A Majority of Venezuelans Struggle to Pay for Food, Poll Shows

A new Gallup survey found that more than half of Venezuelans reported struggling to afford food last year, with economic hardship reaching even the wealthy.At a street market in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, in October.Credit...The New York TimesJan. 8, 2026, 12:01 a.m. ETA majority of people in Venezuela struggled to afford food and just a fraction had stable work last year, according to a new Gallup poll released on Thursday, which painted a dire picture of daily life in the South American nation in the months before its leader, Nicolás Maduro, was ousted in a U.S. military operation.The survey, conducted by Gallup from early June to early July, found that three in five Venezuelans struggled at times to afford food last year, among the highest rate anywhere in Latin America and the Caribbean.Even among the wealthiest 20 percent of Venezuelan households, more than half said they were finding it difficult to pay for groceries, signaling that the South American nation’s enduring crisis may now be reaching even wealthier classes once shielded from economic distress.The grim economic snapshot captured by the poll highlighted the challenges that lie ahead for Venezuela, as it faces political and economic uncertainty following Mr. Maduro’s capture last week. And, if an oil deal with the United States does not materialize and a U.S. blockade remains in place, Venezuela could lose crucial revenue, deepening the economic pain.ImageA pro-government march in Caracas on Wednesday.Credit...The New York TimesEconomic turmoil is not new to most Venezuelans, with their nation long plagued by hyperinflation, food shortages and mismanagement of the oil sector, the main engine of the economy. When the economy shrank painfully between 2016 and 2019, hyperinflation pushed basic goods out of reach for 80 percent of people.Since then, the economy had been on track for modest recovery. But, while fewer Venezuelans are struggling now, the poll shows that putting food on the table remains a major challenge in the country, said Julie Ray, Gallup’s managing editor for world news.“Venezuelans have been under a lot of distress for over a decade,” Ms. Ray said. “This does show that a sizable percentage of the population is still struggling.”Unemployment has also soared, the survey found, with just under a fifth of Venezuelans reporting having full-time jobs. Worries about the economy weighed on the minds of Venezuelans, with 64 percent of people saying it was the biggest issue facing their country.The new poll also showed that most Venezuelans had little faith in the electoral process, with just a third of those surveyed saying they were confident that their country’s elections were honest.Gallup interviewed about 1,000 people in person about their views on the economy, affordability and politics, Ms. Ray said.Ana Ionova is a contributor to The Times based in Rio de Janeiro, covering Brazil and neighboring countries.SKIP