Ipsos Cost of Living Monitor 2026

Welcome to the ninth edition of the Ipsos Cost of Living Monitor, which tracks global perceptions of people’s financial situation, the causes of rising prices and how the economy will perform in the future.

We began running this survey in April 2022 after the energy price shock brought on by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Now, four years later, it is once again war which has brought on another energy crisis, hitting consumers around the world in the pocket.

Conflicts around the world and their consequences are seen as the biggest factor driving the cost of living up (76%), ahead of the global economy or national governments. In the next six months, 70% expect to be paying more for their energy and utilities.

However, there are areas of improvement. Across 33 countries, people are more likely to say they are financially comfortable/alright (38%) than are finding it difficult (27%). While this is the case for higher and middle-income households, those are lower income more likely to be struggling (38% difficult to 24% comfortable/alright).

Looking at the global picture masks big differences on a country level. The cost of living crisis over the last four years has felt like a rollercoaster; when you feel like things are on the way up, there’s another drop. We see that for much of LATAM, over the last 12 months, things have been on the way down.

While in the English-speaking world and in Europe, there is the feeling of being financially stable right now, but pessimistic that their situation will stay that way. For example, 61% in the Netherlands say they are comfortable/alright, yet 39% expect their disposable income to fall over the next 12 months.

With midterm elections coming up next month and much of Europe going to the polls over the next year, the outlook for the future really matters.