Equifax Market Pulse Index Remains Steady But Highlights Growing Financial Divergence Among Consumers
Fourth Quarter 2025 Market Pulse Index Reveals Three Distinct Groups of Financial Risk
ATLANTA, April 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Equifax® (NYSE: EFX) today released its fourth quarter 2025 Market Pulse Index, which held steady at 61.6 signaling a period of stabilization of overall U.S. consumer financial health. Despite this Index remaining stable, underlying data indicates a widening K-shaped divide across consumer segments and among generations. While 10% of the population is experiencing high credit and financial growth, 20% are feeling the weight of debt and limited savings, and many of those in the middle are at a threshold between financial stability and strain.
The K-shaped Economy
The Equifax Market Pulse Index provides a comprehensive view of U.S. consumer financial health by synthesizing anonymized credit, debt, income, and asset data with VantageScore 4.0 insights. The Index is designed to capture the combined effects of multiple economic forces rather than focusing on a single variable. Measured on a scale of 1 to 100—where 100 represents the greatest financial strength—the Index delivers a holistic picture of consumer economic well-being, allowing for precise comparisons across diverse demographics and generations.
Tracking a Diverging Economy
While the overall Market Pulse Index suggests stability, financial risk is increasingly concentrated within specific populations. A granular look at the U.S. credit-visible population shows a polarized landscape, where top-tier credit growth is shadowed by a rapid expansion of high-risk credit segments:
The group with peak financial resilience (Index of 80+) grew from 7.96% to 10.47% of the total U.S. credit visible population, a 32% increase in just over two years.
Since the second quarter of 2023, the number of individuals in the middle tier (Index between 50 and 79) has decreased by 6.2%.
Index values below 50 increased from 19.07% to 21.08%, representing an 11% increase in the size of this population segment since the second quarter of 2023.
“When we look at the financial health of the country today, we see three distinct stories,” said Emmaline Aliff, Advisory Leader at Equifax. “We have ‘Thrivers’, who make up 10% of the scorable population and who enjoy high credit and growth. At the other end, we have the ‘Strivers’, the 20% who are feeling the weight of debt and limited savings. But the real story is the “Pivoting Middle”—that 70% in the center. They represent the traditional middle class, and right now, they are at a crossroads between financial security and rising economic pressure.”
Generational Trends: A Shared Shift and the Path to Gen Z Independence
While most age groups are still more stable today than a year ago, for the first time in two years, every age group saw a slight decline in their Market Pulse Index averages in the fourth quarter of 2025. The dip was mostly driven by rising affordability concerns and increased use of credit to cover basic needs.
The gap between “Thrivers” and “Strivers” becomes even more apparent across generations, with data indicating that different life stages and economic factors are creating a wider divide in financial stability across the country.
Gen Z
The number of Gen Z consumers with a Market Pulse Index of 80 or higher increased by 74% between Q2 2023 and the end of Q4 2025.
Top-tier credit growth suggests factors such as their transition from relying on family wealth to achieving full financial independence.
Gen X
The number of Gen X consumers with a Market Pulse Index of 49 and under grew by 11%, which is the largest increase across all generations.
Gen X consumers are balancing peak career debt, and a significant portion of this generation is affected by the “silent squeeze” of rising essential costs.
“The current economic landscape requires a more nuanced approach than single source metrics and averages can provide,” added Aliff. “For lenders and retailers, there is a significant opportunity to engage high-capacity households whose financial buffers remain strong but they must also account for a rise in financial pressure for other segments and manage risk with greater precision.”
The Equifax Market Pulse Index was built using AI/ML methods leveraging proprietary Equifax wealth and asset data along with data from the Equifax credit file and VantageScore 4.0 to provide a comprehensive view of consumer financial health. It distills the credit, debt, income, capacity, and assets of U.S. consumers into one benchmark number to reflect the cumulative index of both positive and negative financial factors. To learn more, read the full Market Pulse Index here.
At Equifax (NYSE: EFX), we believe knowledge drives progress. As a global data, analytics, and technology company, we play an essential role in the global economy by helping financial institutions, companies, employers, and government agencies make critical decisions with greater confidence. Our unique blend of differentiated data, analytics, and cloud technology drives insights to power decisions to move people forward. Headquartered in Atlanta and supported by nearly 15,000 employees worldwide, Equifax operates or has investments in 24 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region. For more information, visit Equifax.com.
