In this 2018 survey, eight percent of respondents stated they think the biggest problem for the United States today is Donald Trump. In fact, most of the important problems mentioned are somehow related to the current POTUS – the most mentioned one being immigration and racism.

A country divided

Since Trump’s inauguration in January 2017, political camps in the United States are deeply divided and global politics is in turmoil; Trump’s job approval ratings are notoriously low, and in fact, they are lower than Reagan’s or Nixon’s averages ever were. Trump’s leadership is controversial at best and his executive orders often cause protests, especially among Democrats and liberals – like the travel ban for Muslims.

On the other side

One of Trump’s main campaign promises was a wall on the border with Mexico in order to keep potential illegal immigrants out and enhance security for American citizens. When he did not get the majority for this plan, he declared a national emergency to force the budget to be allocated, even though the majority of Americans did not support this idea, and it is unclear if the situation at the Mexican border actually warrants it. In fact, the total number of unauthorized immigrants has decreased over the last few years and today, many Americans believe that their country benefits from immigrants and their work .

In December 2024, 11 percent of survey respondents said that the most important problem facing the United States was the high cost of living and inflation. Another 20percent said that the government and poor leadership was the most serious concern for the nation.

A survey conducted in February 2025 found that the most important issue for ** percent of Americans was inflation and prices. A further ** percent of respondents were most concerned about jobs and the economy.

In a survey conducted in 2022, 64 percent of the opinion leaders and prominent journalists surveyed in Latin America said that job creation and economic growth was the most important problem Latin America would face in the incoming 18 months. The second main issue according to these experts was inflation and economic instability.

According to a recent survey conducted in 17 Latin American countries, the main problem was the economy, including economic and financial problems. Unemployment ranked second, with 13.4 percent of the respondents, and crime and public security issues came close in third, with 13.2 percent.

A 2024 survey found that over half of U.S. individuals indicated the cost of accessing treatment was the biggest problem facing the national healthcare system. This is much higher than the global average of 32 percent and is in line with the high cost of health care in the U.S. compared to other high-income countries. Bureaucracy along with a lack of staff were also considered to be pressing issues. This statistic reveals the share of individuals who said select problems were the biggest facing the health care system in the United States in 2024.

According to the data from 2025, some 16 percent of respondents said that rising health care costs were the most important health issue facing the United States. Cancer ranked second on the list with 15 percent. Issues with healthcare costsCurrently, the most urgent problem facing American healthcare is the high costs of care. The high expense of healthcare may deter people from getting the appropriate treatment when they need medical care or cause them to completely forego preventative care visits. Many Americans reported that they may skip prescription doses or refrain from taking medication as prescribed due to financial concerns. Such health-related behavior can result in major health problems, which may raise the long-term cost of care. Inflation, medical debt, and unforeseen medical expenses have all added to the burden that health costs are placing on household income. Gun violence issueThe gun violence epidemic has plagued the United States over the past few years, yet very little has been done to address the issue. In recent years, gun violence has become the leading cause of death among American children and teens. Even though more than half of Americans are in favor of tougher gun control regulations, there is little political will to strongly reform the current gun law. Gun violence has a deep traumatic impact on survivors and society, it is developing into a major public health crisis in the United States.

According to a 2023 survey, young adults in the United States were divided when it came to important political issues such as border security, gun violence prevention, and addressing climate change. However, the majority of young Americans considered the cost of living and inflation a top political issue, regardless of their race and ethnicity.

According to a survey from late December 2024, the two most important issues among Republican voters in the United States were inflation and immigration, with ** and ** percent ranking it their primary political concerns respectively. In contrast, only *** percent of Democrats considered immigration their most important issue. Inflation and healthcare were the leading issues among democrats in the U.S.

During a survey carried out in June and July of 2019, approximately one third of the opinion leaders and prominent journalists surveyed in Argentina stated that unemployment and/or lack of economic growth were the most important problems in the South American country. The second most cited issue, mentioned by 28 percent of interviewees, was also connected to the economy: inflation. Considering Latin America altogether, corruption is the main problem affecting the overall region, according to local journalists and opinion leaders.

In a survey conducted between 2022 and 2023, stark divisions between Democrats and Republicans emerged on a number political issues. One of the most pronounced disparities was in regards to government responsibility for ensuring universal healthcare access, with less than one-third of Republicans in favor compared to 85 percent of Democrats. Furthermore, environmental protection emerged as another polarizing topic, with just 26 percent of Republicans prioritizing it over energy development, in contrast to the 81 percent of Democrats who regarded it as a top priority.

As of August 2024, some 20 percent of Americans surveyed were of the opinion that opioids and fentanyl addiction is the number one public health threat in the U.S., a significant decrease from 24 percent in June 2024. Furthermore, obesity was viewed as a top public health issue by 19 percent of Americans in August 2024.
U.S. healthcare issues The United States has the highest healthcare spending globally. The majority of Americans considered rising healthcare costs as the most important healthcare problem facing the U.S. in January 2023. While COVID-19 and cancer were ranked second on the list. Due to unfortunate mass shooting incidents in the country, gun violence is typically related to homicide and is not considered a healthcare issue. Although the most popular method of suicide among Americans who attempted it was a gun or firearm, the link between gun access and suicide is frequently ignored as a public health crisis.

Subcontractor delays were the number one challenge for ********* of respondents, according to a 2023 survey among home builders in the United States. Client selections decisions emerged as the second-biggest issue, according to almost ** percent of the respondents.

In 2021, 69 percent of U.S. homeowners stated that having an outdated look was the top source of annoyance with their master bathroom prior to renovating it. Nearly half of all U.S. homeowners decided to change the layout of their master bathroom as part of the renovations that year.

In a survey conducted in May 2024, more than half of the people interviewed in Peru said that corruption was the most important problem in the South American country. The second most pressing issue according to public opinion, cited by slightly more than 39 percent of Peruvian respondents, was related to crime and public insecurity. Crime is also among the most mentioned problems by journalists and opinion leaders across Latin America.

Around 44 percent of the opinion leaders and prominent journalists in Ecuador who participated in a survey conducted in June and July of 2019 said that corruption was the most important problem in the South American country. The second main issue, cited by 36 percent of these experts, regarded unemployment and/or lack of economic growth. Both problems are also the most mentioned by journalists and opinion leaders in Latin America as a whole.

In a survey carried out in 2024, almost one third of respondents in Colombia and Brazil thought corruption was one of the country's main issues. Peru registered the highest level of concern, with ** percent of respondents claiming to be worried about financial or political corruption. Mexico, on the other hand, was the country with the lowest share of respondents who were worried about corruption among those surveyed, at only ** percent.

During a survey conducted in May 2025, over ** percent of respondents in Chile mentioned crime as one of the three most important problems affecting the South American country. Immigration and corruption followed as the third and second most quoted issues, with ** and **** percent, respectively. Price levels in Chile have been experiencing a steep increase since February 2021, with the inflation rate reaching double digits since April 2022.

During a survey on small businesses in the U.S. in August 2024, about 21 percent of the respondents stated that the most important problem for small businesses was quality of labor. Additionally, around 24 percent of survey participants said that inflation was the most important problem for their business, a slight increase from August 2023, when inflation was the biggest concern for 23 percent of businesses.

When asked about the main complications with regard to cybersecurity initiatives, around 43 percent of organizations in North America in 2024 pointed out cybersecurity skill gaps. Lack of budget and prioritization of other technology was considered another key challenge for 36 percent of tech and business professionals.