal budget deficit

Chart

Unemployment

Chart

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted April 20-26, 2026.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Share of Democrats saying federal budget deficit is a top problem spikes

% who say ___ is a very big problem for the country today

Date Issue Total Rep/Lean Rep Dem/Lean Dem
2026-04-26 The affordability of health care 73% 60% 85%
2025-02-01 The affordability of health care 67% 61% 73%
2024-05-19 The affordability of health care 57% 48% 65%
2023-06-11 The affordability of health care 64% 54% 73%
2022-05-01 The affordability of health care 55% 42% 65%
2021-04-11 The affordability of health care 56% 40% 69%
2020-06-22 The affordability of health care 57% 39% 72%
2019-09-15 The affordability of health care 66% 51% 77%
2019-03-04 The affordability of health care 67% 56% 74%
2018-10-07 The affordability of health care 70% 58% 79%
2026-04-26 The federal budget deficit 64% 62% 66%
2025-11-01 The federal budget deficit 56% 59% 52%
2025-02-01 The federal budget deficit 57% 66% 47%
2024-05-19 The federal budget deficit 53% 71% 35%
2023-06-11 The federal budget deficit 56% 72% 39%
2022-05-01 The federal budget deficit 51% 69% 35%
2021-07-18 The federal budget deficit 50% 70% 34%
2021-04-11 The federal budget deficit 49% 71% 31%
2020-06-22 The federal budget deficit 47% 49% 45%
2019-09-15 The federal budget deficit 53% 54% 52%
2018-10-07 The federal budget deficit 55% 56% 53%
2026-04-01 Inflation 66% 55% 74%
2025-02-01 Inflation 63% 73% 53%
2024-05-01 Inflation 62% 80% 46%
2023-06-01 Inflation 65% 77% 52%
2022-05-01 Inflation 70% 84% 57%
2026-04-26 Unemployment 36% 25% 45%
2025-02-01 Unemployment 25% 21% 27%
2024-05-19 Unemployment 25% 27% 22%
2023-06-11 Unemployment 24% 23% 23%
2022-05-01 Unemployment 23% 22% 21%
2021-04-11 Unemployment 41% 36% 45%
2020-06-22 Unemployment 50% 36% 61%

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted April 20-26, 2026.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Across the board, Democrats are now more likely to say each economic issue we asked about is a very big problem then they were in the weeks after Donald Trump’s inauguration last year.

For the most part, Republicans’ views have not changed much in this period, with one exception: Republicans are now far less likely to say inflation is a very big problem than they were last year.

Affordability of health care

Most Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (85%) say the affordability of health care is a very big problem for the country – up 12 points since February 2025.

A smaller majority of Republicans and GOP leaners (60%) call this a very big problem, essentially unchanged from last year. But Republicans remain more likely to see health care costs as a problem than they were from 2020 to 2024.

Federal budget deficit

During Joe Biden’s presidency, Republicans were about twice as likely as Democrats to describe the federal deficit as a very big problem.

That is no longer the case:

  • 66% of Democrats now say the federal budget deficit is a very big problem – the highest share since we began asking this question in 2018.
  • The share of Democrats who say the deficit is a very big problem is up 19 points since last February, and 31 points since May 2024.
  • In contrast, the share of Republicans saying the deficit is a very big problem has dropped by 9 points since May 2024 (from 71% to 62%).
Inflation

About three-quarters of Democrats (74%) today rate inflation as a very big problem, compared with 55% of Republicans.

In May 2024, the partisan gap was even wider. But the positions were reversed: 80% of Republicans saw inflation as a very big problem, compared with 46% of Democrats.

Unemployment

Unemployment is not as widely seen as a very big problem by either party. However, the share who view it as a problem has grown over the last year – largely driven by a shift in views among Democrats.

A year ago, 21% of Republicans and 27% of Democrats said unemployment was a very big problem for the country. Today, 25% of Republicans – but 47% of Democrats – hold this view.

Other problems facing the nation

Americans continue to say the role of money in politics is a top problem for the country – 74% say this. This view is widely held across the political spectrum: 79% of Democrats and 70% of Republicans see money in politics as a very big problem.

Money in politics is widely viewed as a big problem for the U.S.; partisan gaps are far larger on other issues

% who say ___ is a very big problem for the country today

Chart

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted April 20-26, 2026.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Money in politics is widely viewed as a big problem for the U.S.; partisan gaps are far larger on other issues

% who say ___ is a very big problem for the country today

Total Rep/Lean Rep Dem/Lean Dem
The role of money in politics 74% 70% 79%
The affordability of health care 73% 60% 85%
Inflation 66% 55% 74%
The federal budget deficit 64% 62% 66%
The ability of Dems/Reps to work together in Washington 64% 60% 69%
Drug addiction 55% 62% 48%
Violent crime 47% 55% 38%
Unemployment 36% 25% 45%
Illegal immigration 38% 60% 17%
Gun violence 49% 27% 68%
Climate change 39% 14% 63%
International terrorism 38% 46% 29%
Domestic terrorism 36% 39% 33%

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted April 20-26, 2026.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER

There is also a broad, and largely bipartisan, view that the ability of Democrats and Republicans to work together is a very big problem. Nearly two-thirds of adults say this (64%), including majorities in both parties, though Democrats are somewhat more likely to say this than Republicans (69% vs. 60%).

There are wider partisan gaps on other issues:

Higher-ranking issues for Republicans

Republicans continue to be far more likely than Democrats to view illegal immigration as a very big problem for the country (60% vs. 17%.)

Republicans are also more likely than Democrats to see violent crime, drug addiction, and international and domestic terrorism as very big problems – though these gaps are more modest.

Higher-ranking issues for Democrats

Gun violence (68%) and climate change (63%) rank among the top concerns for Democrats and Democratic leaners. But these are among the lowest ranked problems by Republicans.

Illegal immigration

Illegal immigration seen as less of a problem than in early 2025

% who say illegal immigration is a very big problem for the country today

Chart

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted April 20-26, 2026.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Illegal immigration seen as less of a problem than in early 2025

% who say illegal immigration is a very big problem for the country today

Total Rep/Lean Rep Dem/Lean Dem
2026-04-26 38% 60% 17%
2025-11-01 36% 60% 14%
2025-02-01 48% 73% 23%
2024-05-19 51% 78% 27%
2023-06-11 47% 70% 25%
2022-05-01 38% 65% 19%
2021-07-18 43% 66% 23%
2021-04-11 48% 72% 29%
2020-06-22 28% 43% 15%
2019-09-15 43% 67% 23%
2019-03-04 38% 65% 18%
2018-10-07 42% 67% 23%
2016-11-08 44% 67% 25%
2016-01-01

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted April 20-26, 2026.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Americans are less likely to see illegal immigration as a very big problem for the country than they were at the start of Trump’s second term.

  • Overall, 38% say it is a very big problem – down from 48% in February 2025
  • 60% of Republicans now see it as a top national problem, down from 73% who said this last February.
  • 17% of Democrats now view illegal immigration as a very big problem, down from 23% in early 2025.