Released: March 12, 2013

Gun Rights vs. Gun Control

The Pew Research Center has tracked shifting public opinion on gun rights and gun control over the past 20 years. Explore our polling data below to discover how demographics influence public opinion on guns.

Question: What do you think is more important – to protect the right of Americans to own guns, OR to control gun ownership?

Overall

	12/1/93	5/1/99	6/1/99	3/1/00	4/1/00	5/1/00	6/1/03	2/1/04	4/1/07	11/1/07	4/1/08	4/1/09	3/1/10	9/1/10	1/16/11	3/1/11	10/1/11	4/1/12	7/29/12	12/1/12	1/1/13	2/1/13
Total rights	35	30	33	29	37	38	42	37	32	42	38	45	46	46	49	48	47	49	46	42	45	46
Total control	57	65	62	67	55	57	54	58	59	54	58	49	46	50	46	47	49	45	47	49	51	50

Gender

	12/1/93	5/1/99	6/1/99	3/1/00	4/1/00	5/1/00	6/1/03	2/1/04	4/1/07	11/1/07	4/1/08	4/1/09	3/1/10	9/1/10	1/16/11	3/1/11	10/1/11	4/1/12	7/29/12	12/1/12	1/1/13	2/1/13
Men rights	44	42	47	36	46	49	56	49	41	53	46	57	55	57	57	56	56	60	57	51	51	53
Men control	49	53	48	59	48	46	42	47	50	43	51	38	39	40	39	38	40	35	38	41	44	44
Women rights	26	19	20	22	29	28	29	26	25	32	30	33	38	37	42	39	38	39	37	33	38	39
Women control	64	75	75	73	61	67	65	68	69	65	64	60	53	58	52	55	57	54	56	57	57	57

Age

	12/1/93	5/1/99	6/1/99	3/1/00	4/1/00	5/1/00	6/1/03	2/1/04	4/1/07	11/1/07	4/1/08	4/1/09	3/1/10	9/1/10	1/16/11	3/1/11	10/1/11	4/1/12	7/29/12	12/1/12	1/1/13	2/1/13
18-29 rights	32	26	23	21	32	33	36	28	21	37	40	38	42	41	50	41	43	43	37	36	39	47
18-29 control	64	71	74	77	64	65	63	69	71	61	57	60	53	56	48	53	55	53	55	55	59	50
30-49 rights	36	30	35	33	41	39	42	38	34	41	37	45	43	46	49	48	47	51	51	48	48	48
30-49 control	57	65	60	63	53	57	55	58	58	56	59	51	50	50	47	47	49	43	45	42	47	49
50-64 rights	35	36	40	33	41	46	46	43	40	48	41	49	54	50	49	51	50	51	45	44	44	46
50-64 control	55	59	55	61	51	49	50	52	55	50	54	43	39	45	44	42	45	43	50	50	51	50
65+ rights	35	30	32	25	30	35	42	37	30	44	32	43	46	49	48	50	48	51	48	34	46	38
65+ control	49	61	62	68	51	53	48	53	58	51	61	44	40	46	45	45	45	41	42	54	47	55

Generations

	12/1/93	5/1/99	6/1/99	3/1/00	4/1/00	5/1/00	6/1/03	2/1/04	4/1/07	11/1/07	4/1/08	4/1/09	3/1/10	9/1/10	1/16/11	3/1/11	10/1/11	4/1/12	7/29/12	12/1/12	1/1/13	2/1/13
Silent rights	36	37	39	34	35	42	43	41	36	48	32	46	47	50	50	52	49	48	50	36	46	37
Silent control	53	56	56	61	57	51	48	52	56	48	62	42	38	45	43	42	44	45	39	50	49	56
Boomer rights	35	33	35	33	41	43	45	42	38	46	43	48	52	51	49	51	50	53	46	44	44	46
Boomer control	59	62	59	63	52	53	51	54	56	52	52	46	40	44	44	43	44	41	48	49	50	49
Gen X rights	32	23	27	24	34	32	38	33	31	41	35	44	43	44	49	48	46	49	51	46	48	48
Gen X control	64	73	70	72	60	65	59	63	60	56	61	52	52	53	47	48	50	45	45	44	47	50
Millennial rights	--	--	--	--	--	--	34	27	20	34	39	38	42	41	50	42	43	45	39	38	41	47
Millennial control	--	--	--	--	--	--	65	72	74	64	58	59	53	56	48	52	55	52	54	52	57	50

