Americans Are More Pessimistic About Their Finances Than During the 2008 Financial Crisis

LewRockwell · Nov 4, 2026

Americans have never been this pessimistic about their finances:

A record 41% of US consumers expect their financial situation to be worse over the next 12 months.

This figure has more than tripled since Q2 2024.

By comparison, during the 2008 Financial Crisis, this metric peaked at 23%.

This proportion is also significantly higher than in the 1970s and the 1980s, when CPI inflation was above 10%.

Furthermore, 31% of US consumers believe their personal financial situation will be worse in 5 years, double the proportion seen in the 1980s.

Americans feel as though we are in a recession.

— The…