U.S. Poll Finds Sharp Decline in Youth Political Engagement

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A newly released poll highlights a growing trend among younger Americans: political disengagement and a declining belief in the value of voting. Conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research between July 10 and 14, the national survey of over 1,400 adults shows that Americans under 30 are substantially less engaged in politics than their older counterparts.

According to the findings, just 20% of adults under 30 said they follow U.S. politics “very” or “extremely” closely. That compares to roughly one-third of Americans across all age groups. Even among politically aware young adults, topics such as the economy, federal spending, and healthcare ranked lower in importance than they did among older age groups.

This detachment from key issues may partly explain the lower level of political enthusiasm. The survey also found that younger Americans are less likely to identify with either major political party.

Roughly one-third of Americans under 30 now identify as independents who don’t lean toward either the Republican or Democratic Party. This is nearly double the proportion of independents among adults aged 60 and above.

In a comment to the Associated Press (AP), Mirekk Griffiths, a young voter who backed Democrat Kamala Harris in 2024, expressed a common view: “I can’t say either way that voting matters. It’s just picking the least bad option. That’s what I remember my whole life, both sides are bad, but this side is less bad.”

His remarks reflect a growing sense of political fatigue and frustration with the current political landscape, particularly among voters who feel neither party effectively represents their priorities.

The survey also revealed significant differences between genders. Among adults under 30, just 16% of women said they follow politics closely, compared to about 25% of men. Furthermore, 40% of young women reported following U.S. politics “not very closely” or “not at all,” a higher rate of disengagement than their male peers.

Earlier findings from a separate AP-NORC poll in May support this trend, showing that 44% of teenagers aged 13 to 17 reported little to no interest in political matters. Historically, voter turnout tends to increase with age, but this early detachment may signal a long-term decline in civic participation among future voters.

Despite low levels of political interest, some analysts argue that young voter turnout has not collapsed. Alberto Medina, director of the Center for Information and Research on Civic Engagement at Tufts University, told AP that youth participation reached record highs in the 2020 election and remained strong in 2024.

“There’s a sense that democracy isn’t working for young people,” Medina said. “There’s a lack of belief that democracy is even able to improve their lives. At the same time, we have been living in an era of high youth voting.”

The survey indicates that younger Americans, while not absent from the voting process, are increasingly skeptical of government effectiveness. Many respondents expressed doubts that political leaders are responsive to their concerns or that voting has a meaningful impact.