Just under three in ten Americans (29 percent) own equity investments such as stocks or ETFs. That's what the results of a recent survey by statista conducted between April 2025 and March 2026 show. By comparison, 32 percent of Americans didn't own any financial products or investments.
Only 18 percent of respondents in the U.S. said they own cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin, and investments in precious metals were even rarer, concerning only 10 percent of those surveyed
As a rising number of people in the U.S. worry about the state of their country's economy, data from a recent YouGov poll shows some concerning trends in the spending habits of Americans. The survey, conducted in February and March 2026, shows that while 43 percent of people in the U.S. have cut down on non-essential spending, almost a quarter (24 percent) of respondents have had to cut down on essential spending. Similarly, 16 percent of U.S. adults say they have used money from their savings to cover everyday expenses.
Pessimistic feelings about the economy were mirrored in a similar poll conducted by SSRS for CNN, which found that 76 percent of Americans named high prices and the cost of living as the top economic problem facing their family. Similarly, 54 percent of respondents expressed a feeling of uncertainty when thinking about their financial future. In April, inflation in the United States rose by 3.8 percent year-on-year, while fuel prices continued to climb following the ongoing U.S.-led war against Iran, and the country's economic situation could have major political implications for this year's midterms.
#statista #explore #savings #money #spend
More than half of people in European countries like the United Kingdom, Austria and the Netherlands are at least semi-frequent users of their local rail services. This is according to a survey by Statista Consumer Insights. The highest share of people saying that they had ridden local trains in the 12 months prior to the survey was detected in Switzerland at 68 percent. Local rail use was also high in Asian locations like Japan (56 percent), India (57 percent) and South Korea (48 percent) as well as in Australia (46 percent). Many of these places show a high degree of urbanization and transit development and some, like India, are known for their extensive rail networks.
Around a third of people said they had used local trains in France, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia. France is well-known for having good high-speed rail capabilities, but local rail use was not as widespread. In the U.S., only 16 percent of people had ridden local trains in the past 12 months, comparable with results in Thailand (24 percent) or Brazil (16 percent). Out of 53 countries, local train ridership was lowest in Colombia at just 9 percent.
#statista #explore #train
After easing in 2024 and 2025, tech layoffs have surged again in 2026, with more than 100,000 jobs already cut worldwide by early May, according to data compiled by Layoffs.fyi, which tracks publicly reported job cuts in the tech sector. As our chart shows, layoffs totaled around 81,700 in the first quarter alone, the highest quarterly figure since early 2023, before adding about 20,000 more in the first six weeks of the second quarter.
This marks a sharp reversal from 2025, when layoffs remained relatively contained at around 27,000 to 37,000 per quarter, and from 2024, when cuts steadily declined from about 57,000 in Q1 to just over 13,000 in Q4. The renewed wave has hit major tech companies, with firms such as Meta, PayPal and Cloudflare announcing thousands of job cuts in recent months as the industry continues to prioritize efficiency and investment in artificial intelligence.
Despite the recent spike, layoffs have not yet reached the levels seen at the peak of the previous wave. In early 2023, quarterly job cuts climbed to more than 160,000 in Q1 alone. Still, the current trajectory suggests the sector may be entering another period of restructuring, with 2026 already on track to rival the scale of layoffs seen in previous downturns (more than 260,000 jobs were cut in total in 2023).
#statista #explore #economy #ai #it
ChatGPT changed how millions of people work, write, research, and think. Since its launch in late 2022, it's gone from viral curiosity to everyday tool faster than almost any product in tech history.
Let's take a look at ChatGPT's brand performance in the U.S.
#statista #ai #chatgpt #explore #economy
Which countries truly protect the freedom of the press?
Not all news is created equal. Some countries give journalists the space to report freely and without fear. Others make that nearly impossible. Press freedom is one of the most important indicators of a healthy democracy, and the gap between the top and bottom of this ranking is striking.
#statista #explore #reel
Who are America’s Climate Leaders?
Out of 2,000 eligible U.S. companies, Statista R and USA Today identified 500 that achieved the strongest reductions in emissions intensity relative to revenue between 2022 and 2024.
Based on reported emissions and financial data, the top list highlights measurable progress in corporate decarbonization.
