Topline
More than half of Americans say it’s been harder to afford the things they want to give as holiday gifts this year and more than four in 10 say they’re struggling to afford the food they’re buying for holiday meals as President Donald Trump and members of his administration continue to insist voters aren’t struggling with the cost of living.
Holiday shoppers in 2024.
Anadolu via Getty Images
Key Facts
Almost half (48%) of respondents to a new AP-NORC poll said they’re shopping for nonessential items less than usual this year, drawing more from savings (39% of respondents) and looking more closely for deals (50%) as prices rise across the board.
Another 48% of people said they’re delaying big purchases as part of tightening their belts, up from 31% of people who said the same when the question was asked in 2021.
Respondents overwhelmingly said they’re noticing higher prices on the things they spend money on the most, including groceries (87% said they’re more expensive), electricity (69%) and holiday gifts (63%).
Lower (making less than $50,000 per year) and middle-income ($50,000 to $100,000 per year) adults were the most likely to report they’re struggling to afford the things they want to give as gifts or to buy food for holiday meals.
Two-thirds of Americans describe the national economy as poor.
The AP-NORC poll surveyed 1,146 adults nationwide from Dec. 4 to Dec. 8 and has a sampling error of +/- 4.0 percentage points.
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Key Background
Americans have for months indicated they’re struggling to afford their usual goods and services and data shows prices of essentials are up across almost every category. The Trump administration, however, is insisting that’s not the case. Trump posted to Truth Social on Thursday afternoon claiming prices are dropping—even though inflation is accelerating—and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick the same day insisted “nothing bad is happening” and the economy is “doing great.” Trump has repeatedly claimed all negative sentiment around his handling of the economy is a scam perpetuated by Democrats, and said he doesn’t believe polls that say Americans are worried despite 46% of Americans thinking increasing affordability issues are Trump’s responsibility. Earlier this week, the billionaire president told parents to buy fewer toys for their children this Christmas during a speech in Pennsylvania. After defending his implementation of increased tariffs on steel, Trump told Americans, “you can give up certain products,” adding, “You don’t need 37 dolls for your daughter. Two or three is nice. You don’t need 37 dolls.”
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Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2025/12/12/half-of-americans-say-its-harder-to-afford-holiday-gifts-this-year/
