Report Highlights: Between 56% to 61% of Americans favor stricter gun laws, while 10% favor more relaxed laws.
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Women are more supportive of gun control (64%) compared to men (51%), who are more skeptical.
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Younger adults (18-29) show strong support at 62%, but this decreases with age.
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Support is highest among postgraduates (72%), while many without college degrees remain unconvinced.
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Only 28% of Republican-leaning individuals support stricter laws, compared to 86% of Democrat-leaning individuals, highlighting a deep political divide.
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Methodology
Support for gun control is subjective, so we rely on self-reported surveys to gauge Americans’ opinions on the issue.
Such surveys can vary significantly, and may contain biases. We used data from multiple sources in the interest of providing a balanced and accurate representation of Americans’ attitudes toward gun laws.
It’s important to note that the terms “Gun Laws” and “Gun Control” cover a wide range of legislation that restricts firearm access. While many Americans generally favor some form of gun control, this report does not capture varying levels of support. For instance, most Americans may support laws that restrict access to handguns, but not outright bans.
Note: Differences between the Johns Hopkins National Survey of Gun Policy and polls from Gallup or Pew Research Center largely reflect how each defines “gun control.” NSGP measures support for individual regulations, whereas Gallup and Pew measure general sentiment toward stricter gun laws. These metrics are not interchangeable, and direct percentage comparisons may misrepresent shifts in public opinion.
Public Opinion on Gun Control in the United States
Recent surveys suggest that 56% to 61% of Americans support gun control. (Pew, 2023/Gallup 2024)
More than a quarter of Americans (26%) feel that gun laws should be kept the same, while 10-15% of Americans feel gun controls should be less strict. (Pew, 2023/Gallup 2024)
This support is highly divided along demographic lines such as gender, age, education, and political affiliation. This highlights the complexity and polarization of the gun control debate in the United States.
How Many Americans Want Stricter Gun Laws by Political Party?
According to Pew, only 28% of Republican-leaning individuals back stricter gun purchase laws. Within this group, moderate or conservative Republicans show the least support, with only 19% in favor, while liberal-leaning Republicans are more supportive at 42%. (Pew, 2023)
Support for gun control is significantly higher among left-leaning Americans. Liberal-leaning Democrats are most likely to support gun control (92%). Even among conservative and moderate Democrats, support remains high at 81%. All together, 86% of Democrat-leaning Americans support gun control. (Pew, 2023)
A smaller 2025 Johns Hopkins survey suggests that 63% of Republicans and 82% of Democrats support requiring permits to purchase. (Johns Hopkins, 2025)
How Many Americans Want Stricter Gun Laws by Age?
Support for strict gun control tends to decrease with age. Young adults aged 18 to 29 show the highest level of support at 62%. This figure drops to 55% among those aged 65 and older.
Support for relaxing gun control laws remains consistent among all age groups. 15% of Americans aged 18 to 64 favor relaxing gun laws, and 14% of those over 65 agree.
How Many Americans Want Stricter Gun Laws by Gender?
Women are significantly more likely to support stricter gun laws than men, with 64% of women in favor compared to only 51% of men.
Additionally, men are more likely to oppose gun control, with 21% against it, compared to just 9% of women.
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