Explore the top 5 companies setting the pace in the transition to a lower-carbon economy.
#statista #economy #explore #reel
In Case You Missed It❗
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💡 From Fringe to Mainstream: The Rise of the BJP in India
#statista #explore #economy
Happy Mother's Day! 💐 Year after year, Americans are spending more to show their moms some love. From flowers and brunches to jewelry and experiences, Mother's Day spending keeps breaking records.
The U.S. military intervention in Iran has been unpopular from the start. More than two months into the conflict, 44 percent of U.S. adults strongly oppose the war, while another 16 percent are somewhat against it. That’s according to a weekly Economist/Yougov poll, which found last month that 51 percent of Americans think that going to war with Iran was the wrong decision and that 70 percent think that the U.S. government should make a deal to end the conflict as quickly as possible.
Interestingly, Americans’ biggest concern about the war in Iran isn’t getting entangled into another protracted war or putting the lives of U.S. soldiers on the line, it’s a problem that hits much closer to home: high gas and fuel prices. According to a survey conducted in late March by the Pew Research Center, 45 percent of U.S. adults said they were extreme concerned about higher energy prices because of the conflict, with another 24 percent saying they were very concerned about pain at the pump.
It is perhaps understandable that inflation-plagued Americans, many of whom struggling to make ends meet, are concerned with another crisis putting even more pressure on their already strained personal finances. It is, however, surprising that this weighs even heavier on the minds of many Americans than the potential geopolitical consequences.
Interestingly, higher gas prices are the most cited concern about the Iran war regardless of party preference. While 79 percent of Democrats said they were concerned about higher energy prices, 59 percent of Republicans said the same, both the highest share among all concerns included in the survey. The biggest difference between party lines was visible when it came to fears that the conflict could spread beyond the Middle East. While 70 percent of Democrats expressed such concerns, only half as many Republicans said they were concerned about the war expanding outside the region.
#statista #explore #gas #america
NVIDIA vs. AMD: here's how the two chip giants stack up in 2025.
NVIDIA posted $215.94B in revenue with 65.5% growth. AMD came in at $34.64B, growing 34.3%. Two very different scales, but both on an upward trajectory.
Revenue per employee also tells an interesting story: $5.14M at NVIDIA, $1.12M at AMD. Different business models, different focus areas.
The semiconductor industry is evolving fast. How do you see these two companies developing over the next few years?
#statista #nvidia #explore #amd
The United States said on May 1, 2026, that it plans to withdraw around 5,000 troops from Germany, a move that has raised fresh questions about Washington’s long-term military posture in Europe and its commitment to NATO’s eastern flank. The announcement, reported by AP News, comes amid ongoing debates over burden-sharing and strategic priorities within the alliance.
As our chart shows, Germany remains by far the largest hub of U.S. military personnel in Europe, hosting more than 35,000 active-duty troops as of December 2025. Beyond its size, the country plays a central logistical role, serving as a key transit and command hub for U.S. operations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Italy, the second-largest location with more than 12,000 personnel, the United Kingdom, with just over 10,000 troops, and Spain (nearly 4,000) also serve as important gateways for projecting U.S. power south and east, thanks to their air and naval bases. Meanwhile, countries closer to NATO’s eastern flank, such as Poland (369) and Romania (153), host comparatively limited permanent troop contingents.
Overall, the distribution shows how U.S. permanent military presence in Europe is concentrated in Western and Southern Europe, even as security concerns have increasingly shifted eastward in recent years. The planned drawdown in Germany could therefore mark a notable adjustment, though not a fundamental overhaul, of America’s longstanding footprint on the continent.
#statista #military #us #germany #europe
🔐 Weak passwords remain a global problem.
Our ranking of the top 5 passwords shows that many users still rely on easy-to-crack combinations.
The latest analysis by NordPass and NordStellar is based on data gathered from public data breaches and dark web repositories between September 2024 and September 2025. One key finding: poor password habits persist across all generations.
The study also highlights cultural patterns, with names, numbers, and country-specific trends frequently appearing in passwords worldwide.
#Passwords #Cybersecurity #DataProtection #Statista #ITSecurity #PasswordSecurity
