Overall, 48% of all registered voters identify equally Democrats or lean Autonomous compared with 44% who identify every bit Republican or lean toward the GOP.

While partisan preferences among all voters are narrowly split, there are wide gaps in leanings amongst demographic groups. In that location are fundamental differences in how men and women, young and old, whites, blacks and Hispanics describe their partisan leanings. In many cases, persistent differences accept grown wider in contempo years.

Wide race, gender differences in partisan leaning

There are wide differences in partisan amalgamation betwixt white, black and Hispanic registered voters. Partisan differences between these groups have been relatively stable in recent years, but are wider than they were in 2008 – a relative high point in Democratic affiliation – when white voters were less Republican in their partisan orientation than today.

Overall, 35% of white registered voters identify as independent, while virtually equally many (36%) identify as Republican and fewer (26%) place as Democratic.

Partisan identification among whites is little changed since 2012. Since 2008, yet, the share of white voters who identify every bit Democrats has declined five points, while the share who identify as independent has increased four points. There has been a slight two-bespeak increase in the share identifying every bit Republican.

The Republican Political party holds a sizable reward in leaned political party affiliation among white voters. This year, 54% of white registered voters identify as Republican or lean toward the GOP, while just 39% chapter with the Autonomous Party or lean Democratic. While that represents only a modest shift since 2012, when Republicans led by a 12-betoken margin (52%-40%), in 2008 leaned partisan alignment amongst whites was closely divided (46% Republican, 44% Democratic). The current fifteen-point GOP edge in leaned partisan affiliation is as wide an reward for the Republican Political party among white voters every bit Pew Inquiry Center has measured over the past 24 years.

Trends in party amalgamation among black voters accept been largely stable over recent years. Overall, 87% of black voters identify with the Democratic Party or lean Democratic, compared with simply 7% who place equally Republican or lean Republican.

Among Hispanic voters, the Autonomous Party holds a 63% to 27% advantage over the GOP in leaned political party identification. As with black voters, trends in party amalgamation amid Hispanic voters accept changed little in recent years.

Based on 2016 surveys, 66% of Asian registered voters place with the Democratic Political party or lean Democratic, compared with 27% who identify as Republican or lean Republican. The data for party identification among Asians are based on interviews conducted in English.

When information technology comes to gender and partisan preferences, the Republican Party has a meaning reward in leaned party identification amidst men, an edge that has widened in contempo years, while the Democratic Political party holds a large reward amongst women.

By 51% to 41%, more men identify as Republican or lean toward the GOP than identify as Democrats or lean Democratic. This marks a major change from 2008, when the Democratic Political party briefly enjoyed a slight border in leaned party identification among men (46%-44%). The electric current 10-point edge held by the Republican Party also is significantly college than the iv-signal edge the GOP held in 2012.

More than than half of women (54%) identify as Democrats or lean Democratic, compared with 38% who say they are Republican or lean Republican. Democrats have held a consistent advantage among women in leaned party identification in Pew Research Center surveys dating to 1992. The current 16-point edge is as big every bit it has been over the past several years, but somewhat smaller than the 21-indicate advantage the Democratic Party held amongst women in 2008.

Among white men, the Republican Party holds a broad 61% to 32% reward in leaned party identification. The GOP advantage among white men is larger than it was in both 2008 (51%-39%) and 2012 (56%-36%).

Amidst white women, about as many registered voters identify as Republican or lean toward the Republican Party (47%) equally say they identify as Democrats or lean Democratic (46%). Leaned party identification among white women has fluctuated over the past decade: in 2008, the Democratic Party held a 49% to 42% advantage in leaned political party identification; in 2012, the Republican Party held a 48%-44% border.

Democrats concur broad advantage among college graduates

Trends in partisan identification among those with different levels of instruction take undergone major changes over the final two decades. Less-educated voters – once a stiff Democratic bloc – have moved toward the Republican Party, while higher graduates accept moved toward the Democratic Party.

In 1992, Democrats held an 18-indicate reward in leaned partisan identification amid those with no more than than a high schoolhouse caste (55% vs. 37%). This Democratic advantage persisted through the 1990s and early on 2000s but has evaporated over the form of the final viii years.

In 2008, the Democratic border in leaned party affiliation among those with no college feel was 17 points: 53% said they identified every bit Democrats or leaned Democratic, compared with 36% who identified as Republican or leaned Republican. Today, the movie is dramatically different: 46% at present identify as Democrats or lean Democratic, compared with about equally many (45%) who identify as Republican or lean Republican.

