Most Americans in new survey list inflation, homelessness as ‘very serious’ problems

Most Americans listed inflation and homelessness as “very serious” problems, as concerns around rising antisemitism and illegal immigration have increased in the last year, per a new survey.

The YouGov poll, released Thursday, found that for a third year in a row, inflation has topped the list as a “very serious” problem on voters’ minds — with 67 percent saying the issue is a major concern going into the 2024 election. A similar survey from last year showed 68 percent of Americans thought inflation was a serious issue, while only 64 percent said the same in 2022.

Homelessness and debt were second on the list, among 32 topics polled, each bringing in 59 percent. In 2023, homelessness was seen as a serious problem for 60 percent of Americans while debt stood at 52 percent, the survey found. 

Pollsters also noted that concerns around rising antisemitism and illegal immigration have risen in the past 12 months. Roughly 31 percent of respondents said antisemitism is a “very serious” problem, an 8 percent increase from both last year and 2022.

Illegal immigration, one of the top issues in this presidential election cycle, is now a serious concern for over half of respondents — or 53 percent. In 2023, the issue polled at 49 percent while it was at 43 percent in 2022. 

One issue voters were less concerned about in the latest poll was violent crime. The survey found that 53 percent thought crime was a serious problem in 2024 — a near double-digit decline from last year’s 62 percent.

Voters in the two major parties have different views on what the most pressing issues in the country are. For Democrats, gun violence was at the top with 81 percent, followed by climate change (75 percent), poverty (70 percent), homelessness (70 percent) and a lack of access to health care (66 percent), per the survey.

The poll found that for Republicans inflation was the main issue at 89 percent. Illegal immigration came in second with 86 percent followed by debt (66 percent) and drug abuse (66 percent). 

The YouGov survey was conducted between Aug 7-10 among 1,138 adults. The margin of error was approximately 4 percentage points.