Americans are more concerned about Ebola than poverty, terrorism, or crime

(Image credit: Allison Shelley/Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2015

That finding comes from Gallup's latest survey of what issues facing the nation Americans deem most important.

The economy took the top spot in the poll at 17 percent, followed by dissatisfaction with government (16 percent) and unemployment (10 percent.) And for the first time, the Ebola pandemic appeared on the list, coming in at five percent — which put it ahead of more enduring issues like education, poverty, and terrorism. Racism and violent crime also polled as less important than Ebola, coming in at three percent apiece.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox