Most Gen Z and Millennials Now Identify as Political Independents

A new poll from Gallup finds that a record-high 45% of U.S. adults identified as political independents in 2025, the highest level Gallup has recorded since it began tracking party identification in 1988. The previous high was 43%, measured in 2014, 2023 and 2024.Younger generations are driving much of that increase. In 2025, majorities of Gen Z adults and millennials — 56% and 54%, respectively — identified as independents, along with more than four in 10 Gen X adults. By contrast, one-third or