Democratic Party holds edge over GOP on cost of living
Washington, D.C., August 5, 2026 – A new Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted July 29-August 3 finds that the Democratic Party holds an eight-point lead over the GOP as the more trusted party to handle the cost of living, an issue that is poised to play a key role in the 2026 midterms.
The poll also takes a close look at political ideology, exploring the attitudes liberals and conservatives see as “essential” to being considered a liberal or conservative. Large majorities of liberals say the positions of increasing taxes on corporations/billionaires and government healthcare for all Americans are important or essential to being a liberal. Majorities of conservatives say the same of reducing the size of the federal government and reducing the amount of foreign aid provided by the U.S.
Detailed findings
1. The Democratic Party has an edge over the Republican Party on the cost of living, a margin that has widened since the start of the year.
- Nearly half of Americans (48%) say that if the 2026 midterm elections were held today, the cost of living would be their most important factor in deciding who to vote for. While little changed from June (49%), this represents a nine-percentage-point increase from January (39%).
- Americans are more likely to prefer the Democratic Party’s handling of the cost of living (35%) over that of the Republican Party (27%). The Democratic Party’s eight-point edge on the cost of living also represents a much different state of play than at the start of the year: in January, Democrats (32%) and Republicans (31%) were roughly even.
- The cost of living and inflation remain weak points for President Donald Trump, with 70% of Americans disapproving of Trump’s handling of both issues. Trump’s approval rating on the cost of living (23%) and inflation (22%) both register below his overall approval rating of 35%.
2. A majority of liberals say increasing taxes on corporations and billionaires and government healthcare for all Americans are “essential” to being a liberal.
- Overall, 46% of Americans describe themselves as very conservative, moderately conservative, or as someone who leans conservative. In comparison, 33% say the same about being a liberal.
- Among self-identified liberals, large majorities say increasing taxes on corporations and billionaires (71%), government healthcare for all Americans (67%) and expanding abortion access (65%) are all issue positions that are “essential” to being considered a liberal. Even larger majorities describe these positions as either essential or important, but not essential.
- Self-identified conservatives are less likely to view any one position as “essential” to being considered a conservative. Reducing the size of the federal government ranks at the top of the list, with 46% considering this policy position essential to being a conservative. Similar shares say the same of allowing fewer immigrants into America (43%) and reducing the amount of foreign aid the U.S. provides (40%). However, majorities still describe these policies as either essential or important but not essential.
Washington, D.C., August 3, 2026 – A new Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted July 29-August 3 covers views towards President Donald Trump’s handling of the presidency, the 2026 midterm elections, major political figures, and more.
About the Study
This Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted July 29 to August 3, 2026, by Ipsos using the probability-based KnowledgePanel®. This poll is based on a nationally representative probability sample of 4,505 general population adults aged 18 or older.
The study was conducted in English. The data were weighted to adjust for gender by age, race and ethnicity, census region, metropolitan status, education, household income, 2024 vote choice and political party identification. Political party identification benchmarks are from the 2026 NPORS annual survey. The demographic benchmarks came from the 2025 March supplement of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS).
- Gender (Male, Female) by Age (18–29, 30–44, 45-59 and 60+)
- Education (Less than High School, High School, Some College, Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree or higher)
- Region (Northeast, Midwest, South, West) by Metro status (Metro, non-Metro)
- Race/Hispanic Ethnicity (White Non-Hispanic, Black Non-Hispanic, Other, Non-Hispanic, Hispanic, 2+ Races, Non-Hispanic)
- Household Income (Under $25,000, $25,000-$49,999, $50,000-$74,999, $75,000-$99,999, $100,000-$149,999, $150,000+)
- 2024 Presidential Vote Choice (Harris, Trump, Another Candidate, Did not vote)
- Political Party ID (Democrat, Lean Democrat, Republican, Lean Republican, Independent/Something else)
The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 1.5 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, for results based on the entire sample of adults. The margin of sampling error takes into account the design effect, which was 1.07. The margin of sampling error is higher and varies for results based on sub-samples. In our reporting of the findings, percentage points are rounded off to the nearest whole number. As a result, percentages in a given table column may total slightly higher or lower than 100%. In questions that permit multiple responses, columns may total substantially more than 100%, depending on the number of different responses offered by each respondent.
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Alec Tyson
Senior Vice President, US
Public Affairs
[email protected]
About Ipsos
Ipsos is one of the largest market research and polling companies globally, operating in 90 markets and employing nearly 20,000 people.
Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. Our 75 business solutions are based on primary data from our surveys, social media monitoring, and qualitative or observational techniques.
“Game Changers” – our tagline – summarizes our ambition to help our 5,000 clients navigate with confidence our rapidly changing world.
Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has been listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120, Mid-60 indices, and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD).
ISIN code FR0000073298, Reuters ISOS.PA, Bloomberg IPS:FP
35 rue du Val de Marne
75 628 Paris, Cedex 13 France
Tel. +33 1 41 98 90 00
