Nearly half of all Americans have trouble paying for basic necessities, survey finds

NPR · 1:00

24,248 views · 1,859 likes · Oct 19, 2026

A new survey finds more than 4 in 10 Americans had difficulty paying for at least one basic necessity in the past year.

Paying for medical care was the biggest challenge people faced, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center. Next was daily transportation, housing, and food.

Pew also finds more than half of Americans did not have enough emergency savings to cover expenses for three month…

A new survey finds more than 4 in 10 Americans had difficulty paying for at least one basic necessity in the past year.

Paying for medical care was the biggest challenge people faced, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center. Next was daily transportation, housing, and food.

Pew also finds more than half of Americans did not have enough emergency savings to cover expenses for three month…

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