Know the New America & Beyond: March 2026
As the war in Iran reaches the one-month mark, Americans’ concerns are apparent. The strikes have stayed consistently unpopular, with 59% disapproving in our latest Reuters/Ipsos poll. But beyond that, it’s clear that many Americans see the clash abroad as something that could hurt them at home — perhaps literally. Two in five Americans (46%) believe the war will make the U.S. less safe in the long run, compared to 29% who think the opposite.
Americans also believe they are paying more at the gas pump in the wake of the war in Iran, and most (84%) think prices will get worse in the next few weeks. It’s already reshaping consumer behavior among American consumers: 58% say they’re driving less overall, 60% say they’re driving to closer stores when they go shopping, and a sizable number (21%) say they’re driving farther than usual to seek out gas stations with better prices, according to the Ipsos Consumer Tracker.
One key thing for brands to remember as this pushes out into the economy: Half of Americans say they don’t have any money left over after they pay their bills, according to the Ipsos Consumer Tracker. That means that when one part of their budget gets more expensive, like gas, they need to cut back in another area. Brands need to take action to stay off the chopping block.
Thank you for reading — please contact us to help you navigate this uncertain environment.
Read on to discover the latest insights on America from Ipsos.
Americans think it’s likely the U.S. will send troops into Iran
While 65% of Americans think it’s likely the U.S. will send troops to Iran for a large-scale ground operation, just 7% of Americans would support it — and a majority of Americans (55%) say they would not support the U.S. deploying any troops inside Iran, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.
- Almost all Americans think gas prices have gone up and will get worse - Read more
7 in 10 Americans want the government to spend more to lower healthcare costs
A majority of Americans are worried about rising healthcare costs, with bipartisan support for spending more federal tax dollars to address these challenges, according to the latest wave of the Axios/Ipsos American Health Index.
Most Americans think the government should regulate AI, but disagree on how
While Americans broadly agree about regulating AI to avoid harm, Democrats are far more passionate about the technology's impacts on the environment, according to new data from the Ipsos Consumer Tracker.
President Trump’s wartime approval rating is stable for now
Opposition to using ground troops in Iran largely comes from those who already disapprove of Trump. But there is a sizable minority (roughly a fifth) of Trump supporters who oppose any ground troops in Iran. If troops are deployed, Trump may lose some support on the edges, although it likely wouldn’t be a major blow – a majority of Trump’s base currently supports deploying a small number of troops.
U.S. consumer confidence is dropping amid the Iran war
Americans’ confidence in the economy began to slip as the war in Iran began, according to Ipsos’ Consumer Sentiment Index, which was largely completed before the war began. But since then, a majority of Americans (53%) have said they expect their personal financial situation to get worse as a result of the war.
What the rest of the world thinks
The view from France
For decades, the French have maintained an ambivalent relationship with the United States. A historic ally in both world wars, the U.S. also represents a powerful cultural magnet and a benchmark for innovation. Yet this enduring fascination has long been tempered by a deep rejection of a social model perceived as unfair, as well as recurring diplomatic rifts, most notably over the Iraq War.
A clear shift, however, emerged with the rise of Donald Trump. Until 2016, a majority of French citizens held broadly positive views of the United States. His first term significantly altered that perception, driving favorable opinions to historic lows and eroding trust in the transatlantic relationship. The election of Joe Biden in 2020 brought a modest and short-lived rebound, without fully restoring confidence.
Since Trump’s return to power, skepticism has deepened once again. His administration is widely seen in France as both highly conservative domestically and increasingly disruptive on the global stage. Recent polling suggests a sharp deterioration in perceptions, with a growing share of French respondents no longer viewing the U.S. as an ally, and some now considering it a potential adversary.
This critical stance extends beyond geopolitics. In the corporate sphere, American-driven trends can trigger counter-reactions in France: Over the past two years, diversity and inclusion policies have gained stronger support among French employees, often as a form of contrast to developments observed across the Atlantic.
Mathieu Gallard
Research Director,
Ipsos bva
Follow on LinkedIn
France
- A narrow majority of French people approve of the actions taken by France since the beginning of the Iran conflict - Read more
Italy
- A majority of Italian citizens say they are concerned about the escalation of the Iran war - Read more
Great Britain
- Over 8 in 10 Britons concerned about impact of Iran conflict on fuel/energy prices as belief in the special relationship between the U.S. and U.K. falls - Read more
The Netherlands
- On balance, Dutch people are critical of attacks on Iran - Read more
Canada
- A majority of Canadians disapprove of U.S. military strikes against Iran - Read more
Keep in touch with the latest Ipsos research and polling on the Iran conflict from around the world on our new web page.
And finally, other Ipsos global reports this month
- Misfits Stories: In the race to produce content at lightning speed, many advertisers overlook the essentials of impactful storytelling. In doing so, brands are limiting their creative effectiveness and ROI.
- Marketing Anchors: Is creativity and on-the-job learning enough for the modern marketer to succeed? To help answer that question, we surveyed 1,226 marketing practitioners across the U.K., U.S., Canada and Australia.
- Calibrating Synthetic Confidence: Learn why synthetic data requires a new, rigorous approach to measuring confidence, and the Ipsos framework for recalibrating statistical methods, in our new report.
- Global Attitudes to Happiness 2026: In 25 of the 29 countries surveyed for the Ipsos Happiness Report, people are happier than they were 12 months ago. But people on a lower income are less likely to report being happy (67%) compared to people with higher (79%) or medium household incomes (76%).
- Ipsos Update: Our regular round-up of research from around the world features a poll digest alongside short summaries of the latest releases.