Race

	12/1/93	5/1/99	6/1/99	3/1/00	4/1/00	5/1/00	6/1/03	2/1/04	4/1/07	11/1/07	4/1/08	4/1/09	3/1/10	9/1/10	1/16/11	3/1/11	10/1/11	4/1/12	7/29/12	12/1/12	1/1/13	2/1/13
White rights	37	32	36	31	39	41	45	41	35	45	41	51	51	52	54	53	54	55	54	50	52	54
White control	54	63	59	64	52	53	51	55	57	52	54	44	41	44	41	43	42	39	40	42	44	43
Black rights	18	17	12	16	22	23	22	21	17	26	21	20	27	27	31	29	20	34	23	23	24	23
Black control	74	75	87	80	74	76	74	73	76	74	75	72	65	69	64	59	73	62	73	66	67	72

Education

	12/1/93	5/1/99	6/1/99	3/1/00	4/1/00	5/1/00	6/1/03	2/1/04	4/1/07	11/1/07	4/1/08	4/1/09	3/1/10	9/1/10	1/16/11	3/1/11	10/1/11	4/1/12	7/29/12	12/1/12	1/1/13	2/1/13
College Grad rights	35	31	28	27	34	34	36	32	30	37	37	42	41	44	41	42	45	40	43	35	39	40
College Grad control	59	64	69	68	59	61	61	65	62	59	58	53	52	53	55	53	52	53	50	55	55	56
Some College rights	40	31	38	30	41	39	45	40	34	45	41	48	51	51	48	54	52	59	51	49	52	58
Some College control	53	64	58	65	50	56	52	56	59	52	56	46	43	45	46	42	43	37	43	47	45	38
HS Grad or Less rights	32	29	33	29	35	40	43	39	33	44	36	43	47	45	55	47	45	49	45	42	43	41
HS Grad or Less control	58	65	62	66	56	55	51	54	58	53	59	50	45	51	39	47	49	44	48	47	52	55

Party

	12/1/93	5/1/99	6/1/99	3/1/00	4/1/00	5/1/00	6/1/03	2/1/04	4/1/07	11/1/07	4/1/08	4/1/09	3/1/10	9/1/10	1/16/11	3/1/11	10/1/11	4/1/12	7/29/12	12/1/12	1/1/13	2/1/13
Republican rights	45	42	45	40	51	50	58	52	50	55	59	65	65	70	72	66	68	72	71	69	70	74
Republican control	47	53	50	55	41	46	38	44	45	42	38	31	30	26	22	30	30	23	26	27	27	24
Democrat rights	25	19	21	19	28	27	29	25	19	28	23	26	30	30	26	29	27	27	21	20	22	22
Democrat control	65	76	75	77	64	67	68	70	73	71	73	69	62	67	70	65	68	67	72	72	73	73
Independent rights	38	33	34	28	34	41	40	37	33	44	39	48	53	46	52	54	51	55	50	47	49	50
Independent control	56	63	61	68	60	56	56	59	59	53	56	45	41	50	44	42	45	40	43	42	47	47

Ideology

	12/1/93	5/1/99	6/1/99	3/1/00	4/1/00	5/1/00	6/1/03	2/1/04	4/1/07	11/1/07	4/1/08	4/1/09	3/1/10	9/1/10	1/16/11	3/1/11	10/1/11	4/1/12	7/29/12	12/1/12	1/1/13	2/1/13
Conservative rights	--	--	--	--	44	--	52	49	44	54	46	58	60	61	--	62	61	67	--	58	59	64
Conservative control	--	--	--	--	48	--	45	47	50	43	49	37	33	35	--	32	35	28	--	33	38	34
Moderate rights	--	--	--	--	34	--	41	33	31	39	38	40	39	42	--	45	46	46	--	37	41	38
Moderate control	--	--	--	--	59	--	55	64	62	59	58	53	53	54	--	50	50	48	--	55	54	58
Liberal rights	--	--	--	--	26	--	29	24	17	27	21	25	32	30	--	32	25	26	--	25	24	25
Liberal control	--	--	--	--	69	--	68	71	74	71	75	71	64	68	--	63	71	69	--	65	72	69

