Poll: AAPI adults name inflation and affordability as top priorities, with health costs also a major worry

A sharper cost-of-living alarm

Inflation and affordability remain national concerns, but a new survey suggests the intensity is higher in some communities. Polling conducted in early December 2025 by AAPI Data and the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about half of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) adults want the government to prioritize addressing the high cost of living and inflation.

That share is notably higher than the level seen among U.S. adults overall in a separate December AP-NORC poll, where about one-third described inflation and financial worries as the most pressing problems. The difference matters for policymakers because it signals where frustration could be most concentrated — and where economic messaging may land differently.

Why the burden feels heavier

One reason cited by researchers is geography. Many AAPI adults live in metropolitan areas where housing, services, and everyday expenses are higher, including parts of California and New York. The survey also points to the way tariffs can affect prices for imported goods that are particularly common in some households’ shopping baskets, adding another layer to concerns about affordability.

Respondents also identified related economic priorities. Roughly two in ten mentioned housing costs or jobs and unemployment as issues the government should focus on. Those priorities broadly align with what Americans overall say, but the inflation signal stands out because it is stronger among AAPI adults.

Health care costs rise alongside inflation anxiety

The survey found that 44% of AAPI adults want the government to prioritize health care, a level similar to U.S. adults overall. But the intensity of concern about rising health costs is high: about six in ten AAPI adults said they are extremely or very worried that their health care costs will increase in 2026.

Some respondents described turning to “medical tourism,” traveling to other countries for procedures because the combined cost of flights and care can be lower than treatment in the United States. That behavior, while not new, underscores how health expenses can feel like an extension of the inflation problem, especially for families balancing multiple obligations.

Confidence in government progress slips

Beyond the specific issues, the poll highlights declining trust that government will deliver. About seven in ten AAPI adults said they are not at all or only slightly confident the government will make progress on key problems, up from around six in ten at the end of 2024.

For elected officials and campaigns, the message is double-edged: high concern creates demand for action, but low confidence creates skepticism that promises will be met. With inflation, housing, and health costs intertwined for many families, the survey suggests that straightforward economic relief may matter as much as broader political arguments about growth or national strength.