Most Important Problem

Line graph. Trend from 2001 to 2020 in the percentage of Americans mentioning economic issues as the most important U.S. problem. High is 86% in February 2009; low of 9% in July 2020. Current reading, from October 2020, is 14%.

What do you think is the most important problem facing the country today?

Recent trend

	Oct 2020	Sep 2020	Aug 2020	Jul 2020	Jun 2020	May 2020	Apr 2020
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS (NET)	14	9	12	9	19	16	13
Economy in general	9	5	7	4	8	8	6
Unemployment/Jobs	3	2	3	2	5	4	3
Lack of money	1	*	*	*	2	1	*
Gap between rich and poor	1	2	1	1	3	2	2
Wage issues	*	--	*	*	*	*	*
Federal budget deficit/Federal debt	*	1	*	*	1	2	1
Taxes	*	1	--	*	*	--	*
Corporate corruption	*	*	1	*	*	*	*
High cost of living/Inflation	*	--	*	*	--	--	*
Fuel/Oil prices	--	--	*	--	--	--	--
Foreign trade/Trade deficit	--	--	--	--	--	*	*
NON-ECONOMIC PROBLEMS (NET)	87	91	89	89	82	83	87
Coronavirus/Diseases	30	25	35	30	20	40	45
The government/Poor leadership	23	25	22	23	21	24	20
Race relations/Racism	10	13	10	16	19	4	1
Unifying the country	5	6	4	6	4	3	3
Crime/Violence	5	8	4	5	3	*	*
Healthcare	4	3	3	2	3	4	6
Judicial system/Courts/Laws	3	3	3	3	2	2	*
Environment/Pollution/Climate change	3	2	1	1	2	1	2
Elections/Election reform	2	1	1	1	1	1	*
Ethics/moral/religious/family decline	2	3	3	2	3	2	2
The media	2	2	2	2	2	1	2
Immigration	1	1	2	1	2	1	2
Police brutality	1	1	1	*	2	*	--
Lack of respect for each other	1	2	2	2	4	3	2
Poverty/Hunger/Homelessness	1	2	1	1	1	1	1
Education	1	1	1	1	1	*	1
Situation with China	1	1	*	*	1	*	*
Child abuse	*	1	*	--	--	--	--
Terrorism	*	1	*	--	--	--	--
National security	*	*	*	1	*	*	*
Drugs	*	*	*	--	*	*	*
Wars/War (nonspecific)/Fear of war	*	*	--	*	*	*	*
Foreign policy/Foreign aid/Focus overseas	*	--	--	*	*	*	*
International issues, problems	*	--	*	--	*	--	*
Care for the elderly/Medicare	*	*	--	*	*	--	--
Abortion	*	1	*	*	*	*	*
Natural disaster relief/response	*	1	--	--	--	--	--
Welfare	*	*	1	*	*	*	--
Social Security	*	*	*	--	--	--	*
Guns/Gun control	*	*	--	*	*	*	*
Lack of military defense	--	*	*	*	--	--	*
Children's behavior/Way they are raised	--	--	*	--	--	*	*
Advancement of Computers/Technology	--	--	*	*	*	*	*
Gay/Lesbian rights	--	--	*	*	--	--	--
Situation with Russia	--	--	*	*	--	*	*
War/conflict between Middle East nations	--	--	--	--	--	*	--
Other non-economic	3	2	2	4	4	3	3
No opinion	1	2	1	2	2	1	2
Total	116%	115%	115%	112%	119%	112%	109%
* Less than 0.5%; Percentages total more than 100% due to multiple mentions.
Gallup

Which political party do you think can do a better job of handling the problem you think is most important -- the Republican Party or the Democratic Party?

