A survey of 2,155 American adults conducted in September 2026 found that 70% of Americans believe the United States is in decline, up 15 points from 55% in 2025, according to research from the American Communities Project at Michigan State University.
The survey, conducted by SSRS with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points, identified inflation as the top issue Americans face. Nearly half of all Americans, 47%, say they are experiencing serious financial problems due to rising prices. This represents a sharp increase from July 2023, when 27% reported such difficulties, and from 2025, when 30% did so.
The pain from rising costs is not evenly distributed. Among Americans ages 18 to 29, 61% say they are dealing with serious financial problems from price increases. The figure reaches 65% for Hispanic Americans and 63% for Black Americans.
Healthcare emerged as the second-most pressing issue. Thirty percent of respondents cited healthcare as a top community concern in 2026, up from 20% in 2025. Among those earning between $75,000 and $99,999 annually, 36% named healthcare as a top issue. Among Black Americans, 35% did so.
The decline in sentiment marks a reversal from 2025, when the percentage of Americans saying the country is in decline had dropped to 55%. That improvement had been driven largely by communities that voted for President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. The return to 70% in 2026 suggests those same communities have experienced diminished optimism.
The American Communities Project plans to conduct the same survey again after the new Congress is seated.