Many Americans Are Struggling to Afford Basic Necessities
44% of Americans had trouble paying for a basic necessity in the past year, with lower-income adults hit hardest.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Read our research on:
Publications
-
-
Americans’ Views of Economic Inequality, Its Causes and Who Should Fix It
Since 2019, a growing share among those who say there’s too much inequality think the economic system needs to be completely rebuilt to address it.
-
6 facts about grandparents in the U.S.
Two-thirds of U.S. adults ages 65 and older were grandparents in 2024.
-
Americans have grown more skeptical that a woman will be president in their lifetime
Some 37% of Americans now say it’s not too or not at all likely that the United States will elect a woman as president, up from 26% in 2023.
-
More than half of Americans in their 40s are sandwiched between an aging parent and their own children
Overall, 25% of U.S. adults have a parent age 65 or older and have a child under 18, an adult child receiving financial support or both.
-
Most U.S. adults have lived with a romantic partner they’re not married to by their early 40s
Around three-quarters of Americans in their late 30s or early 40s have lived with a romantic partner they’re not married to at some point in their lives.
-
Majorities of Americans say key financial milestones are harder for today’s young adults to reach
Most Americans say it’s harder for young adults to find a job, buy a house, pay for college and save for their future than it was for their parents’ generation.
-
Buying a home has gotten harder for young adults in most U.S. metro areas
About nine-in-ten adults under 40 say buying a home is harder than it was for their parents, as rising prices and mortgage rates push homeownership further out of reach.
-
Is U.S. fertility at an all-time low? It depends how you measure it
U.S. fertility rates have hit historic lows, but three common measures tell different stories about whether American families are truly shrinking.
-
For Working Parents, the Boundary Between Work and Family Is Often Blurred
Parents – especially moms – often carry the mental load that comes with trying to balance what their families need with what their job demands. And with so many obligations, it’s not surprising that working parents sometimes feel like they can’t give 100% at home or at work.
