Know the New America: Top insights for global decisionmakers (Ben Page, CEO of Ipsos)

August 2025

Inflation still haunts U.S. voters and consumers. While it has cooled since its historic peak in 2022, it still remains raw and real for American consumers – and a source of great concern. Now, as economists debate when (and how) more price increases will trickle down as a result of tariffs, an Ipsos analysis shows that lower- and middle-income Americans are more likely to cut back on things like dining out and snacks.

It will affect millions of average Americans: Ipsos polling shows that in fact middle-income Americans were most likely to take on new debt since the start of this year, with 36% of households making between $50,000 and $100,000 a year doing so. For international brands trying to sell to Americans, this increasing price-consciousness creates a pinch point that could soon become a problem as tariffs take hold and they must decide how to absorb or pass on the costs.

At the same time, U.S. concern about poverty and inequality is relatively low as our latest What Worries the World survey shows. Even as President Donald Trump deploys the military to crack down on crime in Washington and other “blue” cities, U.S. concern about crime is also below the global average. Similarly, while concern about political corruption is second only to inflation as an issue in the U.S., it is still low compared to many other countries.

As for how Americans think about others around the world: There is support among Americans for the recognition of a Palestinian state, with 58% of Americans in favor and 33% opposed, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. A majority of Americans (54%) also believe that Trump is too closely aligned with Russia in the wake of a face-to-face meeting with the country’s president, Vladimir Putin.

Read on to discover the latest insights on America from Ipsos. Thank you for reading - please contact us to help you navigate this uncertain environment.

Yours sincerely,

Ben Page

CEO of Ipsos

Ben.Page@ipsos.com

Americans never forgot about inflation: Five charts on where they stand

For Americans, inflation is a familiar story, one that never really left their minds, even several summers after 2022’s historic wave of inflation hit its crest. These five charts show where Americans stand on inflation, and how it could affect demand.

What the rest of the world thinks

62% of Canadians want to improve trade with the U.S. and the rest of the world. Click to read more
51% of Brazilians disagree that the country’s president did everything he could to avoid U.S. tariffs. Click to read more
Most Brazilians see Trump's tariff as a political act and believe the image of the U.S. is eroding. Click to read more
Worry over inflation and unemployment jumps in India after new U.S. tariffs. Click to read more
Italians have strong concerns about U.S. tariffs. Click to read more

And finally, other Ipsos global reports this month

Ipsos Education Monitor 2025 - Concern about youth mental health is widespread and support for banning younger teenagers from social media is clear

Ipsos Equalities Index 2025 - More needs to be done to promote equality, but support has slipped over the last two years, as “anti-woke” sentiment becomes more widespread

The future of synthetic data - Ipsos partners with Stanford University to pioneer the future of market research with synthetic data : artificial intelligence that can enhance the speed, efficiency, and security of data collection.

Read the previous edition (July) of Know the New America here.