Key facts
- 71% of middle-income earners cut back on spending on extras like eating out.
- Just over half of middle-income Americans lack emergency savings for three months.
- 47% of middle-income earners saved money in the past year.
A Pew Research Center survey indicates that middle-income Americans are increasingly facing economic difficulties, with their financial struggles aligning more closely with those of lower-income earners. The survey, conducted in 2026, found that the proportion of middle-income individuals able to pay all their bills has decreased. Many are cutting back on non-essential spending and have limited emergency savings. Rising costs and falling inflation-adjusted wages are contributing factors to this trend.