More Republicans than Democrats now identify as working class
- For years, Democrats were more likely to identify as working or lower class
- The recent reversal marks a major shift in American politics
- Overall, 54% of Americans consider themselves part of the middle class
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(NewsNation) — Most Americans consider themselves part of the middle class, but in recent years, Democrats have become more likely to identify that way than Republicans, according to a new Gallup survey.
The poll found that 54% of Americans identify as part of the middle class, including 39% who said they are “middle class” and 15% who consider themselves “upper-middle class.”
Among Democrats, 62% now identify as part of the middle class, compared to 53% of Republicans and 50% of independents.
On the other hand, 46% of GOP respondents considered themselves “working” or “lower class,” versus 35% of Democrats who viewed themselves the same way.
As recently as 2018, 29% of Republicans and 37% of Democrats identified as working or lower class, according to Gallup.
The partisan gap underscores a significant shift in American politics over the past twenty years, with the GOP becoming increasingly popular with working-class voters.
In every Gallup survey from 2002 to 2019, more Republicans than Democrats identified as part of the middle class, but that changed in 2022. That same year, Democrats became less likely than GOP respondents to call themselves working or lower class, a reversal from each survey since 2002.
The recent flip is especially noteworthy because 55% of nonwhite voters now consider themselves working or lower class, compared to 36% of white adults. It’s a sign Republicans and nonwhite voters see themselves similarly when it comes to social class, even though people of color have historically been more likely to vote Democrat.
Perceived social class also varied significantly by household income and education level. Respondents who made $100,000 or more or had graduate degrees were significantly more likely to identify as upper-middle class than those with less education and lower annual earnings.
Even so, the results suggest many people view class distinctions differently. Among those who brought in $40,000 or less per year, one-third considered themselves working class. At the same time, nearly 20% of those making over $100,000 identified as working class.
The latest findings are from Gallup’s annual Economy and Personal Finance poll, conducted between April 1 and 22.
