You Won’t Believe What the Poll Found and the Reasons Given
A surprising new survey has found that nearly one in three Americans admit they have shoplifted at least once, highlighting what many economists and retailers say is a troubling reflection of the nation’s ongoing financial struggles. The study was conducted by LendingTree, which surveyed 2,000 U.S. adults between the ages of 18 and 80 in early June 2026.
According to the results, 30% of Americans now say they have shoplifted at some point in their lives, a significant increase from 23% reported in LendingTree’s 2024 survey. Even more concerning, 37% of those who admitted to shoplifting said they had stolen something within the past year, compared to just 23% in the previous survey, suggesting the behavior is becoming increasingly common rather than simply reflecting youthful mistakes.
The Breakdown of Numbers Show It is Predominantly Younger Americans
The survey found that younger Americans are the most likely to admit stealing from stores. Thirty-nine percent of Generation Z respondents said they have shoplifted, followed closely by 38% of Millennials. The numbers decline with age, as 24% of Generation X respondents and 18% of Baby Boomers acknowledged having shoplifted. Men were also considerably more likely to admit stealing than women, with 36% of men reporting they had shoplifted compared to 23% of women.
While some respondents admitted they stole out of convenience or because they believed large corporations could absorb the losses, financial hardship was overwhelmingly the biggest factor driving the behavior. Nearly 90% of those who had shoplifted recently said inflation, rising prices, or the current economy influenced their decision, illustrating the pressure many households continue to face despite broader economic indicators suggesting inflation has cooled.
What the Survey Showed People Were Stealing
The report also examined what people are stealing. Food and non-alcoholic beverages ranked as the most commonly stolen items, followed by clothing, personal hygiene products, and household necessities. These findings reinforce the idea that many incidents involve everyday essentials rather than luxury merchandise.
However, retailers continue to face billions of dollars in losses each year from both casual shoplifters and organized retail theft rings. Many chains have responded by locking up common household products, limiting self-checkout lanes, adding artificial intelligence-powered surveillance systems, and increasing security personnel in an effort to curb losses.
*****Editor’s Note*****
There is one major factor that makes this survey inaccurate. The findings rely on self-reported responses, they only reflect on what participants were willing to admit rather than documented criminal activity. So the numbers are actually higher if we take this into account. And while we can’t truly say how much higher, they are definitely higher.
Even so, the LendingTree survey suggests that economic stress is changing consumer behavior and that more Americans are willing to cross legal and ethical lines simply to make ends meet. Whether driven by necessity, opportunity, or changing attitudes toward large retailers, the results paint a troubling picture of the financial pressures facing millions of Americans in 2026.
