---
"title": "Views of racism as a major problem increase sharply, especially among Democrats"
"description": "The share of Americans who say racism is a “big problem” in society has increased 8 percentage points in the past two years – and has roughly doubled since 2011."
"date": "2017-08-29"
"authors":
-
"name": "Samantha Neal"
"job_title": "Former Research Assistant"
"link": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/staff/samantha-neal/"
"url": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/short-reads/2017/08/29/views-of-racism-as-a-major-problem-increase-sharply-especially-among-democrats/"
---
# Views of racism as a major problem increase sharply, especially among Democrats
[{.alignright width=280}](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/short-reads/2017/08/29/views-of-racism-as-a-major-problem-increase-sharply-especially-among-democrats/ft_17-08-29_racismproblem_1/)
The share of Americans who say racism is a “big problem” in society has increased 8 percentage points in the past two years – and has roughly doubled since 2011.
Since 2015, the increase in perceptions of racism as a big problem has been almost entirely among Democrats, making an already wide partisan gap in these attitudes even larger.
Overall, 58% of Americans say racism is a “big problem in our society,” while 29% say it is “somewhat of a problem.” Just 12% say racism in the U.S. is a small problem or not a problem, according to a new [Pew Research Center survey](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/politics/2017/08/29/republicans-divided-in-views-of-trumps-conduct-democrats-are-broadly-critical/), conducted Aug. 15-21 among 1,893 adults.
Two years ago, 50% of the public viewed racism as a major problem for society, and in 2011 just 28% did so.
Since 2009, the first year of Barack Obama’s presidency, growing numbers of both Democrats and Republicans have seen racism as a big problem. In 2015, 58% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and 40% of Republicans and Republican leaners said racism was a major problem, up from 32% and 18%, respectively, in 2009.
[{.alignright width=280}](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/short-reads/2017/08/29/views-of-racism-as-a-major-problem-increase-sharply-especially-among-democrats/ft_17-08-29_racismproblem_2/)
Since then, however, the share of Democrats expressing this view has climbed 18 percentage points – from 58% to 76% – while the share of Republicans saying this held relatively stable. Today, 37% of Republicans view racism as a big problem; 40% did so in 2015.
The share of those who consider racism a big problem has grown among all racial groups since 2009, but blacks continue to be much more likely than whites to perceive racism as a major problem.
About eight-ten blacks (81%) say racism is a big problem in society, compared with about half of whites (52%). Among both blacks and whites, there have been substantial increases in views of racism as a big problem over the past eight years.
### Views of Black Lives Matter
[{.alignright width=280}](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/short-reads/2017/08/29/views-of-racism-as-a-major-problem-increase-sharply-especially-among-democrats/ft_17-08-29_racismproblem_3/)
A 55% majority of Americans say they either strongly support or somewhat support the Black Lives Matter movement, while 34% oppose the movement.
Overall opinions about the Black Lives Matter movement are more deeply divided along partisan lines than racial lines. Eight-in-ten Democrats and Democratic leaners (80%) support Black Lives Matter, compared with just 23% of Republicans and Republican leaners.
Blacks are 30 percentage points more likely than whites (82% vs. 52%) to support Black Lives Matter. However, there is substantial gap between races in strength of support: 60% of blacks strongly support the movement, compared with 23% of whites.
Among Democrats, large majorities of both blacks (87%) and whites (84%) say they support Black Lives Matter. Black Democrats are more likely than white Democrats to strongly support the movement, however (68% vs. 45%). (For more on the public’s views of Black Lives Matter and other race-related issues, see [“On Views of Race and Inequality, Blacks and Whites Are Worlds Apart,](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/social-trends/2016/06/27/on-views-of-race-and-inequality-blacks-and-whites-are-worlds-apart/)” June 2016.)
*Note: [Topline ](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/PewResearchCenter_8-29-2017_Racism_topline_for_release.pdf)and [methodology ](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/politics/2017/08/29/methodology-85/)can be found here.*