Americans Air Their Biggest Problems of 2022

The biggest problem facing Americans is nothing new, according to Gallup. An average 19% of respondents chose government as the top problem facing the country in 11 monthly Gallup polls, the company announced Tuesday. That's the seventh time in the past decade that government has come out on top, per the Hill. Inflation and the high cost of living came second at 16%, followed by the economy (12%), immigration (6%), unifying the country (5%), and COVID-19, race relations, and crime (all tied at 4%). Just 3% of respondents mentioned abortion, gas prices, the judicial system, poverty and homelessness, ethics and morals, or the environment.

In a separate Consumer Trends poll, however, inflation and the rising cost of living emerged as the biggest problem facing the US—by a long shot. It was named by 37% of respondents, per CNBC. Just 23% of respondents identified government as the biggest issue, while 27% said they were most concerned by gun violence and violent crime. Climate change and the environment was also a common answer, mentioned by 19% of respondents. Perhaps unexpectedly, 21% of respondents of Generation X or older mentioned the environment as one of the most important problems, compared to 17% of millennials and those in Generation Z. Just 18% of respondents in this group mentioned government, compared to 28% in the older group. (More opinion polls stories.)