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What do you think are the most important economic issues for America compared to the rest of the world?

Data: Gallup; Note: Margin of error ranges between +/- 2.4 and 4.7 percentage points; Chart: Axios Visuals Americans say the country's biggest problem right now is politics, per a new global Gallup survey out Wednesday. Why it matters: Only eight other countries — out of 107 — ranked politics first, a sign of heightened political polarization and overall dissatisfaction among Americans. The only country with a statistically significant higher share identifying politics at the top was Taiwan. It's under mounting political pressure from China, which doesn't consider it a country. How it works: Gallup polled a nationally representative sample of about 1,000 people age 15 and older in each of 107 countries from March - October 2025. It asked: "According to you, what is the most important problem your country is facing currently?" Respondents wrote in answers, and Gallup grouped them into buckets. By the numbers: The answer was nearly the same everywhere: The economy was identified by a median of 23% of adults across these countries — more than double the share naming work, politics or safety, the next most common subjects. Those under 35 were more likely to identify the economy as a top concern — a sign that younger generations even in high-income countries feel the economy is failing them. The big picture: Separate polling from Gallup finds that Americans have been more likely to name government as the country's top problem for the past decade. But it's not clear exactly what problem with politics or government all Americans are worried about.For Democrats, concerns are largely centered around President Trump. Republicans are more focused on distrust of Democrats, anger at corruption and anxiety about the country's place in the world. Yes, but: People in highly democratic countries are more comfortable criticizing their governments, says Benedict Vigers, senior global news writer at Gallup. Zoom out: While Gallup has been asking Americans some version of this question