Americans view the nation’s biggest challenge far differently from most of the world, according to new international polling.
A Gallup survey of 1,000 respondents ages 15 and older across 107 countries, conducted between March and October 2025, found that 33 percent of Americans identify politics as the country’s most pressing problem—ranking it above the economy.
That focus sets the U.S. apart globally. Only Taiwan recorded a statistically significant higher share, with half of respondents naming politics as their top concern, a reflection of the island’s unique political pressures.
Taiwan faces mounting political pressure from China, which continues to assert its claim that the island is part of its territory—a stance rejected by Taiwan’s democratically elected government.
Worldwide, the picture looks very different: The economy overwhelmingly dominates public worry, with a median of 23 percent of adults across countries citing it as their primary issue.
By comparison, just 8 percent globally said politics was the most important problem facing their country.
Age also played a role. Younger respondents, particularly those under 35, were more likely to point to economic concerns, highlighting growing financial anxiety among younger generations—even in high-income nations.
The polling does not point to a single political concern uniting Americans. Instead, anxieties vary sharply by party. Democrats tend to focus their worries on President Donald Trump and his leadership, while Republicans more often cite distrust of Democrats, frustration with perceived corruption, and fears about America’s standing on the global stage.
The poll comes as other surveys have shown mounting dissatisfaction with the Trump administration amid its aggressive foreign policy and immigration enforcement tactics.
Polls have shown Trump tanking on immigration—previously his strongest issue—with a YouGov/The Economist survey showing growing support for dismantling ICE.
Meanwhile, a January poll conducted by Harvard University and The Harris Poll suggests public opinion has shifted against Trump’s performance.
In the survey, a narrow majority—51 percent—said Trump is doing a worse job than former President Joe Biden, while 49 percent rated him as an improvement. The findings mark a reversal from the same poll taken in December, when a majority of respondents said Trump was outperforming Biden, indicating a notable swing in sentiment in just one month.
A YouGov/Economist poll also found that 71 percent think the United States is “out of control” under Trump, while only 18 percent think the country is “under control.”
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