What percentage of U.S. adults identify as political independents according to Gallup's 2025 survey?

Gallup's 2025 survey found that 45% of U.S. adults identify as political independents, a record high.

Which generations are driving the increase in independent identification?

Younger generations are driving the trend, with 56% of Gen Z and majorities of millennials identifying as independents.

How do independents' leanings compare between Democrats and Republicans in 2025?

When including leaners, 47% identify as or lean Democratic compared to 42% Republican in 2025.

What factors does Gallup attribute to the shift toward more Democratic-leaning independents?

The shift reflects dissatisfaction with the party in power, particularly independents' sour views of President Donald Trump.

How does Gallup's finding compare to Pew Research's party affiliation data for 2025?

Pew reports Americans evenly split at 46% leaning Republican and 45% leaning Democratic, contrasting Gallup's Democratic edge when including leaners.

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1M ago

Record Share of Americans Identify as Independents, Gallup Finds

Gallup finds 45% of U.S. adults now identify as political independents in 2025, driven largely by younger generations and sour views of President Donald Trump.

Overview

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Gallup's 2025 national survey, based on interviews with more than 13,000 adults, found 45% of U.S. adults identify as political independents.

Younger generations drive the trend: 56% of Gen Z and majorities of millennials identify as independents, far higher than previous generations at similar ages.

Independents now lean more Democratic than Republican: combined partisanship and leaners show 47% Democratic versus 42% Republican in 2025 nationwide.

Gallup analysis suggests the shift reflects dissatisfaction with the party in power—independents' sour views of President Donald Trump contributed to Democratic gains.

Growing ideological polarization: more independents identify as moderates while Democrats and Republicans report increasingly liberal and conservative identities, complicating parties' appeals to the center.

Written using shared reports from

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Analysis

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Center-leaning sources frame the poll as evidence that voters are rejecting partisan extremes and are swayed by dissatisfaction with the party in power, emphasizing Democrats’ short-term gains tied to Trump’s unpopularity. They foreground youth and moderates, rely heavily on a single Gallup analysis, and imply volatility without prescribing remedies.

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: Gallup's 2025 survey found that 45% of U.S. adults identify as political independents, a record high.
Sources:
Gallup
: Younger generations are driving the trend, with 56% of Gen Z and majorities of millennials identifying as independents.
Sources:
Gallup
: When including leaners, 47% identify as or lean Democratic compared to 42% Republican in 2025.
Sources:
Gallup
: The shift reflects dissatisfaction with the party in power, particularly independents' sour views of President Donald Trump.
Sources:
Gallup
: Pew reports Americans evenly split at 46% leaning Republican and 45% leaning Democratic, contrasting Gallup's Democratic edge when including leaners.
Sources:
Pew Research Center

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