Affordable health care, drug use grow as top American concerns: Gallup

Americans are increasingly concerned about drug use and affordable health care, according to a new Gallup survey, even as they continue to worry about inflation and the economy.

The poll, released Thursday, showed the share of Americans who said they worry “a great deal” about drug use has gone up 8 percentage points since last year, now sitting at 46 percent. 

And the share of Americans who said they worry a great deal about the availability and affordability of health care has climbed 5 percentage points since last year, up to 54 percent. Also up 5 percentage points, to 45 percent, was the share who said they worried a great deal about Social Security.

Inflation and the economy still clock in as the top two concerns for Americans, but health care, drug use and Social Security concerns saw the biggest jump between 2022 and 2023. The shares of Americans who said they worried a great deal about inflation and the economy each went up just 2 percent from last year. 

The availability and affordability of health care came in as the third-highest concern this year, tied with crime and violence. 

The poll results come amid ongoing debate over the cost and accessibility of health care in the U.S. — and amid concerns about the standing of entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security.

New data has also observed an uptick in overdose deaths, sparking concerns about the country’s drug use.

Conducted March 1-23, the Gallup annual environment survey polled 1,009 U.S. adults and had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.