As Americans continue to feel the strains of current inflation rates, most believe it will only get worse, according to a new survey from Clever Real Estate, a St. Louis-based real estate company.

Clever polled 1,000 Americans and found that 4 in 5 (78%) believe inflation has become a crisis. In fact, nearly 1 in 4 respondents (23%) rank inflation as the most pressing issue facing the country, and about half (47%) place it in the top three.Although inflation is a major concern among Americans, few seem to understand it. About half of respondents (46%) claim to know the current inflation rate, but only 25% actually do, while 64% incorrectly believe inflation is at an all-time high.

Americans are not optimistic that things will improve any time soon – 62% of Americans expect the cost of everyday goods to rise in 2023, and almost half (40%) think inflation rates will never go back down. Only 26% of respondents believe the economy will improve in 2023.

Almost all Americans (93%) have cut costs this year amid inflation, but only 37% say their household income has increased. More than half (53%) say they don't make enough money to live comfortably, with 38% reporting that they cannot afford everyday expenses.

Conservatives rank President Biden's policies (60%) as the No. 1 cause of inflation, while liberals consider the COVID-19 pandemic to be the No. 1 cause (65%). Political differences aside – 74% of Americans who plan to vote in the 2022 midterm elections say inflation will play a part in how they vote.