The economy is the world's most important problem, but not America's
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Americans say the country's biggest problem right now is politics, per a new global Gallup survey out Wednesday.
Why it matters: Only eight other countries — out of 107 — ranked politics first, a sign of heightened political polarization and overall dissatisfaction among Americans.
- The only country with a statistically significant higher share identifying politics at the top was Taiwan. It's under mounting political pressure from China, which doesn't consider it a country.
How it works: Gallup polled a nationally representative sample of about 1,000 people age 15 and older in each of 107 countries from March - October 2025.
- It asked: "According to you, what is the most important problem your country is facing currently?"
- Respondents provided answers, and Gallup grouped them into buckets.
By the numbers: The answer was nearly the same everywhere: The economy was identified by a median of 23% of adults across these countries — more than double the share naming work, politics or safety, the next most common subjects.
- Those under 35 were more likely to identify the economy as a top concern — a sign that younger generations even in high-income countries feel the economy is failing them.
The big picture: Separate polling from Gallup finds that Americans have been more likely to name government as the country's top problem for the past decade.
- But it's not clear exactly what problem with politics or government all Americans are worried about.
- For Democrats, concerns are largely centered around President Trump.
- Republicans are more focused on distrust of Democrats, anger at corruption and anxiety about the country's place in the world.
Yes, but: People in highly democratic countries are more comfortable criticizing their governments, says Benedict Vigers, senior global news writer at Gallup.
Zoom out: While Gallup has been asking Americans some version of this question since the 1930s, this is the first time it has surveyed global respondents on the issue.
- The polling organization says the answer to the question has proven politically predictive — whichever party in the U.S. is viewed as more effective in solving the top problem winds up taking the White House.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to say Gallup has been asking some version of the question since the 1930s (not 1948) and to say respondents answered by phone or in-person interviews (they did not write in).
