Public opinion on same-sex marriage

Table of Contents

In Pew Research Center polling in 2004, Americans opposed same-sex marriage by a margin of 60% to 31%.

Support for same-sex marriage has steadily grown over the past 15 years. And today, support for same-sex marriage remains near its highest point since Pew Research Center began polling on this issue. Based on polling in 2019, a majority of Americans (61%) support same-sex marriage, while 31% oppose it.


Same-sex marriage overall
% of U.S. adults who favor/oppose same-sex marriage (2001-2019)
YearFavorOppose
200135%57%
200332%59%
200431%60%
200536%53%
200635%55%
200737%54%
200839%51%
200937%54%
201042%48%
201146%44%
201248%43%
201350%43%
201452%40%
201555%39%
201655%37%
201762%32%
201961%31%
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Attitudes on same-sex marriage by political party identification

Three-quarters of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (75%) and fewer than half of Republicans and Republican leaners (44%) favor same-sex marriage.

More independents who lean toward the Democratic Party (81%) favor gay marriage than Democrats (71%). Similarly, Republican leaners are more supportive (56%) than Republicans (37%).

Support for same-sex marriage now stands at 88% among self-described liberal Democrats and Democratic leaners and 64% among conservative and moderate Democrats. Fewer conservative Republicans and Republican leaners (36%) support same-sex marriage than moderate and liberal Republicans (59%).


Leaned party
% of U.S. adults who favor same-sex marriage, by political party identification (2001-2019)
YearRep/Lean RepDem/Lean Dem
200123%45%
200324%44%
200419%43%
200520%49%
200620%47%
200720%49%
200823%51%
200921%51%
201027%55%
201135%57%
201230%63%
201333%62%
201437%67%
201538%69%
201638%70%
201747%76%
201944%75%
PEW RESEARCH CENTER


Detailed party lean
% of U.S. adults who favor same-sex marriage, by political party (detailed, 2001-2019)
YearRepublicanLean RepLean DemDemocrat
200121%29%53%43%
200322%29%48%43%
200417%23%47%40%
200519%24%60%45%
200617%27%55%43%
200718%25%52%48%
200819%31%55%50%
200919%25%54%50%
201024%32%59%53%
201127%45%59%56%
201225%38%66%62%
201329%40%69%59%
201430%47%72%64%
201532%48%74%66%
201633%46%70%70%
201740%57%82%73%
201937%56%81%71%
PEW RESEARCH CENTER


Party and ideology
% of U.S. adults who favor same-sex marriage, by political party and ideology (2001-2019)
YearCons Rep/Ln RepMod-Lib Rep/Ln RepCons-Mod Dem/Ln DemLib Dem/Ln Dem
200115%37%39%59%
200316%38%38%63%
200412%28%33%66%
200510%36%36%73%
200611%33%37%69%
200712%35%41%71%
200815%37%42%74%
200914%36%43%70%
201017%44%46%72%
201124%49%50%72%
201220%48%55%79%
201324%49%53%79%
201425%56%58%82%
201525%60%59%84%
201625%60%61%84%
201739%63%66%90%
201936%59%64%88%
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Attitudes on same-sex marriage by religious affiliation

Among people who are religiously unaffiliated, a solid majority have supported same-sex marriage since 2004. Today, 79% of religious “nones” say same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.

About two-thirds of white mainline Protestants (66%) now support same-sex marriage, as do a similar share of Catholics (61%).

Support for same-sex marriage among white evangelical Protestants remains lower than it is among other religious groups. However, the share of white evangelical Protestants who support same-sex marriage has grown from 11% in 2004 to 29% today.

About four-in-ten of those who attend religious services at least once a week (39%) favor same-sex marriage, compared with 66% who attend once or twice a month or a few times a year, and three-quarters who say they seldom or never attend.


Religious affiliation
% of U.S. adults who favor same-sex marriage, by religion (2001-2019)
YearWhite evangelical ProtestantsWhite mainline ProtestantsBlack ProtestantsCatholicsUnaffiliated
200113%38%30%40%61%
200312%35%25%38%59%
200411%34%19%36%61%
200514%39%25%39%60%
200612%41%21%39%63%
200714%43%24%40%60%
200816%44%24%43%62%
200915%36%28%42%63%
201020%48%29%46%62%
201116%54%31%53%69%
201219%52%35%54%73%
201323%55%32%54%74%
201421%60%41%57%77%
201524%62%34%57%82%
201627%64%39%58%80%
201735%68%44%67%85%
201929%66%NA%61%79%
PEW RESEARCH CENTER


Religious attendance
% of U.S. adults who favor same-sex marriage, by religious service attendance (2001-2019)
YearAttend weekly or moreMonthly/yearlySeldom/never
2001
200317%40%47%
200416%37%47%
200519%41%57%
200619%41%53%
200721%43%51%
200823%44%55%
200921%43%52%
201024%49%59%
201128%52%64%
201228%55%65%
201330%55%68%
201431%60%70%
201532%60%76%
201632%62%75%
201739%68%81%
201939%66%75%
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Attitudes on same-sex marriage among key demographic groups

Support for same-sex marriage has remained largely stable among both men and women since 2017. Today, 66% of women and 57% of men support same-sex marriage.

Support for same-sex marriage also has remained steady among whites, blacks and Hispanics over the past two years. Today, 62% of whites support same-sex marriage, as do 58% of Hispanics and 51% of blacks.

The increase in the share of adults who favor same-sex marriage over the past 15 years is due in part to generational change. Younger generations express higher levels of support for same-sex marriage.


Race
% of U.S. adults who favor same-sex marriage, by race/ethnicity (2001-2019)
YearWhiteBlackHispanic
200134%32%
200332%28%
200431%21%
200537%27%
200635%25%42%
200738%26%38%
200841%26%39%
200937%29%41%
201044%30%41%
201149%36%42%
201249%40%50%
201350%38%54%
201453%42%56%
201558%39%55%
201657%42%56%
201764%51%60%
201962%51%58%
PEW RESEARCH CENTER


Generations
% of U.S. adults who favor same-sex marriage, by generation (2001-2019)
YearSilent Generation (1928-45)Baby Boomers (1946-64)Generation X (1965-80)Millennials (1981 to 1996)
200121%32%49%
200317%33%40%51%
200418%30%40%44%
200523%36%44%49%
200620%34%42%51%
200724%34%42%53%
200824%36%44%54%
200923%32%41%51%
201029%38%48%53%
201132%40%48%61%
201233%41%51%64%
201335%41%52%66%
201435%46%53%67%
201539%45%59%70%
201638%46%56%71%
201741%56%65%74%
201945%51%58%74%
PEW RESEARCH CENTER


Gender
% of U.S. adults who favor same-sex marriage, by gender (2001-2019)
YearMenWomen
200132%38%
200328%36%
200428%34%
200534%39%
200631%39%
200732%41%
200834%43%
200932%41%
201038%46%
201141%51%
201244%52%
201346%53%
201449%55%
201553%58%
201652%58%
201760%64%
201957%66%
PEW RESEARCH CENTER