56% Of Americans Report Living Paycheck To Paycheck

Nearly three quarters of Americans say consumer prices have risen in recent weeks, signalling oncoming economic pain.

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New polling from Canadian pollster, Leger, suggests the economic situation in America hasn’t been improving.

The survey found that 56% of Americans report living paycheck to paycheck, while only 39% say they are not. According to the poll, younger Americans are more likely to face economic precarity than their older counterparts.

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The most cash-strapped age group are those aged 18–34, with 62% saying they live paycheck to paycheck. Among those aged 35–54, 61% report the same. Only among Americans aged 55 and older do more say they are not struggling financially than are, at 48% compared to 46%.

Economic precarity appears similar across partisan lines, with 56% of Independents, 54% of Democrats, and 53% of Republicans reporting they live paycheck to paycheck.

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It’s not surprising then that a majority of Americans (52%) believe the country is currently in an economic recession. That belief is highest among Democrats (70%) and much lower among Republicans (34%).

Meanwhile, 29% of Americans say the U.S. is not in a recession, and another 19% say they are unsure of the current economic situation.

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Technically, the United States is not in a recession, which would require two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth. However, with a poor first quarter in 2025 already on the books, only one more negative quarter would officially mark a recession.

If a recession does occur, it’ll be driven by the President’s poorly conceived tariff plan, which most Americans believe will cause more economic harm than good.

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