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
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted April 20-26, 2026.
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Large – and growing – shares see key economic issues as very big problems
% who say __ is a very big problem for the country today
Feb 2025Apr 2026The affordability of health care6773Inflation 6366The federal budget deficit5764Unemployment2536
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted April 20-26, 2026.
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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
The affordability of health care
The federal budget deficit
Unemployment
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted April 20-26, 2026.
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Share of Democrats saying federal budget deficit is a top problem spikes
% who say ___ is a very big problem for the country today
DateIssueTotalRep/Lean RepDem/Lean Dem2026-04-26The affordability of health care73%60%85%2025-02-01The affordability of health care67%61%73%2024-05-19The affordability of health care57%48%65%2023-06-11The affordability of health care64%54%73%2022-05-01The affordability of health care55%42%65%2021-04-11The affordability of health care56%40%69%2020-06-22The affordability of health care57%39%72%2019-09-15The affordability of health care66%51%77%2019-03-04The affordability of health care67%56%74%2018-10-07The affordability of health care70%58%79%2026-04-26The federal budget deficit64%62%66%2025-11-01The federal budget deficit56%59%52%2025-02-01The federal budget deficit57%66%47%2024-05-19The federal budget deficit53%71%35%2023-06-11The federal budget deficit56%72%39%2022-05-01The federal budget deficit51%69%35%2021-07-18The federal budget deficit50%70%34%2021-04-11The federal budget deficit49%71%31%2020-06-22The federal budget deficit47%49%45%2019-09-15The federal budget deficit53%54%52%2018-10-07The federal budget deficit55%56%53%2026-04-01Inflation66%55%74%2025-02-01Inflation63%73%53%2024-05-01Inflation62%80%46%2023-06-01Inflation65%77%52%2022-05-01Inflation70%84%57%2026-04-26Unemployment36%25%45%2025-02-01Unemployment25%21%27%2024-05-19Unemployment25%27%22%2023-06-11Unemployment24%23%23%2022-05-01Unemployment23%22%21%2021-04-11Unemployment41%36%45%2020-06-22Unemployment50%36%61%
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted April 20-26, 2026.
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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
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted April 20-26, 2026.
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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
TotalRep/Lean RepDem/Lean DemThe role of money in politics74%70%79%The affordability of health care73%60%85%Inflation66%55%74%The federal budget deficit64%62%66%The ability of Dems/Reps to work together in Washington64%60%69%Drug addiction55%62%48%Violent crime47%55%38%Unemployment36%25%45%Illegal immigration38%60%17%Gun violence49%27%68%Climate change39%14%63%International terrorism38%46%29%Domestic terrorism36%39%33%
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted April 20-26, 2026.
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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
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted April 20-26, 2026.
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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
TotalRep/Lean RepDem/Lean Dem2026-04-2638%60%17%2025-11-0136%60%14%2025-02-0148%73%23%2024-05-1951%78%27%2023-06-1147%70%25%2022-05-0138%65%19%2021-07-1843%66%23%2021-04-1148%72%29%2020-06-2228%43%15%2019-09-1543%67%23%2019-03-0438%65%18%2018-10-0742%67%23%2016-11-0844%67%25%2016-01-01
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted April 20-26, 2026.
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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.