The number of Americans who are "suffering" reached the highest point since the data began being recorded, according to a Monday poll from Gallup.
Gallup's poll categorizes Americans as "thriving," "struggling" or "suffering" according to how they respond to questions about their lifestyle. Nearly 6% of Americans qualified for "suffering," which is the highest number since the organization started recording the stat in 2008.
The previous high was 4.8% in April. The poll is based on responses from 3,649 U.S. adults. Respondents were asked to rate their current and future lives on a scale of 0-10, with 10 being ideal. Gallup categorized any response of 4 or lower as "suffering," while those who rated their current lives as 7 or higher were "thriving," alongside anyone who rated their future life as 8 or higher.
Americans who qualified for "thriving" hit an all-time high of 59% in June 2021, but the number has steadily decreased since then. It currently sits at 51%, while the all-time low is a tie at 46% between November 2008 amid the Great Recession and April 2020 as COVID-19 lockdowns began.
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The poll comes amid record-setting inflation and gas prices that remain sky-high. Voters say issues like the economy and inflation are at the top of their minds for the upcoming 2022 midterm elections, painting a grim picture for Democrats and President Biden.
Biden's own approval rating slipped almost continuously since entering office. He now sits at a 40% approval, which is 4 points higher than his position in May. The bump came after a series of victories for Democrats in the form of a CHIPS trading bill and the so-called Inflation Reduction Act.
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Gallup conducted its polling from July 26 through Aug. 2