Republicans and independents are way more worried about inflation than Democrats

• Inflation is affecting the entire country, but Democrats and Republicans have starkly different outlooks.
• Where 79% of Republicans have "a great deal" of worry, just 35% of Democrats feel the same.

Inflation is hitting red and blue states alike, but some political affiliations are much more worried than others.

As prices surge at the fastest pace in 40 years, Democrats are generally far less concerned than their conservative and independent peers, according to a Gallup poll published Tuesday. About 79% of Republicans said they have "a great deal" of worry about inflation, more than doubling the 35% of Democrats who feel the same.

Conversely, a quarter of Democrats said they were "only a little" worried about the historic price growth. Yet just 5% of Republicans held the same, more relaxed attitude toward the inflation problem.

Political independents' views of soaring prices were more closely aligned with Republicans. Sixty-three percent had "a great deal" of concern, and just 9% were "only a little" worried, according to the poll.

Gallup surveyed a random sample of 1,017 US adults across all 50 states and Washington, DC for the poll. Interviews were conducted between March 1 and 18.

The data reveals a dramatic gap in how Americans are taking stock of the biggest headwind facing the economic recovery. Those concerned about sky-high inflation have good reason to be. Prices leaped 7.9% in the year through February, according to Consumer Price Index data published March 10. That marked the fastest pace since January 1982 and an acceleration from the rate seen the month prior.

More concerning was last month's 0.8% month-over-month gain. While the one-year measure is influenced by last year's events, the one-month increase suggests inflation didn't ease at all through early 2022. The gain also accelerated from January's 0.6% uptick, hinting the price rally only picked up pace last month.

Reasons abound for the disparity between Democrats' and Republicans' inflation worries. Republicans tend to be older, meaning it's likely more lived through the inflation crisis of the 1970s and early 1980s. Younger Americans, meanwhile, skew Democrat and have mostly lived through a period of inflation below the Fed's 2% target. Considering how hard the inflation of the 1970s rocked the US economy, it makes sense older Americans are more fearful of a repeat.

Republican lawmakers have also blamed the inflation issue on President Joe Biden's spending agenda, arguing his pandemic stimulus legislation pumped too much cash into the economy. The GOP is likely to ramp up such messaging heading into the midterm elections, and it's likely such concerns have been matched by their constituents.

It's not just inflation that Democrats have a lax outlook on compared to Republicans. Only a third of Democrats have "a great deal" of concern about the economy, according to Gallup, compared to more than three-fourths of Republicans feeling the same.

Where both parties can agree: the labor market is well and good. Just 33% of Republicans and 25% of Democrats held "a great deal" of worry about unemployment.

But even with jobs coming back at three times the pace as in the last recession, few are completely fearless. Just 9% of Republicans said they're "not at all" worried about unemployment, and the share rises to 21% for Democrats. The labor market might represent one of the strongest parts of the rebounding economy, but most Americans still have some reservations.