Poll Finds Half of Americans Expect Higher Gas Prices Over Next Year

An ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll released last week found that half of Americans expect gas prices to increase more over the next year. Another 15% expect prices to remain about the same. The survey also showed that 4 in 10 Americans say they are not as well off financially as they were when the current administration took office in January 2025, with nearly a quarter reporting they are falling behind.

Callback interviews with several poll participants conducted by ABC News highlighted struggles with higher costs for gas and other goods. Jacob Olson, 28, from Beebe, Arkansas, who became a self-employed maker of custom wood projects after being laid off from a solar company, said rising gas and food prices have made life challenging as he drives to meet customers.

"One day at a time. One foot in front of the other. ... That's about the way to sum it up," Olson said. He added that he no longer spends on leisure or luxury items and that supporting his two young children has become harder each day. Brenda Howard, 66, from Lubbock, Texas, who works as a cleaner and relies on rideshare services because she does not own a car, said a trip to the grocery store costs around $30.

"This is not the way I thought my retirement was gonna turn out," Howard said. " The poll reported that more than 4 in 10 Americans have cut back on driving or reduced household expenses due to higher gas prices, while 34% have changed travel or vacation plans.

Those in households earning under $50,000 a year reported even higher rates of such cutbacks, with more than half reducing both driving and spending. Martha Davis, 66, a Texan who cares for her disabled son and sometimes travels up to 60 miles for medical appointments, said her gasoline costs for those trips have risen from about $20-$25 to nearly $70.

Andy Breedlove, 51, from West Virginia, who is not working due to a disability, said he views the current administration as performing well overall even though gasoline prices are too high. "But with the price of everything else, it kind of evens out a little," Breedlove said.

He expects gas prices to continue climbing. Christopher Mosley, 43, a former Walmart employee from Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Jim Piper, 36, from Portage, Indiana, who relies on fixed income due to a disability, also described financial strain from higher costs.

The Iranian government's retaliatory blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of globally traded oil normally passes, has led to severe trade disruptions. A 61% majority of Americans said in the poll that the decision to go to war against Iran was a mistake.

Poll respondents described shifting daily habits to manage costs. Many reported forgoing non-essential purchases and limiting travel. Lower-income households indicated the greatest adjustments in both driving frequency and overall household budgets.

Some participants who reported doing worse financially expressed continued support for the current administration, attributing difficulties in part to political dynamics in Congress. Others criticized what they described as a lack of transparency regarding the reasons for military involvement.

Iran is reviewing the latest proposal from the U.S. government aimed at winding down the war, a spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry said.