--- title: "Most Americans say another round of COVID-19 economic relief will be needed" description: "Following the passage of a second stimulus package in December, 79% of U.S. adults say another economic assistance package will be necessary. " date: "2021-01-19" authors: - name: "Ted Van Green" job_title: "Research Analyst" link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/ted-van-green/" url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/01/19/most-americans-say-another-round-of-covid-19-economic-relief-will-be-needed/" categories: - "Coronavirus (COVID-19)" - "COVID-19 & Politics" - "COVID-19 & the Economy" - "Economic Conditions" - "Economic Policy" --- # Most Americans say another round of COVID-19 economic relief will be needed Following the passage of a [second stimulus package](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/21/us/politics/coronavirus-stimulus-deal.html) in December in response to the impact of the [coronavirus outbreak](https://www.pewresearch.org/topics/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/), 79% of U.S. adults say another economic assistance package will be necessary. Just 20% say another package will not be needed. [![Partisan differences over need for more COVID-19 aid, but majorities in both parties view it as necessary](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/01/ft_2021.01.19_stimulus_01.png?w=420)](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/01/19/most-americans-say-another-round-of-covid-19-economic-relief-will-be-needed/ft_2021-01-19_stimulus_01-png/) The level of support for an additional package today is [nearly identical to the share of Americans (80%)](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2020/11/20/key-post-election-issues-the-pandemic-and-the-economy/) who said more coronavirus aid was needed in the weeks leading up to passage of a $900 billion stimulus bill late last year, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. While majorities of both Republicans and Democrats say they think another economic assistance package will be necessary, Republicans are less likely to say this. President-elect Joe Biden has said he will push for a [$1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package](https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/14/politics/biden-vaccination-economic-rescue-package/index.html) once in office. To measure support among Americans for new stimulus legislation just weeks after the last one was approved, Pew Research Center surveyed 5,360 U.S. adults from Jan. 8 to 12, 2021. Everyone who took part in the survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the [ATP’s methodology](https://www.pewresearch.org/methods/u-s-survey-research/american-trends-panel/). Here are [the questions used](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/covid-topline.pdf) for this report, along with responses, and [its methodology](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/COVID-methods-w-income.pdf). Nearly two-thirds of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (65%) say an additional package will be necessary, compared with about nine-in-ten (92%) Democrats and Democratic leaners who say more coronavirus aid will be needed. Moderate and liberal Republicans (77%) are more likely than conservative Republicans (56%) to say more COVID-19 aid will be needed. Large majorities of both conservative and moderate Democrats (89%) and liberal Democrats (96%) say additional assistance will be needed. As was the case in opinions about the previous coronavirus aid package, higher-income adults – particularly higher-income Republicans – are less likely than those with lower family incomes to view more coronavirus aid as necessary. [![As was the case before last stimulus, higher-income Republicans less likely to say more COVID-19 aid will be needed](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/01/ft_2021.01.19_stimulus_02.png?w=310)](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/01/19/most-americans-say-another-round-of-covid-19-economic-relief-will-be-needed/ft_2021-01-19_stimulus_02-png/) Nearly nine-in-ten adults (88%) in lower-income households say an additional package will be necessary, while smaller majorities of those in middle- (78%) and upper-income households (70%) say the same. However, the relationship between family income and views of additional economic aid is strongest among Republicans and Republican leaners. A large majority of Republicans in lower-income households (81%) say additional aid will be necessary. A smaller share of Republicans in upper-income households (48%) say the same. Nearly identical shares of Democrats across all income groups say that a third economic assistance package is necessary. *Note: Here are [the questions used](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/covid-topline.pdf) for this report, along with responses, and [its methodology](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/COVID-methods-w-income.pdf).*