Only 2% of Americans Call the US Economy “Excellent,” Poll Finds

More than 84% of Americans aged 18-24 rate the US economy as bad or terrible, a fresh Generation Lab survey shows, with President Trump and corporate greed sharing most of the blame.

The findings land as Trump’s second term continues to push pro-crypto policy, suggesting economic gloom among Gen Z and younger millennials has not eased despite a friendlier digital asset agenda.

How Americans Feel About Trump’s Economy

Generation Lab surveyed 1,002 Americans aged 18-34 between April 26 and April 29. Among all respondents, 52% rated the economy as bad, and 29% rated it terrible. Just 16% picked good, and only 2% chose excellent.

Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens 

The pattern holds across age brackets. About 84% of 18-24-year-olds rated conditions as bad or terrible. The 25-29 group landed at 81%, while the 30-34s came in at 73%.

Sentiment runs sharper among women, non-binary, and other respondents. Roughly 90% of female respondents chose ‘bad’ or ‘terrible,’ compared with 73% of male respondents.

Meanwhile, among respondents who viewed the economy negatively, responsibility was most often assigned to the President. Overall, 41% attributed poor economic conditions to him. 

Within the 18–24 age group, 42% placed the blame on Trump, while 32% cited corporate greed. Among those aged 25–29, opinion was evenly divided, with 33% pointing to Trump and an equal share blaming corporate actors.

The oldest cohort is the harshest. 48% of 30-34-year-olds pin responsibility on Trump, the highest share among any age group surveyed. Just 2% blame former President Biden.

Generation Lab noted that results carry a ±3.1 percentage-point margin of error, with wider margins for subgroup analyses.

Crypto Sentiment Meets Economic Reality

The findings stand out given Trump’s loud support for digital assets since returning to office. His administration backed a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and signed the GENIUS Act, which regulates stablecoins.

Still, headline pressure remains intense. March inflation rose to 3.3%, while gas prices have surged past $4.45 per gallon since the US-Israel war with Iran began.

Concerns about a potential food shortage and the risk of a recession are also weighing on Americans. Notably, 77% of survey respondents said the United States made the wrong decision in taking military action against Iran.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch leaders and journalists provide expert insights