Patterns in party affiliation are the reverse amid higher graduates. The Democratic Party currently holds a 53% to 41% reward in leaned party identification among voters with a college degree or more than. In 1992, 49% of college graduates preferred the GOP, while 45% affiliated with the Democratic Political party. The Republican Party began to lose ground among college graduates in the 2d one-half of George W. Bush's first term, and by 2008, the Democratic Party held a 10-signal edge in leaned political party affiliation among college graduates (51% to 41%). The Autonomous reward narrowed by the midterm ballot year of 2010, but has reemerged over the last six years.

The partisan preferences of voters with some college experience, but no degree, are divided. In 2016, about as many identify as Republican or lean Republican (46%) as identify as Democrats or lean Democratic (45%). In 2008 – the Democratic Political party's contempo high-water marker in party affiliation – Democrats had a 10-point advantage in leaned party identification amidst those with some college experience. That edge was non long-lasting and disappeared by 2010.

The Republican Party's gains among those with no college experience are particularly pronounced among white voters. Currently, 59% of whites with no college experience place as Republican or lean Republican, compared with just 33% who identify as Democrats or lean Democratic. This is a dramatic shift from 2007, when the Democratic Political party held a slight 46% to 42% edge among not-college whites in partisan amalgamation.

By contrast, white voters with at least a college caste are evenly divided in their leaned partisan affiliation (48% Democrat vs. 47% Republican). The balance of leaned political party amalgamation among white higher graduates is well-nigh the same as it was in 2008 and 2012, simply is less Republican than in 2010. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, white college graduates were significantly more likely to lean toward the Republican than Autonomous Party.

The GOP holds a 21-point reward today in partisan affiliation among white voters with some college experience but no degree (57% to 36%). The Republican Political party has held an edge in leaned party affiliation amid white voters with some college experience over each of the last 24 years. The current GOP advantage amidst whites with some higher experience is comparable to the 19-indicate edge the party held in 2012 and larger than the v-signal edge information technology held in 2008.

In 1992, an identical 44% of white men and white women who had not graduated from college identified equally Republican or leaned Republican. Today, white men without a higher degree (65%) are much more than probable than white women without a higher degree (51%) to place as or lean Republican. The current gap between the two groups in Republican affiliation is equally broad as it has been in the past quarter-century.

The gap in Republican amalgamation amongst college educated white men and white women, by contrast, is about the same today equally it has been over the course of the concluding 24 years. Overall, 54% of white men with a college degree identify as Republican or lean Republican, compared with 41% of white women with at least a college degree. The electric current thirteen-point gap in Republican affiliation between the two groups is the same as information technology was in 1992.

The overall Autonomous advantage amidst voters who accept graduated from college is driven in big part by the stiff Democratic tilt of those with postgraduate experience. Nearly six-in-10 (59%) registered voters with postgraduate experience identify with the Democratic Party or lean Autonomous, compared with far fewer (36%) who place as Republican or lean Republican. The Democratic advantage among those with postgraduate experience began to emerge in George W. Bush-league'due south starting time term and is currently as broad as it has been in Pew Research Eye surveys dating to 1992.

Amidst those who accept received a college degree only do not take whatever postgraduate experience, the Democratic Party holds a more than modest edge: Half identify as Democrats or lean Democratic, while 44% identify as Republican or lean toward the GOP.

Among white voters with postgraduate experience, the Democratic Party has a 54% to 42% advantage in leaned political party identification. This is the but educational group amid whites where the Democratic Party holds a meaning edge over the GOP. Among whites with a college degree simply no postgraduate experience, l% identify with the Republican Party or lean that way, compared with 45% who identify as Democrats or lean Democratic.

Party identification across generations

Among Millennials, the youngest adult generation (today ages 18-35), 41% identify as independents, compared with 34% who place every bit Democrats and just 22% who identify every bit Republicans. The share of Millennials who place equally contained is up 8 points since 2008.

On leaned political party affiliation, however, Millennials have a potent Democratic orientation. By 57% to 36% more Millennial voters identify every bit Democrats or lean Democratic than place as Republican or lean Republican.

The partisan leanings of Gen Xers and Baby Boomers are more than closely divided. Overall, somewhat more Gen Xers identify every bit Democrats or lean Democratic (48%) than place as Republicans or lean Republican (42%). Among Infant Boomers, the GOP holds a slight 49% to 45% edge in leaned political party amalgamation. Gen Xers and Baby Boomers have been relatively split in their partisan leanings for much of the past 24 years, though the Autonomous Party briefly held a fairly broad reward amidst both groups between 2006 and 2008.

