A record share of Americans now view socialism favorably, with nearly half saying they hold a positive opinion of the left-wing economic system, according to a new survey.
Forty-three percent of Americans said they feel optimistic about socialism, a Gallup poll released Wednesday found.
That is the first time the measure has surpassed 40% in Gallup’s trend data since 2010.
Meanwhile, traditional economic concepts—including free enterprise, big business and capitalism—have lost favor among the public.
The shift was fueled in large part by independents. Forty-five percent of them now view socialism positively, up from 37% last year.
At the same time, independents’ favorable view of big business fell to a record-low 32%, meaning the group now rates socialism more positively than big business.
Even so, small business, capitalism and free enterprise continue to receive more favorable ratings overall.
Democrats also contributed significantly to the rise in positive views of socialism, with support for the philosophy increasing sharply among the party’s voters.
Gallup found that 66% of progressives viewed socialism favorably, up from 50% in 2010.
Democrats have rated socialism more favorably than capitalism since 2016. Socialism is now tied with free enterprise among Democrats, with both receiving a 65% favorable rating.
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Democrats’ favorable view of capitalism dropped seven percentage points over the past year, falling from 42% in 2025 to 35% today, according to the survey.
Republicans’ views have remained comparatively stable. Large majorities in the party view small business, free enterprise and capitalism favorably, while only 14% hold a positive opinion of socialism.
Republicans’ favorable rating of big business has shifted somewhat over the past 16 years and now stands at 62%.
The differences were even more pronounced across demographic groups.
Younger Americans were considerably more likely to view socialism favorably, particularly in comparison with capitalism.
Among adults ages 18 to 34, 57% viewed socialism more positively than capitalism, while 43% said they favored capitalism instead—a 14-point gap.
By contrast, Americans ages 55 and older favored capitalism over socialism by a 65% to 34% margin, producing a 31-point difference.
Adults between 35 and 54 rated socialism and capitalism at roughly similar levels, Gallup reported.
Men viewed capitalism more favorably than socialism, 66% to 35%. Women expressed the reverse preference, with 49% approving of socialism compared with 45% for capitalism.
Higher-income Americans—those living in households earning at least $100,000 annually—were more likely to view free enterprise and capitalism favorably than households earning less than $50,000.