Poll: 43 Percent of Americans Now Hold Favorable View of Socialism

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Arecently released Gallup survey has revealed that forty-three percent of Americans hold a positive view of socialism, just 12 points lower than the 55 percent who favor capitalism.

Breitbart reports that the Gallup survey asked respondents if they have a negative or positive image of small business, free enterprise, capitalism, socialism, and big business.

According to the survey, small business received the highest rating at 95 percent positive, followed by free enterprise with 77 percent positive, and capitalism with a 55 percent positive rating.

Gallup says this is “the first time this figure has exceeded 39 percent in Gallup’s trend since 2010.”

Democrats’ view of socialism has grown more positive over the past several years, with 57 percent, holding a positive view of socialism in 2018.

Now, that figure among Democrats stands at 65 percent with Democrats viewing capitalism less favorably, dropping from 42 percent in 2025 to 35 percent in 2026.

In the last year alone, independents also are leaning toward socialist ideology, going from a 37 percent positive view of socialism to 45 percent. By contrast, just 14 percent of Republicans have a positive view of socialism.

Gallup researchers report:

Socialism now ranks ahead of big business among independents, although capitalism, free enterprise and small business remain more positively viewed. Democrats’ views have shifted more substantially since 2010. Socialism surpassed capitalism among Democrats by 2016 and now ties free enterprise at 65%. This follows a sizable decline in Democrats’ positive rating of free enterprise since 2021.

The survey also revealed widely differing generational support for socialism with the biggest support coming from adults ages 18 to 34 who now view socialism favorably – at 57 percent, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Support for socialism among people ages 35 to 54 was 45 percent,  also the highest approval rating yet, with 34 percent favorability reported among people 55 and higher.

Possible explanations for the growing support of socialism include the prominence of democratic socialist figures in recent elections increasing public familiarity with the label, and high inflation and cost-of-living challenges driving interest in alternative economic approaches.

The survey was taken August 3-24, 2026, among 1,200 adults and has a margin of error of +/- 4 percent.