Majority of Americans Give Low Marks to U.S. Economy: Survey Finds

(The Hill) — Nearly three-quarters of Americans say economic conditions are poor or fair, according to a new poll from the Pew Research Center.

The number of Americans who collectively feel this way, at 76 percent, is a few points higher than what the center found in January 2024. At the time, 72 percent held the view that conditions were fair or poor.

Conversely, Friday’s poll shows that 24 percent of respondents view economic conditions as being good or excellent.

Americans point to rising costs and personal expenses, at 42 percent, as why they view the economy poorly. This was followed by high inflation at 17 percent, cost of living at 9 percent, and food and grocery prices at 6 percent.

More than half of Americans, at 53 percent, told pollsters that President Trump’s economic policies have made conditions worse. But 22 percent say his policies have had hardly any effect, while 24 percent say he’s made economic conditions better.

Forty-six percent of those polled expect economic conditions to worsen by next year, Pew found.

“These changes are primarily driven by decreasing optimism among Republicans – even as Republicans remain much more likely than Democrats to describe current economic conditions in positive terms,” pollsters said.

Polling this week also showed low numbers for the president. His approval rating reached the lowest point of his second term, at 43 percent, according to Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee on Wednesday.

That same day, a Washington Post poll showed that 47 percent of Americans blame Trump and Republicans in Congress for the government shutdown, which entered its third day on Friday. Blame toward Democrats in Congress was at 33 percent.

The Pew Research Center’s poll was conducted Sept. 22-28 and included 3,445 respondents. The margin of error is 1.9 percentage points.