Among members of the Silent Generation, which includes voters who are today between the ages of 71 and 88, the Republican Political party has opened a wide advantage in leaned party affiliation over the past several years. Past 53% to 40% more members of the Silent Generation identify as or lean Republican than Autonomous. This is the largest reward for the GOP amid Silent Generation voters in Pew Research surveys dating to 1992.

Millennials now lucifer Infant Boomers as the generation that represents the largest number of eligible voters in the land. While Millennials are a large and diverse cohort, in that location continues to be no sign of differences in partisanship amid younger and older member of the generation. Similar shares of Millennials ages 18-25 (58%) and 26-35 (56%) identify every bit Democrats or lean towards the Democratic Political party.

Amongst white voters, equally many Millennials identify as Republican or lean Republican (47%) as say they identify as Democrats or lean Democratic (47%). Amongst all older generations, the GOP has a significant advantage in leaned party affiliation among white voters, including a 24-bespeak edge among white voters in the Silent generation.

Among non-white voters, the Democratic Political party holds a wide advantage in leaned political party affiliation and in that location is picayune difference in patterns beyond generations. Roughly seven-in-ten not-white voters in each generation identify every bit Democrats or lean Democratic.

Party identification beyond religious groups

White evangelical Protestants – long a solidly Republican group – have become even more likely to identify with the Republican Political party in recent years. Currently, about three-quarters of white evangelicals (76%) identify with the GOP or lean Republican, compared with only 20% who are Democrats or lean Autonomous. The share affiliating with the GOP is up 12 points since 2008, including a 5-point uptick since 2012.

The partisan leanings of white mainline Protestants today are similar to those of white voters overall. By 55% to 37%, more affiliate with the GOP than Autonomous Political party. In 2008 – a contempo high-point in Democratic affiliation – white mainline Protestants were divided: As many aligned themselves with the Democratic Party as the Republican Political party (45% each). The Republican Party regained a significant advantage in leaned partisan affiliation among mainline Protestants by 2010 and the electric current 18-point GOP edge is as big equally information technology's been in the terminal ii decades.

Black Protestants remain solidly Autonomous in their partisan orientation and in that location has been little change in their amalgamation over the past few decades. Today, nearly 9-in-ten (88%) identify as Democrats or lean Democratic, while only 6% say they affiliate with the GOP.

Catholics are split in their partisan preferences: Virtually as many affiliate with the GOP (47%) as the Democratic Party (46%). The Democratic Party has traditionally enjoyed an advantaged in leaned party affiliation among all Catholics, only the GOP has made gains in contempo years: 2013 marked the first time in well-nigh ii decades that Catholics were no more likely to affiliate with the Democratic Political party than the Republican Party.

The shift among all Catholics toward the GOP has been driven by white Catholics. Nearly six-in-10 white Catholic registered voters (58%) now identify as Republican or lean Republican, compared with 37% who identify as Democrats or lean Democratic. White Catholics are 17 points more likely to affiliate with the GOP than they were in 2008 and eight points more likely than there were in 2012.

Hispanic Catholics remain overwhelmingly Democratic in their partisan preferences: Almost seven-in-ten (69%) identify as Democrats or lean toward the Autonomous Party. Near a quarter (23%) of Hispanic Catholics affiliate with the GOP.

The share of Mormons identifying as Republican has edged down slightly in the last four years. Currently, virtually half of Mormons (48%) depict themselves every bit Republicans, while 35% say they are independents and just 13% identify as Democrats. In 2012, when Mitt Romney was the GOP nominee for President, 61% of Mormons identified as Republicans.

On leaned political party affiliation, 69% of Mormons identify as Republican or lean toward the GOP. This also marks a slight decline from 2012 when 78% of Mormons affiliated with or leaned toward the Republican Party.

Jewish registered voters go along to strongly prefer the Autonomous Political party over the GOP. Overall, 74% of Jewish voters identify equally Democrats or lean toward the Democratic Party, compared with 24% who place every bit Republicans or lean toward the Republican Party. The share of Jews who identify as Democrats or lean Autonomous has grown slightly over the past few years, though the remainder of leaned party amalgamation amidst Jewish voters is nearly the same as it was in 2008.

Among voters who exercise not affiliate with a religious grouping, 45% identify as contained, compared with 39% who place equally Democrats and just 12% who place every bit Republican.

Religiously unaffiliated voters continue to be overwhelmingly Democratic in their orientation. About two-thirds (66%) identify as Democrats or lean Democratic, compared with 25% who identify or lean Republican. In 1994, the Democratic Political party held a somewhat smaller 52% to 33% border amongst religiously unaffiliated voters.