Based on those who name a most important problem

	Republican Party	Democratic Party	No difference/Other/ No opinion (vol.)
	%	%	%
2020 Aug 31-Sep 13	39	47	14
2019 Sep 3-15	40	44	16
2018 Sep 4-12	40	41	19
2017 Sep 6-10	34	41	25
2016 Sep 7-11	42	38	20
2015 Sep 9-13	42	37	23
2014 Sep 4-7	40	36	25
2014 Jul 7-10	35	35	29
2013 Sep 5-8	34	39	27
2012 Sep 6-9	39	49	13
2011 Sep 8-11	44	37	19
2010 Sep 13-16	40	38	22
2009 Aug 31-Sep 2	34	45	20
2008 Sep 8-11	39	46	14
2007 Sep 14-16	30	47	22
2006 Sep 7-10	34	49	16
2005 Sep 12-15	39	40	21
2005 Jan 3-5	41	41	18
2004 Sep 13-15	47	44	9
2004 Jan 12-15	39	46	15
2002 Jul 26-28	38	36	26
2001 Jan 10-14	39	39	22
1999 Jan 15-17	33	43	24
1998 Apr 17-19	40	42	18
1997 Jan 10-13	33	43	24
1996 Jul 25-28	37	41	22
1996 May 9-12	40	44	16
1995 Jan 16-18	42	32	26
1994 Oct 22-25	41	37	22
1994 Aug 15-16	38	37	25
1994 Aug 8-9	39	37	24
1994 Jul 15-17	39	32	29
1994 Jan 28-30	30	41	29
1994 Jan 15-17	31	39	30
1993 Sep 10-12	31	37	32
1993 Jan 8-11	29	45	26
1992 Mar 26-29	34	40	26
1991 Nov 21-24	33	34	33
1991 Sep 5-8	37	34	29
1991 Jul 11-14	36	28	36
1991 May 23-26	38	30	32
1991 Apr 25-28	34	29	37
1991 Mar 7-10	40	27	33
1990 Oct	30	29	41
1989 Jul 18-21	33	27	40
1988 Sep 9-11	38	33	29
1988 May 9-11	27	40	33
1987 Apr 10-13	29	37	34
1987 Jan 16-19	30	39	32
1986 Jul 11-14	33	36	31
1986 Jan 10-13	33	28	39
1985 Oct 11-14	32	32	36
1985 May 17-20	37	31	32
1985 Jan 25-28	39	29	32
1984 Sep 21-24	42	33	26
1984 Sep 7-10	43	34	23
1984 Aug 10-13	39	37	24
1984 Jun 22-25	33	35	32
1984 Feb 10-13	30	32	38
1983 Nov 18-21	28	35	37
1983 Oct 7-10	26	37	37
1983 Jul 22-25	24	38	38
1982 Oct 15-18	29	41	30
1982 Aug 13-16	26	35	39
1982 Jun 11-14	28	35	37
1982 Apr 2-5	25	35	40
1982 Jan 8-11	30	34	36
1981 May 8-11	36	21	43
1981 Jan 30-Feb 2	39	20	41
1980 Oct 10-13	33	33	35
1980 Sep 12-15	35	32	33
1980 Jul 11-14	31	27	43
1980 Mar 28-31	28	32	40
1980 Jan 25-28	21	34	45
1979 Oct 12-15	25	33	42
1979 Aug 10-13	20	30	50
1979 May 4-7	21	31	48
1979 Feb 23-26	23	29	48
1978 Oct 27-30	25	33	42
1978 Sep 8-11	20	35	46
1978 Jul 7-10	19	33	48
1978 Apr 14-17	22	32	46
1977 Oct 21-24	14	38	48
1976 Oct 22-25	23	43	34
1976 Oct 8-11	24	42	33
1976 Apr 23-26	18	39	43
1976 Jan 2-5	18	40	43
1975 Oct 17-20	15	42	43
1975 Feb 28-Mar 3	14	42	44
1974 Oct 11-14	18	39	43
1974 Sep 27-30	13	39	48
1974 Aug 16-19	20	38	42
1974 May 31-Jun 3	16	38	46
1974 Jan 4-7	16	40	44
1973 May 4-7	22	35	43
1972 Oct 13-16	38	29	33
1972 Sep 22-25	34	31	35
1972 Jul 14-17	28	34	39
1972 Aug	28	34	38