Parents

	12/1/93	5/1/99	6/1/99	3/1/00	4/1/00	5/1/00	6/1/03	2/1/04	4/1/07	11/1/07	4/1/08	4/1/09	3/1/10	9/1/10	1/16/11	3/1/11	10/1/11	4/1/12	7/29/12	12/1/12	1/1/13	2/1/13
Parents rights	--	24	32	29	--	37	39	38	29	42	--	--	--	--	49	--	--	46	48	45	46	46
Parents control	--	70	63	67	--	60	58	60	64	56	--	--	--	--	46	--	--	49	48	47	51	51
Non-parents rights	--	33	33	29	--	39	43	37	35	43	--	--	--	--	49	--	--	51	46	40	44	45
Non-parents control	--	62	62	66	--	55	52	57	57	53	--	--	--	--	45	--	--	43	47	50	51	50

Urban/Rural

	12/1/93	5/1/99	6/1/99	3/1/00	4/1/00	5/1/00	6/1/03	2/1/04	4/1/07	11/1/07	4/1/08	4/1/09	3/1/10	9/1/10	1/16/11	3/1/11	10/1/11	4/1/12	7/29/12	12/1/12	1/1/13	2/1/13
Urban rights	--	--	--	--	--	--	32	29	23	34	32	37	38	38	41	41	40	42	37	35	37	36
Urban control	--	--	--	--	--	--	63	67	70	63	63	56	53	57	54	53	55	54	57	56	57	60
Suburban rights	--	--	--	--	--	--	43	36	35	41	39	46	50	46	48	49	47	50	48	43	44	49
Suburban control	--	--	--	--	--	--	54	59	57	55	57	48	41	50	46	46	48	43	45	47	51	47
Rural rights	--	--	--	--	--	--	52	51	44	56	45	59	59	63	61	60	57	58	61	52	60	57
Rural control	--	--	--	--	--	--	42	44	48	41	50	35	33	33	33	35	39	35	30	39	37	40

Region

	12/1/93	5/1/99	6/1/99	3/1/00	4/1/00	5/1/00	6/1/03	2/1/04	4/1/07	11/1/07	4/1/08	4/1/09	3/1/10	9/1/10	1/16/11	3/1/11	10/1/11	4/1/12	7/29/12	12/1/12	1/1/13	2/1/13
Northeast rights	27	25	23	18	31	32	32	26	24	32	32	31	36	36	37	36	37	36	32	29	38	37
Northeast control	66	70	72	78	60	66	62	70	69	64	62	63	57	60	58	59	58	57	59	65	56	58
Midwest rights	33	31	36	33	37	42	41	42	33	42	37	48	48	52	50	53	52	50	46	45	48	50
Midwest control	60	65	58	63	57	52	55	54	60	55	57	47	44	44	40	42	42	43	47	45	48	45
South rights	39	30	33	32	39	41	43	41	37	46	40	49	51	49	51	52	50	57	53	48	47	49
South control	51	64	61	62	52	55	54	53	54	51	57	45	42	48	45	41	46	38	43	44	49	48
West rights	36	33	38	27	38	36	50	36	33	45	39	46	46	44	53	44	44	46	48	40	43	44
West control	55	60	59	69	53	56	45	59	59	52	56	48	47	50	43	51	51	48	46	48	53	52

Gun owners

	12/1/93	5/1/99	6/1/99	3/1/00	4/1/00	5/1/00	6/1/03	2/1/04	4/1/07	11/1/07	4/1/08	4/1/09	3/1/10	9/1/10	1/16/11	3/1/11	10/1/11	4/1/12	7/29/12	12/1/12	1/1/13	2/1/13
Guns in home rights	47	--	--	--	58	--	--	--	49	--	--	68	--	--	--	73	--	--	--	65	--	65
Guns in home control	43	--	--	--	36	--	--	--	42	--	--	28	--	--	--	23	--	--	--	27	--	32
No guns in home rights	23	--	--	--	24	--	--	--	21	--	--	31	--	--	--	30	--	--	--	26	--	30
No guns in home control	69	--	--	--	67	--	--	--	71	--	--	63	--	--	--	64	--	--	--	64	--	66

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Gun Rights vs. Gun Control

Overall

Gender

Age

Generations

Race

Education

Party

Ideology

Parents

Urban/Rural

Region

Gun owners

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Gun Rights vs. Gun Control

Overall

Gender

Age

Generations

Race

Education

Party

Ideology

Parents

Urban/Rural

Region

Gun owners

Report Materials

Interactives

E-Mail Updates

More On