Adults Who Paid Less or Skipped Bills
18.3% of adults, about the same as the 19.2% of Q3 2025; each reading covers the prior 12 months
Where the Adults Who Paid Less or Skipped Bills stands now
The Adults Who Paid Less or Skipped Bills was 18.3% in the third quarter of 2026, down from the 19.7% peak in the fourth quarter of 2025. It has been lower than a year earlier for two quarters in a row.
What it means for households: Household Financial Health Statistics
How the Adults Who Paid Less or Skipped Bills has moved since 2023
Adults Who Paid Less or Skipped Bills: little changed over the past year
Philadelphia Fed LIFE Survey, prior-twelve-month use of paying less or skipping other debts or monthly bills: 18.3% in the third quarter of 2026, little changed from 19.2% a year earlier. Quarterly, 2023–2026.
What the Adults Who Paid Less or Skipped Bills measures
Measurement basis: Share of adult respondents who reported paying less or skipping other debts or monthly bills at least once in the prior 12 months to help afford monthly bill payments. Respondents could select one or more listed coping strategies; this is not a quarterly or monthly missed-payment rate.
A higher rate is worse for households.
Adults Who Paid Less or Skipped Bills by quarter, 2023 to 2026
| Quarter | Rate (%) | Change from a year earlier (percentage points) |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | 18.3 | −0.9 |
| Q2 2026 | 17.4 | −0.9 |
| Q1 2026 | 18.5 | +1.8 |
| Q4 2025 | 19.7 | +1.9 |
| Q3 2025 | 19.2 | +2.3 |
| Q2 2025 | 18.3 | +2.5 |
| Q1 2025 | 16.7 | −1.5 |
| Q4 2024 | 17.8 | −0.2 |
| Q3 2024 | 16.9 | +2.2 |
| Q2 2024 | 15.8 | +0.6 |
| Q1 2024 | 18.2 | +2.3 |
| Q4 2023 | 18.0 | — |
| Q3 2023 | 14.7 | — |
| Q2 2023 | 15.2 | — |
| Q1 2023 | 15.9 | — |
Quarterly · Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia LIFE Survey
Counties with the highest safety net and buffer scores
There's no county figure for this measure, so this list uses the safety net and buffer part of our County Distress Index.
| Rank | County | Score (0–100) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Choctaw County, OK | 94.8 |
| 2 | Stewart County, GA | 94.2 |
| 3 | Noxubee County, MS | 94.2 |
| 4 | Hudspeth County, TX | 94 |
| 5 | Brooks County, TX | 94 |
| 6 | Lake County, TN | 94 |
| 7 | Duval County, TX | 93.9 |
| 8 | Ripley County, MO | 93.5 |
| 9 | Dunklin County, MO | 93.3 |
| 10 | Quitman County, GA | 93.2 |
Questions about the Adults Who Paid Less or Skipped Bills
What does the skip rate measure?
The share of adults who say they paid less on or skipped other debts or monthly bills at least once in the last 12 months to help afford their monthly bills. It is one option in a list of coping strategies, and people could choose more than one.
Is the skip rate going up or down?
It was 18.3% in the the third quarter of 2026 wave. In the third quarter of 2025 it was 19.2%, too close to call a change. We compare each wave with the same wave a year earlier because the shares are not seasonally adjusted.
Is this a missed-payment or delinquency rate?
No. It asks whether someone used the strategy at least once in 12 months, not how often, which bill, or whether an account fell behind. Delinquency rates come from credit records, not from this survey.
Where does the skip rate data come from?
The Philadelphia Fed's Consumer Finance Institute runs the LIFE Survey four times a year, in waves named for January, April, July and October. YouGov collects the answers online. Recent reports came out the month after each wave.
Sources and method for the Adults Who Paid Less or Skipped Bills
- Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia LIFE Survey Measurement basis: Share of adult respondents who reported paying less or skipping other debts or monthly bills at least once in the prior 12 months to help afford monthly bill payments. Respondents could select one or more listed coping strategies; this is not a quarterly or monthly missed-payment rate. We use the quarterly figures as published, from the first quarter of 2023 through the third quarter of 2026, with no adjustment of our own. Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia doesn’t adjust this rate for the season, so compare a quarter with the same quarter a year earlier. Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s report
We write with assistance from AI tools. Figures come from the data and sources named on this page.