1972 Apr 28-May 1	22	33	45
1972 Feb 4-7	23	30	47
1971 Nov 19-22	22	33	45
1971 Aug 27-30	18	36	47
1971 Jun 4-7	19	31	50
1970 Oct 9-14	23	26	50
1970 Sep 25-28	21	30	49
1970 Jul 31-Aug 2	19	30	51
1970 May 21-26	21	27	52
1970 Jan 15-20	26	25	48
1968 Oct 17-22	35	29	35
1968 Sep 26-Oct 1	43	27	29
1968 Sep 1-6	35	23	42
1968 Aug 7-12	37	25	39
1968 Jul 18-23	31	27	42
1968 Jan 4-9	26	33	41
1967 Oct 27-Nov 1	26	30	43
1967 Aug 3-8	23	29	48
1967 Jan 26-31	23	29	48
1966 Oct 21-26	27	26	47
1966 Oct 1-6	22	28	50
1966 Aug 18-23	21	28	51
1966 May 5-10	22	28	50
1966 Mar 3-8	13	21	67
1965 Nov 18-23	17	30	52
1965 Oct 29-Nov 2	17	38	44
1965 Sep 16-21	17	34	50
1965 Aug 5-10	13	37	49
1965 Jul 16-21	16	36	49
1965 May 13-18	16	37	48
1965 Mar 18-23	16	38	45
1965 Feb 19-24	17	39	44
1964 Oct 8-13	22	49	39
1964 Sep 18-23	23	49	29
1964 Aug 27-Sep 1	19	52	29
1964 Aug 6-11	21	45	34
1964 Jul 23-28	25	37	36
1964 Jun 25-30	19	41	40
1964 Apr 24-29	16	40	44
1964 Mar 27-Apr 2	16	42	42
1963 Sep 12-17	20	29	52
1962 Oct 19-24	20	35	45
1962 Sep 20-25	20	38	42
1962 Aug 23-28	17	34	48
1962 Jun 28-Jul 3	18	36	46
1962 Apr 6-11	16	39	45
1961 May 4-9	15	37	48
1960 Oct 18-23	34	40	26
1960 Sep 28-Oct 2	35	38	27
1960 Sep 9-14	32	35	33
1960 Aug 25-30	31	33	36
1960 Aug 11-16	31	33	35
1960 Jul 30-Aug 4	36	36	28
1960 Jul 16-21	20	40	40
1960 Jun 30-Jul 5	23	32	44
1960 Jun 16-21	23	35	42
1960 May 26-31	24	35	41
1960 Apr 28-May 3	25	33	42
1960 Feb 4-9	24	32	44
1959 Sep 18-23	26	31	43
1959 Jul 23-28	24	36	40
1959 Feb 4-9	26	34	39
1958 Oct 15-20	26	33	41
1958 Sep 24-29	23	30	46
1958 Sep 10-15	22	37	41
1958 Aug 20-25	22	37	41
1958 Jul 10-15	19	39	42
1958 Mar 6-11	22	38	39
1957 Oct 10-15	28	30	42
1957 May 17-22	30	29	42
1956 Oct 18-23	40	30	30
1956 Oct 7-12	41	31	29
1956 Sep 20-25	38	29	33
1956 Sep 9-14	33	29	37
1956 May 31-Jun 5	38	37	25
1956 Mar 8-13	37	35	28
1955 Jun 3-8	29	32	38
1952 Jun 15-20	40	28	32
1952 Mar 27-Apr 1	39	28	33
1952 Jan 6-11	42	25	30
1950 Aug 20-25	28	40	32
1950 Jun 4-9	35	36	28
1948 Jun 19-24	37	30	33
1948 Mar 19-24	32	28	40
1947 Sep 12-17	25	31	44
1946 Oct 18-23	45	28	27
1946 Sep 13-18	38	29	33
1945 Aug 24-29	22	49	29
(vol.)=volunteered response
Gallup

Most Important Problem

Related Topics Include:

The Five Conditions Assessment

Recommended

Trump Job Rating Steady; Other Mood Indicators Tick Up

Democrats Viewed as Party Better Able to Handle Top Problem

More Americans Cite COVID-19 as Most Important U.S. Problem

Satisfaction Among Americans Remains at Nine-Year Low