What the data shows
The Take — Recession worry remains high but is easing slightly, as fears shift from general inflation to anxieties about global conflict driving economic instability.
What's Happening Concern is still running hot, though today’s mood is a bit calmer than yesterday. The conversation has moved beyond everyday price hikes: now, people are openly anxious about how the Iran war could trigger a wave of inflation that spirals into a major crisis. References to the 2008 housing crash are surfacing, with some voices predicting something even worse this time—fueling a sense that geopolitics, not just grocery costs, are driving unease.
Online searches for "inflation" have dipped slightly, but the talk is more intense, focused on the risks of global conflict colliding with an already fragile economy. The idea that war-induced inflation could spark a financial meltdown is dominating discussions, leaving many bracing for bigger shocks ahead.
Looking Ahead Unless headlines about the Iran conflict calm down, expect recession concern to stay elevated—people are on edge, watching for signs that today’s worries could turn into tomorrow’s crisis.
This reflects public sentiment, not economic conditions.
Why this matters today
R-Word Index: 73 → 67 → 65 in three days. Still High Concern, but easing. Iran deadline today, oil past $120, CPI due this week — and yet the anxiety is cooling. It looks less like a spike and more like something people are settling into. https://rwindex.app #Recession
Posted on @RWIndex on .
How this compares
A week earlier the index was 69. That's a drop of 1 point over seven days.
The last two weeks
The R-Word Index is built from public human-authored writing — not media headlines. How this index is calculated.