U.S. Political Parties

Gallup’s 2025 national polling shows 45% of U.S. adults now identify as political independents, the highest share since the organization began tracking the question in 1991 and above the previous 43% peaks in 2014, 2023 and 2024. Formal party ID is tied, with 27% calling themselves Democrats and 27% Republicans, but when independents’ leanings are included, 47% of Americans align with Democrats or Democratic‑leaning independents versus 42% with Republicans or Republican‑leaning independents, ending a three‑year GOP edge in combined affiliation. The shift is strongest among younger adults: 56% of Gen Z adults identify as independents, compared with 47% of millennials at a comparable age in 2012 and 40% of Gen X in 1992. Within the independent bloc, 20% lean Democratic, 15% lean Republican and 10% do not lean either way, reflecting a three‑point drop in GOP leaners and a three‑point rise in Democratic leaners from 2024. Gallup’s findings, based on more than 13,000 interviews conducted throughout 2025, suggest growing disenchantment with both major parties even as Democrats regain a modest advantage in the broader partisan landscape.