Left and Right Agree on Biggest Issue (But Not Much Else)
What are the biggest challenges for the United States today? Statista's Consumer Insights show that the answer partially depends on respondents' political orientation. However, Americans on the left and the right could agree on one thing when the last survey was carried out between early 2023 and early 2024. Rising prices, inflation and the cost of living crisis were the most frequently picked option among all political groups.
Those describing themselves as part of the political center agreed most often at 61 percent of respondents identifying rising prices and inflation as a major issue in the country. 51 percent on the left and 45 percent on the right also did so. While left-leaning Americans also frequently named issues of health/social security, climate change, poverty and housing as being important, center and right-leaning Americans both said that crime and the economy were the other major problems in the U.S. In general, Americans on the right didn't identify issues with as high a frequency as other political camps.
Dataset
Top 5 most often citied major issues for the U.S. by political orientation | |
---|---|
LEFT | |
Rising prices/inflation | 51% |
Health/social security | 46% |
Climate change | 44% |
Poverty | 44% |
Housing | 43% |
CENTER | |
Rising prices/inflation | 61% |
Crime | 46% |
Economic situation | 45% |
Health/social security | 44% |
Poverty | 41% |
RIGHT | |
Rising prices/inflation | 45% |
Crime | 42% |
Economic situation | 41% |
Immigration | 38% |
Health/social security | 34% |
Data sources
60,000 U.S. respondents (18-64 y/o) surveyed Apr. 2023-Mar. 2024