Personal Finances

short readsMay 24, 2013

U.S. stands out as a rich country where a growing minority say they can’t afford food

During tough economic times many people around the world find it difficult to afford life’s basic necessities. Nearly half (a median of 49%) of those surveyed by the Pew Research Center in developing economies and a quarter (25%) in emerging markets say that, at some point in the past year, they have been unable to afford food that their families needed.
reportMay 23, 2013

Global Econ Quiz

Test how much you know about economic attitudes in the world, based on an international survey by the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project.
reportMay 23, 2013

Advanced Economies Report Lowest Deprivation

While people in advanced economies are most bearish about their economic situation, they report very low levels of deprivation relative to others around the world, including people in emerging nations who are more positive and optimistic about economic conditions. Reports of deprivation are closely related to national wealth. For example, in Australia, Canada and Germany […]
reportMay 23, 2013

Economies of Emerging Markets Better Rated During Difficult Times

Overview Publics around the world are decidedly unhappy about their nations’ economies. Most are displeased with current economic conditions and concerned about rising economic inequality; few are optimistic about the coming year. However, at the same time, most global publics say their personal finances are in better shape than their national economies, according to a […]
reportMay 23, 2013

Many in Developing Nations Struggle to Afford Food

Many in Developing Nations Struggle to Afford Food
short readsMay 16, 2013

Despite public fears, European inflation remains tame

Eurostat, the European statistical agency, announced today that the European Union’s annual inflation rate in April was 1.4%, down from a rate of 2.7% in April 2012. Nonetheless, across eight EU nations surveyed by the Pew Research Center in March 2013, a median of 67% said rising prices were a “very” big problem in their […]
short readsMay 14, 2013

Europeans grow dissatisfied with the inequities of the economic system

A major casualty of the euro crisis has been Europeans’ faith in the fairness of their economic system, according to a new poll by the Pew Research Center. In what is now the fifth year in the wake of the Great Recession, Europeans believe that inequality is now a major problem in their societies and think […]
short readsMay 13, 2013

In time for graduation season, a look at student debt

College is a pretty pricey proposition, even after grants and scholarships are factored in. And the millions of students graduating this spring will soon learn just how expensive their degrees were when they start getting student-loan bills. As a Pew Research Center analysis noted last year, nearly one in five U.S. households (19%) owed money […]
short readsMay 8, 2013

Should you invest in stocks or housing for the long term? It depends.

With the stock market hitting new highs and home prices marking their strongest gains since before the bubble burst, it’s starting to feel like a real economic recovery. But which is the better investment over time? That depends largely on your definition of “long term.” As the accompanying charts show, since the formal end of the […]
reportApr 23, 2013

A Rise in Wealth for the Wealthy; Declines for the Lower 93%

During the first two years of the nation’s economic recovery, the mean net worth of households in the upper 7% of the wealth distribution rose by an estimated 28%, while the mean net worth of households in the lower 93% dropped by 4%, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of newly released Census Bureau […]