COVID is no longer biggest issue, Americans say in poll. So what tops the list now?

The lowest number of Americans now say COVID is the country’s biggest problem since the pandemic began, according to a new Gallup poll.

Eight percent of respondents said in a June 1-18 Gallup poll that COVID is the most important issue — a decline of 7 percentage points since May and 12 points since April. The highest percentage of people saying COVID was the most important problem was in April 2020 with 45%.

The most recent Gallup survey is based on a sample size of 1,012 people and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Meanwhile, the highest share of respondents said the U.S. government was the biggest issue, followed by race relations, immigration and the economy. COVID was at the bottom of the list for the first time.

Americans’ outlook on the government has declined, with 22% saying in the most recent poll that it was the biggest problem — an uptick of 6 percentage points since May.

“As more Americans receive COVID-19 vaccinations and most restrictions are lifted nationwide, they are less likely to cite the pandemic as the nation’s most pressing concern. While the public is feeling more positive about the coronavirus situation, their view of government has worsened,” Gallup says.

When asked what was the most important problem, the results were:

• 22% said government.
• 11% said race relations.
• 9% said immigration and economy.
• 8% said COVID.

Although government was the largest problem across the board, the results were also partisan. Republicans were more likely than Democrats to cite it as the biggest issue:

• 30% of Republicans said government compared with 23% of Democrats and 17% of independents.
• 16% of Democrats said race relations was the biggest issue compared with 3% of Republicans and 10% of independents.
• 22% of Republicans cited immigration as the largest problem, while 7% of independents and 3% of Democrats said the same.
• Both 11% of Republicans and independents said the economy compared with 6% of Democrats.
• 12% of Democrats said COVID-19 was the most important issue compared with 4% of Republicans and 8% of independents.
  
  

Another Gallup poll released Monday found optimism about the COVID-19 pandemic has reached a record high, with 89% of respondents saying they think it’s getting a lot or at least a little better. About 29% of Americans said the pandemic is over.

This story was originally published July 2, 2021 at 1:08 PM with the headline "COVID is no longer biggest issue, Americans say in poll. So what tops the list now?."