Fewer Americans say inflation is top concern facing family: poll

by Julia Mueller - 04/11/23 1:01 PM ET

Money wallet — AP/Elise Amendola
In this June 15, 2018, file photo, cash is fanned out from a wallet in North Andover, Mass. The economy shrank in the first half of this year, underscoring fears of a broad-based slowdown that could lead to a recession. At the same time, the number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell to a five-month low. Inflation, meantime, remains near its highest level in four decades, though gas costs and other prices have eased in recent weeks. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

Fewer Americans in a new poll now say inflation and rising gas prices are the top issues facing their families compared to last summer, when inflation and fuel prices surged.

In a Monmouth University poll, roughly one-quarter of U.S. adults picked inflation as the top concern facing their family at the moment. At 24 percent, that figure is down 9 percentage points from last summer, when 33 percent named inflation as the top issue.

Just 1 percent of respondents said rising gas prices are the biggest issue for their families, down from 15 percent last summer.

Twelve percent picked “the economy” more broadly as their top concern, up from 9 percent last summer — and 12 percent said it was everyday bills and groceries, up from 6 percent last summer.

The Federal Reserve has been hiking interest rates in an effort to control inflation, raising concerns about the banking system and the possibility of a recession.

A Gallup poll released earlier this month also found that the economy and inflation lead the list of Americans’ biggest concerns — and that they’re also increasingly concerned about drug use and the affordability of health care.

Conducted March 16-20, the Monmouth University poll surveyed 806 U.S. adults and had a margin of error of 5.8 percentage points.

Tags Economy Finance inflation