Poll finds economy views improving slightly, but most expect prices to go up

Views of the economy, while still net negative, ticked back up a bit, along with more positive ratings of the stock market. Most Americans expect prices to go up in the coming months, however, which is dampening their outlook going forward and for many — especially at lower income levels — their plans for purchases.

Two-thirds think the prices of things they buy will go up either a little or a lot. That's far more than those who expect prices to just hold steady.

They may be evaluating from recent experience, as most continue to say prices have still been rising. The outlook for prices has an impact on planning too: for optional or discretionary spending, half the country says it plans to buy fewer such things in the coming months.

That's especially the case for those who say their incomes are not keeping pace with inflation.

Views of the current economy overall, while still net negative, are back to where they were in May, after ticking down a little this summer.

The stock market's rise has more people rating its condition positively along with that.

But that also speaks to the ongoing differences between people of different income levels. People with higher incomes are more apt to say the market's moves impact them.

Over recent years the stock market's ups and downs haven't connected that strongly with views of the economy; Americans have often reported that inflation and prices have more impact, and not all Americans own stocks. That said, as the market has pushed to recent highs of late, today Americans who say their finances are impacted by the market are also more likely to say those finances are good. They also give better ratings to the national economy.

A great deal of the economy depends on spending, of course. A quarter of Americans say they're planning a large purchase — something they need to save for or to finance — in the coming months.

People in comparably lower income levels are less positive about the state of the economy and more inclined to be cutting back on optional purchases.

The factors that impact decisions about large purchases, generally, are their savings level and their outlook for inflation, even more so than things like interest rates (though that is a factor too), and much more than the stock market.

On a wider time horizon, the percentage that characterize the U.S. as headed for an outright recession over the next year is down a bit from June, but pessimism — those who think it's headed for either a slowdown or recession — continues to outnumber the more optimistic group that foresees growth or a boom.

This CBS News/YouGov survey was conducted with a nationally representative sample of 2,371 U.S. adults interviewed between July 28-30, 2025. The sample was weighted to be representative of adults nationwide according to gender, age, race, and education, based on the U.S. Census American Community Survey and Current Population Survey, as well as 2024 presidential vote. The margin of error is ±2.4 points.

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