Record number of Americans acknowledging that they are "suffering" from the economic situation

Some 5.6% of Americans believe their lives are bad and that they are suffering, according toGallup' s JulyLife Evaluation Index. The research firm estimates that 14 million Americans believe they would be suffering.

This figure is the highest since the beginning of this measurement in 2008. The previous high was 4.8% measured in April, numbers that even surpass the surveys conducted during the height of the covid-19 pandemic.

The recent results were based on web surveys of 3,649 U.S. adults who are part of the Gallup Panel, a probabilistic, non-open-ended panel of about 115,000 adults from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Interviews were conducted between July 26 and August 2.

Inflation and suffering

Economic conditions are probably the most important factor contributing to the worsening results according to Gallup. Despite the creation of 528,000 new jobs in July, inflation is taking its toll on the economic confidence index, which is now at its lowest point since the Great Recession of 2009. The problem most frequently cited by Americans is precisely inflation.

Gallup estimates that 98 million Americans have cut back on healthcare or usual household spending as a result of rising healthcare costs.

Gallup ranks Americans as"thrivers," "strivers," or "sufferers " for its Life Evaluation Index, according to their assessment of their current and future life, based on the Cantril Effort Scale and using rungs from 0 to 10.

Those who identify their current and future life with four or less are classified as "sufferers". Those who rate their current life as a 7 or higher and their expected life five years from now as an 8 or higher classify as "prosperous."

The percentage of U.S. adults who consider themselves affluent declined from 59.2% in June 2021 to 51.2% in the most recent measurement this year .

Suffering does not discriminate political ideologies

Suffering rates have increased in recent months for Democrats, Republicans and Independents since June 2021. Among Democrats, it has jumped to 5.4%, nearly doubling what it was 2.9% a year ago. The proportion suffering has doubled among Republicans, to 5.4%, and independents had a significant increase to 7.3% in April, which dropped slightly to 6.2 , a few weeks ago....