Healthcare Leads U.S. Concerns by 10 Points

Thursday, April 9, 2026

The voice of the world in numbers

April 7, 2026

Welcome to Front Page, where we break down Gallup's latest insights on our constantly evolving world. Here are the five insights you shouldn't miss this week:

1. Healthcare Leads U.S. Concerns by 10 Points

Bar Chart: Americans' worries about key issues, 2026.

The Data: Sixty-one percent of Americans say they worry a great deal about the availability and affordability of healthcare, more than any other domestic issue. The economy (51%), inflation and federal spending (both 50%), and income and wealth distribution (49%) form a tight second tier.

More Context: Although mentions of healthcare are unchanged from a year ago, it now leads the economy as Americans' top concern by a full 10 percentage points, its widest margin in years. The issue had been displaced by inflation and economic concerns during Joe Biden's presidency, but as those have faded, healthcare has returned to the top position it held from 2015 to 2020. Meanwhile, Americans' average concern across all 16 issues measured has eased, dropping three points this year to 43%, the lowest since 2020.

Line Chart: Trend in average worry about national issues, by party.

The Data: Republicans' average concern across all 16 issues has fallen to 30%, down from 42% in 2025 and 53% in Biden's final year. Democrats' average concern remains elevated at 51%, up significantly from 37% in 2024.

The Trend: The 21-point gap in Democrats' and Republicans' average worry about the issues is among the widest Gallup has recorded. This pattern mirrors historical data: Supporters of the president's party consistently worry less about domestic problems, while the opposing party worries more. The current Republican reading is approaching the low seen in 2020, the last time the party held the White House.

Bar Chart: Top issue concerns of U.S. party groups.

The Data: Republicans' chief domestic concern is illegal immigration (55%), followed by federal spending (47%), drug use (42%) and crime (41%). Democrats' top worries are healthcare (80%), income and wealth distribution (77%), and the economy (69%).

The Divide: Independents' priorities — healthcare (66%), inflation (56%), federal spending (54%) and the economy (53%) — overlap with both parties but lean more toward the Democratic list. The sharpest partisan gap is for income distribution, where Democrats' concern leads Republicans' by 58 points. The environment produces a 52-point divide. Illegal immigration is the one issue where Republicans far outpace Democrats, by 38 points.

Full Story

4. No Major Power Commands Majority Global Support

The Data: Germany eclipses the world's major powers in global leadership approval, at 48%, followed by China at 36%, the U.S. at 31% and Russia at 26%. None of the four earns majority approval worldwide. Only Germany has ever achieved this, with 52% approval in 2020.

U.S. and China: U.S. approval fell by eight points in 2025, returning to previous lows observed from 2017 to 2020. The declines were sharpest among U.S. allies, with Germany and Portugal recording drops of nearly 40 points. China, meanwhile, rose to its highest level in years, surpassing the U.S. by five points in 2025. However, nearly half of all countries surveyed (45%) gave negative net approval to both the U.S. and China. Aside from 2020, this is the most negative the world has been toward both powers in two decades.

Full Story

5. Gallup Vault: FDR Won France's ‘Foreign Leader' Popularity Poll

Bar Chart: FDR led French people's choice of favorite foreign statesmen in 1939.

The Data: Before World War II, in July 1939, 58% of French adults named Franklin D. Roosevelt as their favorite foreign statesman. FDR's popularity was more than double the 22% who chose U.K. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain.

More History: A different question in the same poll found that the U.S. was France's favorite foreign country overall, at 26%, just ahead of England (23%). The survey was conducted mere months before Adolf Hitler invaded Poland, discrediting Chamberlain's appeasement policy with Germany. Americans did not quite return the favor to France. Forty-three percent of U.S. adults named England as their favorite country, with France a distant second at 11%. The country liked least across all three nations polled? Germany — named by 70% of the French, 58% of Americans and 54% of Britons.