Young People Are Outpacing Everyone in Gay Marriage Support

A new Gallup poll released Wednesday found an all-time record level of support for same sex marriage among Americans polled earlier this month. About 55 percent of respondents said marriages between same-sex couples should be “recognized by law as valid, with the rights as traditional marriages.”

The news comes just days after federal judges struck down bans on same-sex marriage in Pennsylvania and Oregon.

A number of studies have found a big division in the support of gay marriage between generations, but young people ages 18 to 29 have outpaced all other age groups when it comes to supporting same-sex marriage.

Nearly eight in 10 young adults favor gay marriage, an all-time high for the nation, according to Gallup’s latest poll.

Take a look at the numbers below.

In 1996 only 41 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 29 supported same sex marriage. That same group jumped 37 points to 78 percent now saying they support gay marriage. Other age groups saw smaller percentage increases; those ages 30 to 49 only saw a 24 percentage point increase in the same time period.

A separate June 2013 study found Latinos are also more likely to support same-sex marriage than blacks or whites. About 60 percent of Latinos support gay marriage, compared to 51 percent of white and 39 percent of blacks, according to Pew.