Share of Political Independents Continues to Increase % who identify as /lean toward Republican Democrat Independent
The biggest change in partisan affiliation in recent years is the growing share of Americans who decline to affiliate with either party: 39% call themselves independents, 32% identify as Democrats and 23% as Republicans, based on aggregated data from 2014.
The balance of leaned partisan affiliation has changed little in recent years: 48% identify with the Democratic Party or lean Democratic, while 39% identify as Republicans or lean toward the GOP. Democrats have led in leaned party identification among the public for most of the past two decades.
Share of Political Independents  | Continues to Increase  | % who identify as /lean toward  | Republican  | Democrat  | Independent  | 39  | 36  | 33  | 32  | 28  | 23  | 92 94 96 98 OO 02 04 06 08 10 12 14  | Republican/Lean Republican  | Democrat/Lean Democrat  | 49  | 42  | 39  | 92 94 96 98 OO 02 04 06 08 10 12 14  | Data points representa nnual tota Is based on monthlypolitical  | surveys conducted representa by Pew Resea rchin each ca endary ear.  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 