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.
| Year | Favor | Oppose |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 35% | 57% |
| 2003 | 32% | 59% |
| 2004 | 31% | 60% |
| 2005 | 36% | 53% |
| 2006 | 35% | 55% |
| 2007 | 37% | 54% |
| 2008 | 39% | 51% |
| 2009 | 37% | 54% |
| 2010 | 42% | 48% |
| 2011 | 46% | 44% |
| 2012 | 48% | 43% |
| 2013 | 50% | 43% |
| 2014 | 52% | 40% |
| 2015 | 55% | 39% |
| 2016 | 55% | 37% |
| 2017 | 62% | 32% |
| 2019 | 61% | 31% |
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%).
| Year | Rep/Lean Rep | Dem/Lean Dem |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 23% | 45% |
| 2003 | 24% | 44% |
| 2004 | 19% | 43% |
| 2005 | 20% | 49% |
| 2006 | 20% | 47% |
| 2007 | 20% | 49% |
| 2008 | 23% | 51% |
| 2009 | 21% | 51% |
| 2010 | 27% | 55% |
| 2011 | 35% | 57% |
| 2012 | 30% | 63% |
| 2013 | 33% | 62% |
| 2014 | 37% | 67% |
| 2015 | 38% | 69% |
| 2016 | 38% | 70% |
| 2017 | 47% | 76% |
| 2019 | 44% | 75% |
| Year | Republican | Lean Rep | Lean Dem | Democrat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 21% | 29% | 53% | 43% |
| 2003 | 22% | 29% | 48% | 43% |
| 2004 | 17% | 23% | 47% | 40% |
| 2005 | 19% | 24% | 60% | 45% |
| 2006 | 17% | 27% | 55% | 43% |
| 2007 | 18% | 25% | 52% | 48% |
| 2008 | 19% | 31% | 55% | 50% |
| 2009 | 19% | 25% | 54% | 50% |
| 2010 | 24% | 32% | 59% | 53% |
| 2011 | 27% | 45% | 59% | 56% |
| 2012 | 25% | 38% | 66% | 62% |
| 2013 | 29% | 40% | 69% | 59% |
| 2014 | 30% | 47% | 72% | 64% |
| 2015 | 32% | 48% | 74% | 66% |
| 2016 | 33% | 46% | 70% | 70% |
| 2017 | 40% | 57% | 82% | 73% |
| 2019 | 37% | 56% | 81% | 71% |
| Year | Cons Rep/Ln Rep | Mod-Lib Rep/Ln Rep | Cons-Mod Dem/Ln Dem | Lib Dem/Ln Dem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 15% | 37% | 39% | 59% |
| 2003 | 16% | 38% | 38% | 63% |
| 2004 | 12% | 28% | 33% | 66% |
| 2005 | 10% | 36% | 36% | 73% |
| 2006 | 11% | 33% | 37% | 69% |
| 2007 | 12% | 35% | 41% | 71% |
| 2008 | 15% | 37% | 42% | 74% |
| 2009 | 14% | 36% | 43% | 70% |
| 2010 | 17% | 44% | 46% | 72% |
| 2011 | 24% | 49% | 50% | 72% |
| 2012 | 20% | 48% | 55% | 79% |
| 2013 | 24% | 49% | 53% | 79% |
| 2014 | 25% | 56% | 58% | 82% |
| 2015 | 25% | 60% | 59% | 84% |
| 2016 | 25% | 60% | 61% | 84% |
| 2017 | 39% | 63% | 66% | 90% |
| 2019 | 36% | 59% | 64% | 88% |
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.
