Cint Quarter-Century Crisis Report Finds 54% of U.S. Consumers Say Life Has Worsened, Driven by Financial Strain and Erosion of Brand Trust

New data reveals pessimism is on the rise as cost-of-living pressures and housing affordability reshape consumer expectations

NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — New research from Cint, a global leader in research and measurement technology, reveals a growing sense of pessimism among consumers as they reflect on the past quarter century, with rising costs, financial insecurity, and declining trust in brands shaping how people view the state of the world today.

According to Cint’s “The Quarter-Century Crisis Report,” a majority of U.S. consumers now believe life has gotten worse compared to 25 years ago. This marks a notable shift even just from earlier 2025 sentiment, underscoring how quickly consumer perceptions can change in response to economic and social pressures. Key findings from the study include:

• 54% of U.S. consumers say life has gotten worse over the past 25 years, up sharply from earlier 2025 findings, highlighting the impact of economic strain and recency bias on sentiment.
• Most consumers report living month to month, with limited ability to save, particularly among younger generations navigating housing costs and job instability.
• Food, housing, and utilities dominate spending priorities across every generation, reflecting the persistent pressure of rising living costs.
• Housing is viewed as the most detrimental societal factor by Gen Z (72%), while older generations point to cost of living and healthcare as top concerns.
• Consumers across generations believe brands are charging more for less, with strong agreement that brands have a responsibility to provide high-quality, affordable products.

While technological advances are widely seen as a positive force, ranked as the top area of societal improvement across generations, the report reveals deep generational divides in how consumers assess progress overall. Younger respondents tend to be less pessimistic than Gen X and Boomers, though financial pressure and housing affordability remain consistent pain points.

“Consumer sentiment isn’t static, it shifts with economic conditions, news cycles, and lived experience,” said Ariel Madway, Director of Brand Experience Ariel Madway, Director of Brand Experience, at Cint. “What this report makes clear is that in today’s rapidly changing world, brands can’t rely on outdated insights. Rising costs and perceived value gaps are reshaping trust, and only continuous research can help organizations understand what consumers are feeling at any given moment.”

The report also highlights the role of recency bias, with more than a quarter of respondents saying their views on the past 25 years differ from just six months earlier, when the first round of research was run. This volatility reinforces the need for ongoing, real-time research, rather than one-off studies, to accurately track evolving consumer priorities.

As brands, advertisers, and organizations plan for 2026 and beyond, the findings point to a clear takeaway: understanding today’s consumer requires continuous insight, not retrospective guesswork. Access to timely, privacy-safe research will be critical for navigating uncertainty and responding to rapidly shifting expectations.

View the full Quarter-Century Crisis Report here.

About Cint:
Cint is a global leader in research and measurement technology connecting brands, researchers, academics, or anyone with a question, to a network of over 800 suppliers representing millions of engaged respondents in 130+ countries. The Cint Exchange empowers users to gather insights at scale to build business strategies, develop research-enabled solutions, publish credible research, and more. Lucid Measurement by Cint, our advanced set of media measurement solutions, gives advertisers, media owners, and agencies the tools to measure the effectiveness and brand lift of cross-channel advertising campaigns in real time to optimize media performance while campaigns are live. Both products leverage Cint’s global network of suppliers including panel providers, mobile apps, loyalty programs, and other online communities. These companies use our audience monetization tools to monetize their communities by matching them to survey opportunities.
At Cint, we’re feeding the world’s curiosity.

Cint Group AB (publ), listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (STO: CINT).

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Lara Schembri Sant
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