A new Gallup survey finds that 43 percent of Americans hold a positive view of socialism, the highest share Gallup has recorded since it began tracking the question in 2010. That figure trails capitalism’s 55 percent favorability rating by just 12 points.
The poll asked respondents whether they view five economic terms positively or negatively: small business, free enterprise, capitalism, socialism, and big business. Small business topped the list at 95 percent positive, followed by free enterprise at 77 percent and capitalism at 55 percent. Gallup noted that 43 percent is “the first time this figure has exceeded 39% in Gallup’s trend since 2010.”
The shift is most pronounced among Democrats. In 2018, 57 percent of Democrats viewed socialism positively; that number has climbed to 65 percent today. Over the same period, Democrats’ positive view of capitalism has slipped, falling from 42 percent in 2025 to 35 percent in 2026. Gallup’s analysis notes that socialism first overtook capitalism among Democrats by 2016, and now ties free enterprise at 65 percent, following a marked decline in Democrats’ regard for free enterprise since 2021.
Independents are moving in the same direction. Their positive view of socialism rose from 37 percent to 45 percent in just the past year, an eight-point jump. That increase came as independents’ opinion of big business hit a new low of 32 percent after years of decline, meaning socialism now ranks ahead of big business among independents — though capitalism, free enterprise, and small business still poll higher.
Republicans remain the outlier: only 14 percent hold a positive view of socialism.
A Generational Divide
The survey also reveals a stark age gap. Adults aged 18 to 34 view socialism more favorably than capitalism, 57 percent to 43 percent. Among those 55 and older, the pattern reverses sharply, with capitalism favored 65 percent to socialism’s 34 percent. Adults 35 to 54 rate the two systems roughly evenly.
The poll was conducted August 3-24, 2026, among 1,200 adults, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
The findings arrive alongside other data pointing to growing Democratic acceptance of socialist politics, including the election of self-described socialist figures such as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. A separate Economist/YouGov survey conducted this summer found that a majority of Democrats said they would vote for a candidate who described themselves as a “Democratic Socialist.”
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