A rising share of Americans say the U.S. economy is in a bad state, though the share who say so remains smaller than it was for much of the past four years.
What you need to know about how Americans see the economy, as of the November 28 - December 1, 2025 Economist / YouGov Poll:
- 41% of Americans say the U.S. economy is in a "poor" state, compared to 33% who say it's fair, 21% who say it's good, and 3% who say it's excellent
- The 41% who say the economy is poor is the highest since April 2025
- The last time more Americans said the economy is poor than do so now was September 2024
- 41% of Americans also say they and their family are worse off financially than they were a year ago, while 44% say they're about the same and 12% say they are better off financially
- The 41% who say they and their family are worse off financially than they were a year ago is the largest share to say that since December 2024
- Similar or higher shares of Americans said they and their family are worse off financially than they were a year ago for much of the last two and a half years of Joe Biden's presidency, according to Economist / YouGov Polls
- About three-quarters of Americans say prices for most goods are higher than a year ago
- 44% say prices are much higher and 30% say they're slightly higher; 16% say prices are about the same, 9% say they're slightly lower, and 1% say they're much lower
- 93% of Democrats say prices are higher, compared to 49% of Republicans; 2% of Democrats say prices are lower, compared to 23% of Republicans
- Majorities of Americans feel positively about two proposals that supporters say will lower housing costs: rent control and subsidized mortgages for first-time homebuyers
- 58% of Americans favor rent control and 21% oppose it
- Democrats are more likely to favor rent control than are Republicans (75% vs. 46%) but both groups are more likely to favor rent control than to oppose it
- 70% of Americans say the government should provide low-interest mortgages to first-time homebuyers, while 14% say the government shouldn't
- Majorities of Democrats (83%), Independents (67%), and Republicans (62%) support this policy
Learn more about this poll here.
Image: Getty (Spencer Platt / Staff)
