With inflation exceeding 4%, a new Peter G. Peterson Foundation survey shows Americans are deeply concerned that the growing national debt is driving up the cost of living. The U.S. Fiscal Confidence Index in June is 39 (100 is neutral), reflecting widespread agreement about the urgent need to address America’s fiscal outlook and lack of leadership.

Additionally, overwhelming majorities of voters are calling on candidates this campaign season to put forward plans to prevent automatic Social Security benefit cuts.  This follows a new Social Security Trustees report showing that the program will be unable to pay out full benefits in just six years — when the Senators elected this fall will still be serving in office. 

The new national survey, jointly conducted by Democratic firm Global Strategy Group and Republican firm North Star Opinion Research, finds:

• 92% of voters (including 96% of Democrats, 89% of independents and 89% of Republicans) are concerned that the national debt’s effect on inflation is increasing the cost of living, including prices for groceries, energy, housing, transportation, and other goods and services.
• 88% of voters (including 92% of Democrats, 85% of independents and 86% of Republicans) are concerned that the national debt is contributing to higher borrowing costs, such as credit card interest, car loan rates, and mortgage rates.
• 94% say they are more likely to support a candidate with a plan to address the debt, including 96% of Democrats, 91% of independents and 95% of Republicans.
• 85% say a candidate having a plan to address the national debt is a factor in deciding their support in the 2026 election, including 87% of Democrats, 78% of independents and 86% of Republicans.
• 74% of voters (including 68% of Democrats, 84% of independents and 74% of Republicans) say they would consider supporting a candidate from a political party they do not usually support, if that candidate had a clear plan to address the debt.
• 96% of voters want Senate candidates this year to clearly explain their plans to prevent automatic Social Security benefit cuts, with virtually unanimous agreement in each age bracket and across party lines.

“Inflation just hit a three-year high, and voters understand that the rising debt and interest rates are adding to their daily affordability challenges,” said Michael A. Peterson, CEO of the Peterson Foundation. “As we approach the midterm elections, voters are calling for leaders to put forward solutions to our $39 trillion debt, which will help address America’s affordability crisis and put our country on a stronger, more sustainable path.”

June’s U.S. Fiscal Confidence Index shows widespread agreement that the president and Congress should spend more time addressing the debt (84% agree/9% disagree), including 87% of Democrats, 79% of independents and 84% of Republicans.

The Fiscal Confidence Index measures public opinion about the national debt by asking six questions in three key areas:

• CONCERN: Level of concern and views about the direction of the national debt.
• PRIORITY: How high a priority addressing the debt should be for elected leaders.
• EXPECTATIONS: Expectations about whether the debt situation will get better or worse in the next few years.  

The survey results from these three areas are weighted equally and averaged to produce the Fiscal Confidence Index value. The Fiscal Confidence Index, like the Consumer Confidence Index, is indexed on a scale of 0 to 200, with a neutral midpoint of 100. A reading above 100 indicates positive sentiment. A reading below 100 indicates negative sentiment.

Fiscal Confidence Index Key Data Points: 

• The June Fiscal Confidence Index value is 39. (The May value was 36. The April value was 42.)
• The current Fiscal Confidence Index score for CONCERN about the debt is 34, indicating deep concern about the debt. The score for debt as a PRIORITY that leaders must address is 20, indicating that Americans want elected leaders to make addressing long-term debt a high priority. The score for EXPECTATIONS about progress on the debt is 63. The Fiscal Confidence Index is the average of these three sub-category scores.

The Peter G. Peterson Foundation commissioned this poll by Democratic firm Global Strategy Group and Republican firm North Star Opinion Research. The online poll surveyed 1,001 registered voters nationwide between June 15 and June 17, 2026. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.1%.

Detailed results can be found online at www.pgpf.org/FiscalConfidenceIndex.