Two-thirds of Americans expect inflation to go even higher during the next 12 months, according to poll results released Thursday.
A Washington Post-George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government survey asked American adults about "the situation with rising prices" in the next year.
A total of 66% of respondents said they expected inflation to get worse, 21% said it will get better, and 12% said it would stay the same.
Inflation is running even closer to its 1980 peak, fresh analysis of historical price data showed, Bloomberg reported Monday. That has resulted in soaring prices at the gas pumps and grocery stores.
The Hill reported that consumer data set to be released on Friday is expected to show consumer prices rising at an even faster rate between April and May.
The Post-Schar poll found that about 57% said they were earning enough money to maintain their standard of living, while 20% said they were falling behind and 23% said they were getting ahead.
A total of 63% said they were optimistic about their family's financial situation.
Americans differ on who or what is most to blame for rising inflation.
A total of 58% of respondents blamed President Joe Biden for higher gas prices, and the same percentage blamed the coronavirus pandemic. (Participants were offered several selections and asked to choose all that applied.)
Corporations (72%) and Russia's attack on Ukraine (69%) also were blamed for higher gas prices.
The Post-Schar survey asked Americans whether the recent price increases had been a financial stress on their household.
A total of 37% said increased prices had been a major financial stress, 50% said they had been a minor financial stress, and 13% said higher prices had not been a financial stress.
Asked about things they had done due to higher prices, 87% said they made an effort to find the cheapest products, 77% said they had cut back on entertainment or eating out, and 74% said they had put off purchases previously planned.
The Post-Schar poll was conducted April 21-May 12 among 1,055 U.S. adults, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.