Fewer Americans now say their family’s financial situation has worsened over the past year just months into President Donald Trump’s second and final term, according to a May survey conducted by YouGov for The Economist.
The percentage of registered voters reporting that their household finances are worse than a year ago dropped to 31.8 percent—the lowest level recorded since January 2022, according to the survey released on May 18.
For most of the Biden administration, more Americans said they were worse off financially than those who reported no change. That trend shifted after the November election, when the share of Americans reporting their household financial situation was unchanged surpassed those saying it had worsened.
Still, the majority of Americans continue to report either no change or a decline in their financial health. In the latest poll, only 16.1 percent said they are better off, compared to 49.6 percent who said their situation remains the same. This pattern has been consistent since YouGov began tracking the data in 2009.
In 2020, just before the onset of the pandemic, nearly as many Americans reported being better off financially—36 percent—as those who said their situation was unchanged, at 41.2 percent. Only 18.4 percent said they were worse off at the time.
Looking ahead, Americans remain relatively optimistic. A separate YouGov poll released on May 7 found that 39.9 percent expect to be better off financially a year from now. Meanwhile, 27.5 percent anticipate no change, and 20.3 percent expect their situation to worsen.
Meanwhile, Americans celebrating Memorial Day by traveling will find the lowest gas prices since 2003 in real-time dollars, according to a new report.
GasBuddy, a fuel savings platform, projected Tuesday that the national average price of gasoline will be $3.08 per gallon on Memorial Day, making it the lowest in nominal terms since 2021, and the lowest in inflation-adjusted terms since 2003.
The decline is expected to continue through the summer. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, average prices are forecast to hover around $3.02 per gallon, with some days dipping below the $3 mark. The trend is likely to please the 69 percent of Americans planning to take a road trip this summer. “American road trip culture remains resilient,” GasBuddy said in a news release announcing their 2025 Summer Travel Survey.
Last summer, the national average price of gasoline on Memorial Day was $3.58 per gallon. This year’s lower price reflects a rise in oil production, which has helped drive down crude oil costs. Brent Crude, the global benchmark for oil prices, is currently trading at $65.07 per barrel—down sharply from $83.71 at the same time last year, Breitbart News reported.
