Gallup Poll Shows Decline in Americans' Acceptance of Birth Control as Morally Acceptable
A new Gallup Values and Beliefs poll found that moral acceptance of birth control dropped to a record low of 83%, down seven percentage points from 90% in 2025, with similar declines recorded for gambling, having children outside of marriage, and several other behaviors. The poll, conducted May 1–17 with 1,001 adults and a ±4 percentage point margin of error, marks a broader reversal after years of gradual liberalization in American moral attitudes. The findings are significant because they suggest a measurable shift toward social conservatism, driven largely by changing views among political independents, coinciding with rising religiosity among young men and a conservative political resurgence.
Gallup's annual Values and Beliefs poll, released Tuesday, found that five of the 20 tracked behaviors hit record-low moral acceptability ratings this year. Birth control acceptance fell to 83% from 90% in 2025—its lowest point since Gallup began tracking the issue in 2012—while gambling dropped to 57% from 63%, and having a baby outside of marriage fell nine points to 58%, returning to levels last seen in 2014. Acceptance of cloning animals (27%) and sex between teenagers (35%) also reached new lows. Gallup senior editor Megan Brenan noted that the largest shifts on issues like birth control and out-of-wedlock births were driven primarily by independents, whose approval of birth control fell roughly 11 percentage points. Sharp partisan divides persist across many issues: Democrats were 55 percentage points more likely than Republicans to view abortion and gender transition as morally acceptable, while Republicans were considerably more supportive of the death penalty, wearing animal fur, and medical testing on animals. The poll's findings coincide with broader cultural trends including rising religiosity among young men, conservative political momentum, and growing concern about gambling addiction following the expansion of legal sports betting since 2018.
What's missing
Demographic breakdowns beyond partisan affiliation—such as age, religion, education, or geography—are not reported across sources, which would help explain which subgroups are driving the changes.
How coverage differed
The Independent and Axios framed the findings primarily through a cultural and political lens—emphasizing a 'puritanical turn' linked to Republican resurgence and rising male religiosity—while Forbes and Newsweek took a more data-forward approach, focusing on the statistical declines and partisan breakdowns without as much interpretive framing. The New York Post highlighted the same data but leaned into the 'Puritanical streak' framing while also noting some countertrends, such as rising Republican approval of divorce.
What different sources said
- ForbesCenter
Fewer Americans Believe Using Birth Control Is Morally Acceptable, Gallup Poll Finds
- The IndependentLeft
America grows more socially conservative as more people say they are against having a baby outside marriage
- NewsweekCenter
American Acceptance of Birth Control, Babies Outside Marriage Plummets—Poll
- AxiosCenter
Americans' morals hit a puritanical streak
- New York PostRight
Fewer Americans think birth control, gambling, kids out of wedlock are acceptable
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