3RD ANNUAL EDITION

2026 USA Consumer Trends Report

Eight trends. 1053 Americans. The clearest picture yet of how your customers are thinking, spending, and deciding – and what it means for your business.

BY THE NUMBERS

1053

Americans surveyed nationally

8

Trends shaping consumer behaviour

51%

Still cite cost of living as their #1 concern

3rd

Year tracking America’s consumer pulse

What's Inside

01

The cost-of-living marathon

Cautious endurance, not crisis. 51% of Americans name cost of living and inflation a top concern.

02

A Nation Divided And On Edge

Split by politics, united by unease. 64% of Republicans are optimistic about America’s future, against just 36%
of Democrats.

03

The Wellbeing Divide

Financial pressure sets the mood. 13% of the most financially pressured Americans are satisfied with life, against 80% of the most comfortable.

04

The Loneliness Epidemic

A disconnected nation skewing young. 40% of 18 to 29-year-olds feel lonely regularly, roughly four times the rate of 65 to 74-year-olds.

05

Mainstream but mistrusted

AI everywhere, trust still lagging. 76% of Americans now use AI, yet only 23% trust what it tells them.

06

Life on Screens

Mostly a comfort with a strained minority. Most Americans (56%) see their screen time as reasonable, not excessive – only 32% call their use excessive, with 12% saying it’s limited.

07

The Care Squeeze

Supporting older and younger relatives.

08

Money Over Flexibility

Pay wins, and side income beckons.