Gun laws, abortion, the Mexican border or the economy? What issues do Americans really care about before the presidential election? Which areas have become more or less important compared to the last election in 2020?
To do this, Google broke down Americans' search queries by state (see also the info box below). Are Kamala Harris supporters seeking more abortions? Will Donald Trump have more supporters after immigration? That's data on residents of every U.S. state.
Compared with the search popularity before the 2020 election, a total of 50 areas of concern to Americans were examined. The data has been collected since the 2004 election. The development of themes is exciting at times.
We have selected some of the most exciting cards and present them to you here. We start with six of the top topics of 2020. Next are selected areas that achieved exciting results, and finally two points that took a back seat in search queries compared to 2020:
inflation
Inflation is clearly the most searched topic, up 115%, and is common across the country, except in the South. Not since 2004 has inflation been discussed so frequently in any election.
Google search popularity in the United States compared to the U.S. average in 2024.Bild: Wave of interest
pension survey results
Not since 2004 have Americans asked about pension funds so frequently before an election. Particularly in the Northwest and Illinois, this issue is clearly more important than it was in 2020 (+81%).
Google search popularity in the United States compared to the U.S. average in 2024.Bild: Wave of Interest
vitality
Energy is the theme with the third highest growth rate in 2024. However, from now on, we have less than 40% growth, which is significantly lower than the two hot topics. Energy issues are more of a concern than they were in 2020, especially in Texas and North Carolina.
Google search popularity in the United States compared to the U.S. average in 2024.Bild: Wave of interest
Parental leave
The fourth highest increase in searches was for parental leave. It is worth noting that the growth is significant in the northeast and west regions, but in the central region this is not an issue.
Google search popularity in the United States compared to the U.S. average in 2024.Bild: Wave of interest
terrorism
Terrorism played a small role in 2020. Compared to the absolute peak in 2004, the number will still be similar in 2024.
Google search popularity in the United States compared to the U.S. average in 2024.Bild: wave of interest
tax policy
Tax policy determines the top 6. The increase in search queries is quite common across the country. In Oregon, however, interest in tax issues is significantly higher than the national average.
Google search popularity in the United States compared to the U.S. average in 2024.Bild: Wave of interest
This might help explain the search data:
abortion
Abortion is likely to be one of the defining election issues of 2024. The search here is mainly in the center. In Arizona, delegates decided to no longer apply an 1864 abortion ban.
Google search popularity in the United States compared to the U.S. average in 2024.Bild: wave of interest
migrant
Immigration is again more important than in 2020. In addition to California, some Northeastern states also have higher search frequencies than the national average.
Google search popularity in the United States compared to the U.S. average in 2024.Bild: Wave of interest
Mexico-US border
Not since 2004 has the U.S.-Mexico border issue received as much attention in an election. Logically, this affects the southwestern states of the United States in particular. The topic has already reached similar levels of demand in 2020.
Google search popularity in the United States compared to the U.S. average in 2024.Bild: wave of interest
national security
Voters in Virginia and Maryland are more concerned about national security than they were in 2020.
Google search popularity in the United States compared to the U.S. average in 2024.Bild: Wave of interest
Data and sources
It shows Americans' Google search interests compared to elections since 2004. Click here to visit the website.
antisemitism
There has also been an increase in anti-Semitic search queries surrounding the conflict between Israel and Palestine. In this regard, improvements in the national average were mainly attributed to the eastern states. Not since 2004 has anti-Semitism been such a big issue before an election.
Google search popularity in the United States compared to the U.S. average in 2024.Bild: Wave of interest
Business
The Sunbelt economy employs significantly more people than the rest of the country. Its overall search volume has steadily increased over the past four elections.
Google search popularity in the United States compared to the U.S. average in 2024.Bild: wave of interest
racism
Let's move on to two topics that have clearly taken a backseat compared to 2020. On the one hand, there's racism, and searches on Google are down about 50%. The most searched state in the country is Maryland.
Google search popularity in the United States compared to the U.S. average in 2024.Bild: Wave of interest
gun control
Gun control was also one of the topics that resulted in a significant decrease in search queries compared to 2020. That doesn't appear to be the case in Wyoming, which has nearly twice as many inquiries as the U.S. average.
Google search popularity in the United States compared to the U.S. average in 2024.Bild: wave of interest
These women will be in power in 2024
1/33
These women will be in power in 2024
Giorgia Meloni will serve as Italian Prime Minister from 2022, becoming the country's first female head of government.
Those: keystone / filippo attili / chigi palace pres
Ralf's path to the presidential election: Wie wählen die Swifties?
Video: Watson
You may also be interested in:
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned Russia of the possibility of using North Korean soldiers in its war in Ukraine. Guterres said he was “deeply disturbed” by reports of the incident, according to a statement from New York. “This would mean a very dangerous escalation of the war in Ukraine. Every effort must be made to prevent the internationalization of this conflict.” The UN Secretary-General also reiterated his support for Ukraine to achieve a “fair, lasting and comprehensive peace.”
