Photo: Sina Schuldt/dpa (Photo by Sina Schuldt/picture alliance via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON - As the conflict involving Iran intensified in March, a recent Gallup poll found that healthcare ranked as Americans’ top domestic concern, with 61% saying they worry about it "a great deal"—more than for any of 15 other policy area.
Economic issues followed, with about half of adults reporting high levels of concern about the economy, inflation, federal spending and the budget deficit, and income and wealth distribution.
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By contrast, fewer Americans expressed strong concern about race relations, illegal immigration, unemployment, and the availability and affordability of energy, with roughly one-third saying they worry a great deal about each (Gallup).
Dig deeper:
Healthcare’s renewed position at the top marks a return to its prominence in earlier years. It was Americans’ leading concern from 2015 through 2020, before being overtaken during the Biden presidency by other issues—most notably the economy and inflation.
Earlier still, from 2002 to 2014, healthcare and the economy frequently alternated or tied as the nation’s top concern. Although healthcare roughly matched the economy in 2025, it now leads by a clear 10-point margin.
Gallup has also noted that Americans’ level of concern about the availability and affordability of energy has remained relatively steady compared with a year ago—an outcome that stands out given the disruptions to the global energy supply that were underway at the time of the survey.
Republicans focus on immigration; Democrats on healthcare
By the numbers:
Republicans and Democrats express sharply different priorities. Among Republicans, illegal immigration ranks as the top concern, with 55% saying they worry about it "a great deal," followed by federal spending and the budget deficit (47%), drug use (42%), and crime and violence (41%). In contrast, Democrats’ leading concerns are healthcare (80%), income and wealth distribution (77%), and the economy (69%).
Independents’ top concerns—including healthcare, inflation, federal spending, and the economy—overlap with those of both parties, though they more closely align with Democrats overall (Gallup).
The widest partisan gaps appear on income and wealth distribution, where Democrats’ level of concern (77%) exceeds Republicans’ (19%) by 58 points.
A similarly large divide exists on the environment, with 67% of Democrats versus 15% of Republicans expressing high concern—a 52-point gap.
Illegal immigration is the only issue where Republicans’ concern (55%) significantly surpasses that of Democrats (17%), a difference of 38 points.
Big picture view:
Healthcare has regained its position as Americans’ top domestic concern after several years in which economic issues dominated. Although concern about healthcare availability and affordability has not risen over the past year, persistent worries about costs keep it a longstanding priority.
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Overall anxiety about national issues has fallen to its lowest level since just before the COVID-19 pandemic, driven largely by declining Republican concern as worries about the economy and inflation have eased. Partisan perspectives have also shifted: Republicans now reflect a governing-party outlook under Trump, while Democrats—having already adjusted last year—continue to express lower confidence.
Because the survey was conducted early in the Iran war, subsequent developments—such as rising energy costs—could heighten public concern about inflation, jobs, and national security, meaning current attitudes may differ from those captured here.
The Source: The information in this story comes from a recent Gallup poll examining Americans’ views on major domestic issues, including the level of concern they have about a range of policy areas. This story was reported from Los Angeles.