Voter frustration over rising prices is continuing to upend politics across some of the world’s largest democracies, with the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Canada all reporting deepening cost-of-living strain, according to a Politico poll released earlier this month.
The survey suggested that the affordability crunch remains a dominant force shaping elections and party strategies in 2026, with voters blaming incumbent governments and seeking alternatives.
In the US, nearly two-thirds (65%) of respondents reported that the cost of living worsened over the past year. In the UK, 77% reported the same, whereas in Germany, 78% reported deterioration. In France, 82% reported rising costs, and in Canada, 60% described the current cost of living as the worst they can remember.
Across all five countries, more people reported that their national economy is deteriorating than that their personal finances are getting worse, indicating a broad sense of systemic strain rather than household hardship alone.
In the UK, roughly two-thirds said the overall economy has deteriorated, outpacing those who report a personal downturn, a pattern mirrored in France, Germany, and Canada.
Leaders struggle to convince voters that change is coming
The findings come as center-left and center-right incumbents alike struggle to persuade voters that relief is forthcoming. “For incumbents, it is very difficult to run on these platforms,” said Javier Carbonell of the European Policy Centre, noting that mainstream parties are widely seen as responsible for current conditions.
Governments are testing targeted relief, from energy and transport fare measures in the UK to debt and spending debates in France and Germany. Yet many respondents say their leaders could do more, and are choosing not to, reinforcing a belief that high prices are driven by goods and services costs, not only by stagnant pay.
Analysts warn that persistent pessimism can depress participation or push voters toward “anti-system” options. “There is this increasing demand for a very anti-system politics,” Carbonell said, arguing that affordability has become the frame through which broader grievances are expressed.
With state and local votes scheduled in Germany and France, US midterm positioning underway, and municipal races across Europe, affordability is set to remain the central campaign theme. As Canadian pollster David Coletto wrote of recent findings, this is “a dominant lived experience” shaping views of leadership and priorities.
Paris Green politician David Belliard summed up the political dilemma: “We have spent a lot of time fighting against the end of the world, but maybe not enough helping people make it to the end of the month.”