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81 percent of young Americans say economic conditions are bad or terrible: Survey

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by Max Rego - 05/04/26 3:48 PM ET

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by Max Rego - 05/04/26 3:48 PM ET

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A recent survey by Generation Lab found that more than 8 in 10 young adults rate economic conditions in the U.S. as either bad or terrible.

The survey, conducted April 26-29, found that 55 percent of 546 respondents ages 18-24 said they view the economy as bad, while 29 percent said it was terrible.

As for those in the 25-29 age range, 52 percent of 266 such respondents said the economy was bad. About 3 in 10 respondents said it was terrible, for a combined percentage of 81 percent that view the economy negatively.

A mere 2 percent in the 18-24 age range and 1 percent in the 25-29 age range said they view the economy as excellent. Just 14 percent and 19 percent, respectively, said the economy was good.

In March, inflation increased by nine-tenths of a percentage point from February to 3.3 percent. The cost of gasoline was up by 18.9 percent after declining year-over-year in the prior three months.

Stateside gas prices have spiked since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran started, as the Iranian military imposed restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. That move roiled the energy sector, with domestic gas prices surpassing $4.45 on Monday, according to AAA.

On Sunday, President Trump said the U.S. military will help ships pass through the waterway. The start of that endeavor Monday prompted retaliation from the Iranian military.

As for whom Americans ages 18-29 blame for the state of the economy, Trump and “corporate greed/large companies” were the most common answers.

More than 4 in 10 of respondents in the 18-24 age range blamed the president, while one-third faulted corporate greed and large companies. Just 2 percent blamed former President Biden, while 9 percent blamed congressional Republicans, 2 percent blamed congressional Democrats and 1 percent blamed the Federal Reserve.

As for ages 25-29, one-third faulted Trump and one-third faulted “corporate greed/large companies.” Biden and congressional Republicans garnered 8 percent of the blame each, while 3 percent pointed to congressional Democrats and 2 percent pointed to the central bank.

In total, Generation Lab surveyed 1,002 18- to 34-year-olds for the poll. The overall results have a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points, while the lab noted that subgroups margins of error are larger than that.

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