Is ESG in finance a priority for American consumers in 2025?

As the Trump-Vance administration moves away from environmental, social, and governance (ESG) focused policies, are consumers also shifting their priorities when it comes to banking and financial institutions? One way to assess this is by looking at consumer familiarity with ESG in financial institutions, which remains mixed across demographics. According to YouGov’s CategoryView Consumer Banking, 35% of Americans say they are familiar with ESG in finance.

Men are more likely to report familiarity (46%) compared to women (24%). Awareness is higher among younger adults, with 51% of those aged 18-29 and 44% of those aged 30-44 saying they are familiar, while it declines to 27% among those 45-64 and 22% among those 65 and older. Higher-income consumers show greater familiarity, with 51% of those earning more than 200% of the median income indicating awareness, compared to 41% in the middle-income group and 27% in the lower-income group.

While familiarity with ESG in banking and finance varies, the level of importance consumers place on it when choosing financial institutions is even lower. Just 28% of American adults say it is important for banks and financial institutions to integrate ESG principles into their business decisions. This suggests that while some consumers are aware of ESG, fewer see it as a priority in their financial choices.

Men (34%) are more likely than women (21%) to consider ESG important. Younger consumers, who report higher familiarity, are also more likely to factor ESG into their financial decisions, with 49% of those aged 18-29 and 40% of those aged 30-44 saying it matters to them. However, this drops among older groups, with just 18% of those 45-64 and 11% of those 65 and older considering ESG important. Across income levels, interest in ESG is somewhat consistent, with 24% of lower-income, 31% of middle-income, and 34% of higher-income consumers prioritizing it.

These findings raise the question of whether shifting political and regulatory landscapes are influencing public attitudes or if ESG has never been a primary factor for most consumers when choosing a bank or financial institution. While only 28% of Americans say ESG is important in their financial decisions, a larger share – 41% – agree that financial institutions should comply with ESG principles. This suggests that while ESG may not be top of mind when selecting a bank, many still believe it should be a standard part of how banks operate.

Methodology: YouGov CategoryView Consumer Banking collects data on brands & consumers across the US every month. The data is based on the interviews of more than 26,000 American adults aged 18+ between March 1, 2024, and January 1, 2025.