Joe Biden’s administration has produced a number of high-water marks for America: Inflation at nearly double-digit percentages. Millions and millions of illegal aliens breaching the relatively unprotected southern border. Gasoline costing, in some places, more than $6 a gallon.
And now there’s another.
Gallup is reporting that a record number of Americans confirm they are “suffering.”
“The percentage of Americans who evaluate their lives poorly enough to be considered ‘suffering’ on Gallup’s Life Evaluation Index was 5.6% in July, the highest since the index’s inception in 2008,” Gallup said.
Biden, after all, had seen the earlier record, of 4.8%, set just months ago and the new mark is “statistically higher than all prior estimates in the COVID-19 era,” Gallup said.
The results are based on a survey July 26-Aug. 2 of 3,649 U.S. adults.
“For its Life Evaluation Index, Gallup classifies Americans as ‘thriving,’ ‘struggling’ or ‘suffering,’ according to how they rate their current and future lives on a ladder scale with steps numbered from 0 to 10, based on the Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale,” Gallup explained. “Those who rate both their current and future lives a 4 or lower are classified as suffering. Those who rate their current life a 7 or higher and their anticipated life in five years an 8 or higher are classified as thriving.”
It’s not just that “suffering” is surging under Biden. The report also reveals that “the percentage of U.S. adults estimated to be thriving has steadily declined since it reached a record high of 59.2% in June 2021. The latest estimate of 51.2% is an 18-month low. ”
Democrats, Republicans and independents all are among those who report their unhappiness, the report said.
“Since June 2021 — the highest point for the Life Evaluation Index among all Americans — the proportion who are suffering has doubled among Republicans, to 5.4%. Among Democrats, it has also jumped to 5.4% — nearly double the 2.9% from a year ago. And independents were near 5% suffering before a significant increase to 7.3% in April 2022, which eased only slightly to 6.2% in July.”
The Hill said, “Americans are currently struggling with a declining economy, a 40-year high inflation rate and soaring gas prices, while the pandemic continues to disrupt lives and abortion has been severely restricted in about half of all states.”
The lowest point for suffering ever was noted near the end of President Donald Trump’s first term, when the economy was booming, national security was surging and crime was being addressed.
It reached 2.4% at that point, in April 2020, but has been climbing ever since because of the pandemic, political wars, inflation and more.
Gallup also noted, “Americans’ reports of experiencing stress have edged up to 48% from 43% in July 2021. They remain well below the 60% recorded in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic. Daily worry, at 42%, is also elevated in comparison to the 38% of one year ago, but still lower than the March 2020 reading of 59%.”
For 25 years, WND has boldly brought you the news that really matters. If you appreciate our Christian journalists and their uniquely truthful reporting and analysis, please help us by becoming a WND Insider!
Content created by the WND News Center is available for re-publication without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
SUPPORT TRUTHFUL JOURNALISM. MAKE A DONATION TO THE NONPROFIT WND NEWS CENTER. THANK YOU!
This article was originally published by the WND News Center.
