Most U.S. adults stressed by grocery costs: poll

Data: AP-NORC; Chart: Axios VisualsMore than half of Americans are stressed about buying groceries — significantly more than the financial pressure they feel about credit card debt, child care or student debt, an AP-NORC poll out Monday found.The big picture: President Trump campaigned on a promise to bring down grocery prices, but the data shows Americans are still stressed out about affording these basic necessities.53% of Americans said the cost of groceries was a major source of stress right now, while 33% said it was a minor source of stress.Just 14% said the price of groceries was not a source of stress.The next-highest sources of major stress were the cost of housing (47%), the amount of money saved or earned (43%) and the cost of health care (42%).The intrigue: 14% of adults in the poll also reported using Buy Now, Pay Later services on groceries, so they could make the immediate purchases and pay for them in installments.11% said they had used such services, like Afterpay or Klarna, to purchase restaurant meals or meal delivery.17% said they had used BNPL services for medical or dental care, while 14% had used it for entertainment costs. Between the lines: Food banks have braced for a surge in need triggered by federal food assistance changes signed into law by Trump, with leaders in the hunger relief network warning the gap may be impossible to fill.Context: In June, food prices were up 3% compared to the prior year, according to a Consumer Price Index report released last month.The price of food has soared in recent years compared to pre-pandemic data. Driving factors have included supply chain disruptions, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the avian influenza outbreak, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.Climate change has also contributed to decreased predictability in food costs, Axios' Josephine Walker reports.What they're saying: Like his first term, "President Trump is implementing the very same policy mix of deregulation, fairer trade, and pro-growth tax cuts at an even bigger scale – as these policies take effect, the best is yet to come," White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement.Go deeper: Prices will rise, Bessent says, as tariff pressure growsMethodology: The nationwide poll was conducted July 10-14, 2025. Online and telephone interviews using landlines and cell phones were conducted with 1,437 adults. The overall margin of sampling error is +/- 3.6 percentage points.Editor's note: This story was updated with comment from the White House.