Most say they are worse off than four years ago: Gallup

As Election Day inches closer, many Americans in a new survey suggested that they are worse off than they were four years ago.

The Gallup poll, released Friday, found that 52 percent of Americans said they and their family are worse off today than they were four years ago. Another 39 percent said that they were better off while 9 percent said they felt the same now as they did back then.

The responses varied based on the person’s party affiliation. Around 72 percent of Democrats say they were better off in 2024 than 2020, according to the survey. The numbers were much lower for independents, 35 percent, and Republicans, 7 percent.

Gallup’s monthly Economic Confidence Index (ECI), which ranges from -100 to +100, was currently at -26 with 39 percent saying they were better off financially four years ago. For comparison, in 2020, around 55 percent said the economy was better — and the ECI was -4.

Former President Trump lost his reelection bid in 2020 to then-Democratic-candidate Joe Biden. Gallup noted that the result of the previous election was a “sign that noneconomic factors were paramount to voters that year.” 

Approximately 46 percent of Americans say their current economic conditions are “poor,” some 29 percent described them as “only fair,” while 25 percent said they were “good” or “excellent.” Additionally, 62 percent said the economy is “getting worse,” a higher figure than 32 percent who said it is “getting better,” according to the survey.

The most important problems respondents listed for the upcoming election were the economy and immigration, at 21 percent a piece. The “government” was at 17 percent while inflation stood at 14 percent, the data shows.

Around 44 percent of Americans in the survey said it is a “good time” to find a “quality” job while 50 percent said the opposite.

With the election just days away, Vice President Harris is leading Trump by nearly 3 points — 49.8 percent to 47.1 percent — according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ's polling index. Still, the race remains tight in the battleground states, where policy issues such as the economy, immigration and abortion could play a large role in voters' decision.

The Gallup poll was conducted Sept. 16-28 among 1,023 Americans and has a margin of error of 4 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.