Americans carrying more debt have plenty of possible culprits to blame, from impulse purchases to emergencies to years of high credit card interest rates. Increasingly, though, consumers are pointing to something more basic: the cost of everyday life.
According to a study by Accredited Debt Relief titled “Debt by Generation in 2026: How Borrowers of Different Ages Are Coping,” 78% of survey respondents said inflation is the number one reason they are carrying more debt. That includes respondents from every generation, from Gen Z to Boomers.
Those responses do not prove that inflation caused any particular household’s debt. Spending decisions, medical bills, job losses and unexpected expenses can all push people into the red. But government data and other consumer surveys provide evidence that rising costs are putting pressure on household budgets, especially among people already struggling financially.
Rising prices are still squeezing household budgets
Inflation slowed substantially from its post-pandemic highs by 2024, but starting in 2025 and accelerating in 2026, inflation has steadily increased. The Consumer Price Index increased 3.4% during the 12 months ending in August 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Food prices increased 2.7% over that period, while shelter costs rose 3.0%.
And wages have not kept up with inflation. The BLS reported that real average hourly earnings, which measure pay after adjusting for inflation, declined 0.3% from August 2025 through August 2026. Real average weekly earnings still rose 0.3% because the average workweek increased.
The Federal Reserve’s 2025 Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking, released in May 2026, found that 58% of adults said changes in the prices they paid had made their financial situation worse. Price increases remained the most commonly reported financial concern.
A separate U.S. News & World Report survey of 1,200 consumers, conducted in June 2026 through PureSpectrum, found that 57% said inflation and rising costs had caused them to rely more heavily on credit cards to make ends meet. The same survey found that about 57% of consumers carried a credit card balance.
That does not mean every grocery purchase charged to a card becomes debt. A consumer who pays the statement balance in full avoids carrying that purchase forward. But when necessary expenses repeatedly exceed available cash, credit can turn a temporary shortfall into an outstanding balance that accrues interest.
Other pressures outside of price increases hit generations differently. In the Accredited Debt Relief survey, Millennials cited insufficient wages and job precarity as contributing to their debt, whereas Gen Z was more likely to say their lack of financial education and government policy changes added to their debt. Gen Z’s answers may reflect changes in the federal student loan program.
The first step for someone watching balances rise is to determine what is creating the shortfall.
A household that routinely spends $300 more than it earns on necessary expenses faces a different problem from someone who accumulated credit card debt after a one-time car repair or trip to the emergency room.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recommends adding up income and expenses when credit card payments become difficult. If the numbers show that essential expenses are regularly exceeding income, trimming optional spending may help, but it may not close the entire gap.
Borrowers who worry they cannot make their payments need to contact their credit card companies instead of just missing a payment due date. Your card issuers may be willing to change payment arrangements if you are facing a financial emergency. Consumers should be prepared to explain why they cannot make the minimum payment, how much they can afford and when they expect normal payments to resume. At the end of the day, credit card companies want to be paid more than they want to go to court.
Nonprofit credit counseling is another option. A counselor may help a borrower develop a budget or, when appropriate, establish a debt management plan with participating creditors. Consumers should ask about fees and services before enrolling and should be cautious of debt settlement companies that promise to make debt disappear or tell customers to stop communicating with creditors.
Debt consolidation can reduce interest costs or make payments easier to manage in some cases, but it does not correct an ongoing deficit by itself. If you’re racking up debt because you spend more than you earn, a consolidation loan is unlikely to solve the problem.
That makes identifying the source of the debt important before choosing the tool used to repay it. Inflation-driven expenses, emergencies and discretionary purchases can all end up on the same credit card statement, but they may require different responses.
Spending decisions still matter, and unexpected medical bills, repairs and other financial shocks matter too. But for households whose incomes no longer cover recurring necessities, cutting restaurant meals or canceling subscriptions may not be enough. The arithmetic of the monthly budget has to change through lower costs, higher income, a workable repayment arrangement or some combination of the three.
This article was written by Brooklyn-based financial journalist and Commerce Editor for the New York Post Will Kenton. Specializing in investing, personal finance and retirement planning, Will’s expertise is rooted in behavioral economics — a field he explored as associate editor of the New School Economics Review. Will aims to help readers navigate the “predictable irrationality” that influences financial decisions, providing practical real-world solutions to student loan debt, investments, mortgages and more. Before joining The Post in 2026, Will covered the intersection of money, economics and culture for Investopedia, AP News, Business Insider and TIME Stamped.