Most Americans say the current economy is helping the rich, hurting the poor and middle class

By many measures, the U.S. economy is doing well, but public assessments are mixed. Lower-income Americans are less likely than upper- and middle-income adults to have a positive view of current economic conditions and are more likely to say the current economy is hurting them and their families.

• Views of the economy differ depending on income and political leanings
• About half of middle-income adults can meet basic expenses with a little left over
• Few lower-income Americans have investments, about half have credit card debt

Interactive: Two recessions, two recoveries

The recession Americans experienced in 1990-1991 was short and mild. The Great Recession of 2007-2009 was long and severe. The recoveries that followed are the only ones in U.S. history to last at least 10 years. Find out how the two recessions and recoveries compared with our interactive.

Trusting the news media in the Trump era

Republicans consistently express far greater skepticism about the news media and their motives than Democrats. Divides also emerge within the parties – particularly the Republican Party – based on how strongly people approve of Donald Trump’s performance as president, with those who strongly approve of Trump most likely to express suspicion of the news media.

• Partisans are divided on whether they associate the news media or Trump with ‘made-up’ news
• Read more about trust, facts and democracy

Religion and living arrangements around the world

Household size and composition often vary by religious affiliation, according to data from 130 countries and territories. Muslims and Hindus have larger households than Christians and religious “nones,” influenced in part by regional norms. Household size for the average person ranges from 2.7 people in Germany to 13.8 people in Gambia.

• Key findings: How living arrangements vary by religious affiliation around the world
• U.S. has the world’s highest rate of children living in single-parent households 

19 striking findings from 2019

Every year, we publish hundreds of reports, blog posts, digital essays and other studies on a broad range of topics, from the demographic and political changes that are reshaping the U.S. to the attitudes and experiences of people around the world. Here are some of our most noteworthy findings from the past year.

How Pew Research Center is approaching the 2020 election

The 2020 U.S. presidential election is less than a year away, and already, public attention is turning to the ability of polls to accurately measure public opinion in the race. Michael Dimock, president of Pew Research Center, gives a preview of how we plan to conduct surveys and other studies – and the issues we plan to cover.

• A field guide to polling: Election 2020 edition

U.S. households headed by veterans are better off than those headed by non-veterans

U.S. military veterans and their families have consistently had higher standards of living than non-veterans over the past 40 years. Households headed by veterans have higher incomes and are less likely to live in poverty, on average, and this is especially the case for veterans in racial or ethnic minority groups and those without a college degree.

• How veterans and non-veterans fare in the U.S. job market
• Key findings about America’s military veterans

Teens in the South are more likely than other U.S. teens to experience religion in public school

How unemployment rates relate to economic attitudes in the EU

Decoded: Measuring community type in Europe, from big cities to country villages