Younger generations are far less likely than older generations to favor the death penalty for convicted murderers. Overall support for the death penalty in the U.S. has fallen to 53%, a level not seen since the early 1970s, Gallup reports. Under half of U.S. adults born after 1980 -- those in the millennial and Generation Z birth cohorts -- favor the death penalty. At the same time, roughly six in 10 adults in older generations are in favor of such laws. Two decades ago, there were no meaningful age differences in views of the death penalty.
From 2000 through 2006, an average of 66% of U.S. adults were in favor of the death penalty), from 2010 through 2016, 61%, and 2020 through 2024, 54%. The last period reflects the lowest levels of death penalty support Gallup has measured since a 50% reading in 1972.
Two decades ago, all generations’ support for the death penalty was within three percentage points of the 66% national average. At that time, the oldest millennials had entered adulthood. Now that many in Generation Z ( aged 12 to 27) have become adults, this subgroup is proving even less supportive of the death penalty than millennials are, at 42%. Younger generations’ exposure to the issue has come when many states had moratoriums on the death penalty or repealed laws that allowed capital punishment. These changes were often motivated by cases in which death-row inmates were later found innocent of the crime for which they were convicted, The percentage of Republicans in favor of the death penalty has held steady over the past 25 years. The change in attitudes by generational group is thus seen more among political independents and, especially, Democrats. While older Republicans’ views have not changed much, there has been a slight decline in death penalty support over the past decade among younger Republicans, from 73% to 69%.
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