Poll- Dissatisfied with the current economic situation, 70% of American voters believe that the country is “going in the wrong direction”_1

According to a recent poll conducted by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, a significant majority of registered voters in the United States are expressing dissatisfaction with the current state of the economy. Approximately 70% of participants believe the country is “headed in the wrong direction.”

The survey reveals that only 38% of respondents feel that the U.S. economy is performing well, while a noteworthy 62% hold a more pessimistic view regarding economic conditions.

Analysis from U.S. media suggests that neither Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump nor Democratic contender Kamala Harris has garnered significant trust from voters when it comes to handling economic issues. Voters appear divided over who might better tackle challenges like rising unemployment and increasing costs of food and housing.

Only 32% of respondents think the nation is “heading in the right direction,” in stark contrast to the 68% who believe it is “moving in the wrong direction.” Notably, younger voters exhibit a more pronounced sense of pessimism about the economic outlook compared to older voters.

This trend of pessimism has remained relatively stable over the past three years, with nearly 80% of Americans in 2023 believing the country is on the wrong track.

The poll was conducted from October 11 to 14, 2024, and involved 1,072 adults. The sample was drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak panel, which is designed to be representative of the national population. The margin of sampling error for registered voters is plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.