The number of Americans who identify as socially conservative has reached the highest level since 2012, according to a Gallup poll released last week.
The numbers are part of Gallup’s Values and Beliefs survey, which was conducted May 1-24 with a random sample of 1,011 respondents. It found that 38% of Americans identify as “very conservative” or “conservative” — up from 33% in 2022, 30% in 2021, and tied with 2012 numbers. This comes as the number of Americans who identify as “very liberal” or “liberal” dropped to 29% from 34% in 2022.
“For most of the past eight years, Americans were about as likely to say they were liberal as conservative on social issues,” Gallup senior editor Jeffrey Jones said. “This year, there is a more obvious conservative advantage. The shift is mostly due to increasing social conservatism among Republicans, at a time when social issues such as transgender rights, abortion and other hot-button concerns are prominent in the national public debate.”
Social conservatism for Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 had a 6% increase from 2021, while those aged 30-49 saw a 13% increase and those aged 50-64 saw an 11% increase. Americans over the age of 65 were the only age group that saw a decrease, dropping to 42% from 43% in 2021.
Similarly, the number of Americans who identify as economically conservative has reached 44%, up from 40% in 2022 and more than double the 21% of Americans who identify as “very liberal” or “liberal” economically, according to the poll. Seventy-nine percent of Republicans identified as “very conservative” or “conservative” when it comes to the economy, while 36% of independents and 16% of Democrats felt the same.
The Values and Beliefs survey also found that the majority of Americans don’t believe transgender-identifying athletes should be able to compete against those of the opposite sex. According to the survey, 69% of Americans believe athletes should only be allowed to play on teams that conform to their actual gender, up from 62% in 2021.
Additionally, most Americans, 55%, believe it’s “morally wrong” to change genders, compared to 43% who think it’s “morally acceptable.” The breakdown by political party on the issue shows that 84% of Republicans, 50% of Independents, and 29% of Democrats believe it’s morally wrong.
These numbers come as conservatives have been touting major wins in recent weeks regarding boycotts of various brands that have promoted transgender ideology, including Bud Light and Target. In late May, Target’s stock market value had taken a $6 billion hit since it had received backlash for its “Pride” collection, while sales of Bud Light continued to fall since it partnered with Dylan Mulvaney, a man who identifies as a woman.
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“Greater social conservatism may be fostering an environment more favorable to passing conservative-leaning social legislation, especially in Republican-dominated states,” Jones said.