A record-high 45% of U.S. adults identified as political independents in 2025, outpacing both major parties and signifying a major realignment in how Americans think about party identity, according to a Gallup poll released yesterday.
The surge in independent identification is driven largely by younger generations. Majorities of Gen Z and millennials now describe themselves as independents, and more than four in 10 Gen X adults do as well. By contrast, only about a third or fewer baby boomers and members of the Silent Generation say the same. Gallup noted that today’s young adults are more likely to be independent than previous young cohorts were at the same age.
The shift has tangible political consequences. Gallup’s 2025 annual averages show the Democratic side regaining an edge in leaned party preference after a Republican advantage in 2024. Gallup’s analysts tie much of the volatility to voters’ reactions to incumbent presidents: independents — who typically have weaker partisan attachments — often swing against the party associated with an unpopular leader, reshaping party advantages in short order.
Gallup cautions that, despite these shifts, favorable opinions of the parties themselves remain low; the poll’s broader findings suggest dissatisfaction with the major parties rather than a broad surge of enthusiasm for one side. The margin of sampling error for the total 2025 sample is about ±1 percentage point.
Gallup’s yearlong survey, based on telephone interviews with 13,454 adults, found equal shares — 27% each — identifying as Democrats and Republicans. Among independents, a larger share leaned Democratic than Republican: 20% were Democratic-leaning, 15% Republican-leaning, and 10% described themselves as non-leaners. When party identification and leanings are combined, 47% of adults were with or leaning toward the Democratic Party versus 42% with or leaning Republican.
On ideology, Americans still tilt conservative overall, but the gap narrowed in 2025. Thirty-five percent described themselves as conservative, 28% as liberal and 33% as moderate — the smallest conservative lead Gallup has measured in annual averages since the early 1990s.
