Inflation America's Top 1 Problem Four Years in a Row

Inflation, rising prices and the cost of living have emerged as the most prominent issue on people's minds in a range of countries since 2022. Statista Consumer Insights show that it was mentioned by the largest share of respondents as a serious problem in 12 out of 21 countries when the last survey wave was carried out between July 2024 and June 2025.

The United States is among those countries where cost of living is the major issue most people can agree on - this applies to Republicans and Democrats alike and holds true across generations. In 2024, concern about inflation reached a high at 53 percent naming it as a major issue out of 18 answer options provided. As of the latest 2025 data, this had sunk by one percentage point to 52 percent. Between 2019 and 2021, inflation was seen as a big problem by between 35 and 40 percent of Americans, ranging between ranks 3 and 4. Back then, Amercians saw immigration (in 2019), health, the economy and unemployment as more pressing issues.