According to CoinMeta, in August 2026, the U.S. Consumer Confidence Index declined by about 8%, ending two months of improvement. Although consumers' views on their personal financial situations only worsened slightly, their expectations for the business environment declined significantly, with short-term expectations falling by 11% and long-term expectations by 17%. Republicans experienced the largest decline in consumer confidence, currently at 19% below the level before the outbreak of the Iran conflict, which is also the lowest level since the 2024 elections. The decline was particularly evident among elderly consumers, low-income consumers, and those without a college education, indicating that these groups have been more affected by inflation. Among all consumers, only 8% expect their income growth to exceed the inflation rate in the coming year, which is lower than the 18% in December 2024. Inflation expectations for the coming year rose slightly from 4.2% in July to 4.3%, higher than the 3.4% before the Iran conflict. Long-term inflation expectations remained unchanged at 3.3% for the third consecutive month, slightly higher than the 2.8% to 3.2% range expected for 2024.