| Year | White evangelical Protestants | White mainline Protestants | Black Protestants | Catholics | Unaffiliated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 13% | 38% | 30% | 40% | 61% |
| 2003 | 12% | 35% | 25% | 38% | 59% |
| 2004 | 11% | 34% | 19% | 36% | 61% |
| 2005 | 14% | 39% | 25% | 39% | 60% |
| 2006 | 12% | 41% | 21% | 39% | 63% |
| 2007 | 14% | 43% | 24% | 40% | 60% |
| 2008 | 16% | 44% | 24% | 43% | 62% |
| 2009 | 15% | 36% | 28% | 42% | 63% |
| 2010 | 20% | 48% | 29% | 46% | 62% |
| 2011 | 16% | 54% | 31% | 53% | 69% |
| 2012 | 19% | 52% | 35% | 54% | 73% |
| 2013 | 23% | 55% | 32% | 54% | 74% |
| 2014 | 21% | 60% | 41% | 57% | 77% |
| 2015 | 24% | 62% | 34% | 57% | 82% |
| 2016 | 27% | 64% | 39% | 58% | 80% |
| 2017 | 35% | 68% | 44% | 67% | 85% |
| 2019 | 29% | 66% | NA% | 61% | 79% |
| Year | Attend weekly or more | Monthly/yearly | Seldom/never |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | |||
| 2003 | 17% | 40% | 47% |
| 2004 | 16% | 37% | 47% |
| 2005 | 19% | 41% | 57% |
| 2006 | 19% | 41% | 53% |
| 2007 | 21% | 43% | 51% |
| 2008 | 23% | 44% | 55% |
| 2009 | 21% | 43% | 52% |
| 2010 | 24% | 49% | 59% |
| 2011 | 28% | 52% | 64% |
| 2012 | 28% | 55% | 65% |
| 2013 | 30% | 55% | 68% |
| 2014 | 31% | 60% | 70% |
| 2015 | 32% | 60% | 76% |
| 2016 | 32% | 62% | 75% |
| 2017 | 39% | 68% | 81% |
| 2019 | 39% | 66% | 75% |
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.
| Year | White | Black | Hispanic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 34% | 32% | |
| 2003 | 32% | 28% | |
| 2004 | 31% | 21% | |
| 2005 | 37% | 27% | |
| 2006 | 35% | 25% | 42% |
| 2007 | 38% | 26% | 38% |
| 2008 | 41% | 26% | 39% |
| 2009 | 37% | 29% | 41% |
| 2010 | 44% | 30% | 41% |
| 2011 | 49% | 36% | 42% |
| 2012 | 49% | 40% | 50% |
| 2013 | 50% | 38% | 54% |
| 2014 | 53% | 42% | 56% |
| 2015 | 58% | 39% | 55% |
| 2016 | 57% | 42% | 56% |
| 2017 | 64% | 51% | 60% |
| 2019 | 62% | 51% | 58% |
| Year | Silent Generation (1928-45) | Baby Boomers (1946-64) | Generation X (1965-80) | Millennials (1981 to 1996) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 21% | 32% | 49% | |
| 2003 | 17% | 33% | 40% | 51% |
| 2004 | 18% | 30% | 40% | 44% |
| 2005 | 23% | 36% | 44% | 49% |
| 2006 | 20% | 34% | 42% | 51% |
| 2007 | 24% | 34% | 42% | 53% |
| 2008 | 24% | 36% | 44% | 54% |
| 2009 | 23% | 32% | 41% | 51% |
| 2010 | 29% | 38% | 48% | 53% |
| 2011 | 32% | 40% | 48% | 61% |
| 2012 | 33% | 41% | 51% | 64% |
| 2013 | 35% | 41% | 52% | 66% |
| 2014 | 35% | 46% | 53% | 67% |
| 2015 | 39% | 45% | 59% | 70% |
| 2016 | 38% | 46% | 56% | 71% |
| 2017 | 41% | 56% | 65% | 74% |
| 2019 | 45% | 51% | 58% | 74% |
| Year | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 32% | 38% |
| 2003 | 28% | 36% |
| 2004 | 28% | 34% |
| 2005 | 34% | 39% |
| 2006 | 31% | 39% |
| 2007 | 32% | 41% |
| 2008 | 34% | 43% |
| 2009 | 32% | 41% |
| 2010 | 38% | 46% |
| 2011 | 41% | 51% |
| 2012 | 44% | 52% |
| 2013 | 46% | 53% |
| 2014 | 49% | 55% |
| 2015 | 53% | 58% |
| 2016 | 52% | 58% |
| 2017 | 60% | 64% |
| 2019 | 57% | 66% |
