Equifax Market Pulse Index Slides to 60.9, Thrivers Shrink 5%
EFX•Equifax’s Market Pulse Index fell to 60.9 from 61.6 in Q1 2026, marking its second consecutive quarterly decline as Thrivers shrank by 5% and Strivers expanded by 2%. Millennials led generational downturns with a 1.2% drop to 58.1, highlighting rising consumer financial stress.
1. Q1 2026 Market Pulse Index Decline
Equifax’s Market Pulse Index, a composite measure of credit, debt, income and assets on a 1–100 scale, dipped from 61.6 to 60.9 in the first quarter of 2026. This marks the second straight quarterly decline, reflecting the combined effects of inflation and rising debt burdens on U.S. consumers.
2. Segment Shifts Among Consumer Tiers
Within the K-shaped economy framework, the top-tier Thrivers group (index above 80) contracted by 5% while the Strivers group (index below 49) grew by 2%, and the Pivoting Middle (index 50–79) remained unchanged. Movement out of the middle class was driven largely by asset thresholds, with 97% of those falling into Strivers holding under $100,000 in assets and two-thirds of those rising to Thrivers holding over $1 million.
3. Generational Financial Shifts
All age cohorts saw quarter-over-quarter index declines: Millennials led with a 1.2% drop to 58.1, Gen X fell 0.8% to 60.3, Boomers declined 0.2% to 64.3, and Gen Z dipped 0.1% to 58.9. These shifts underscore uneven financial resilience across generations, driven by varying debt levels and access to family wealth.
