Public opinion on same-sex marriage

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% 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 Detailed party Party and ideology

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% Pew Research Center

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% Pew Research Center

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% 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 Religious attendance

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% Pew Research Center

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% 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/Ethnicity Generation Gender

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% Pew Research Center

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% Pew Research Center