Almost half in new poll say groceries harder to afford

Almost half of Americans said groceries are harder to afford compared to a year ago, according to a poll released Thursday.

The new Harris/Axios Vibes poll found that 47 percent of adults said groceries are harder to afford now than a year ago. Just more than a third, 34 percent, said it is about the same, while just less than a fifth, 19 percent, said groceries are easier to afford now. 

The majority of both Democrats, 50 percent, and independents, 54 percent, said groceries are harder to afford now. Among Republicans, the opinions were more evenly split, with 34 percent saying groceries are harder to afford. More than a third, 37 percent, said it is about the same compared to last year, while 28 percent of U.S. adults said they are easier to afford. 

Just than half of respondents, 47 percent, said President Trump’s administration has had a positive impact on the economy. About 8 in 10 Americans said Trump has “significant influence” over the economy, according to the survey. 

“President Trump recognizes he inherited the worst inflation crisis in a generation from Joe Biden, and that is why he has tasked his admin with fixing it. Grocery prices are coming down, such as egg prices which have plummeted by nearly 80 percent, and we recognize there is more work to be done,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to Axios.

Less than a third of respondents said the president’s tariffs have been good for U.S. businesses, personal finances and the economy. More than 6 in 10, 63 percent, are worried about shortages of essential goods they depend on because of the import taxes. 

The poll was conducted Sept. 11-13 among 2,093 U.S. adults. The margin of error was 2.4 percentage points.