74% of Americans say Muslims face at least some discrimination
Majority of Americans See Discrimination Across Many Groups, But Partisan Gaps Persist
A new national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted from April 7 to April 13, 2025, finds that many Americans believe numerous groups in the United States face at least some discrimination. However, the extent of perceived discrimination and which groups are seen as most affected vary widely along partisan, demographic, and social lines.
The survey, which included responses from 3,589 U.S. adults and is weighted to represent the national population, reveals that while concern about discrimination remains high, perceptions have shifted over the past year, particularly among Republicans. These findings provide a window into the complex and evolving landscape of American attitudes toward discrimination in 2025.
Immigrants and Racial Minorities Seen as Most Discriminated Against
According to the Pew Research Center, immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally are perceived as the most discriminated-against group among the 20 surveyed, with 82% of Americans saying they face at least some discrimination and 57% saying they face “a lot”.
Transgender people also rank high, with 77% of respondents saying they experience at least some discrimination and 48% saying they face a lot. Majorities also say that Muslims (74%), Jews (72%), Black people (74%), Hispanic people (72%), and Asian people (66%) face at least some discrimination in the United States.
“About eight-in-ten (82%) say immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally experience a lot of or some discrimination – including 57% who say they face a lot of discrimination,” the Pew Research Center reported.
Legal immigrants are also widely seen as facing bias, with 65% of Americans saying they encounter at least some discrimination. In addition, 70% of respondents believe that people who are gay or lesbian face at least some discrimination.
Varied Perceptions of Discrimination
Nearly two-thirds of adults (64%) say women face at least some discrimination, while only 34% say the same about men. When it comes to religion, 57% of Americans believe that people who are religious experience discrimination, but only a third say atheists face bias. Among specific religious groups, far fewer Americans (43%) say evangelical Christians face a lot of or some discrimination compared to Muslims (74%) or Jews (72%).
Age also plays a role in perceptions. Most (59%) say older people face at least some discrimination, compared to 40% who say the same about younger people. Geographic differences are less pronounced, but 41% believe rural residents face some discrimination, compared to 33% for city dwellers.
Democrats and Republicans Diverge Sharply
The survey highlights stark partisan differences in perceptions of discrimination. Democrats are significantly more likely than Republicans to say most groups face at least some discrimination. For example, 94% of Democrats say Black people face at least some discrimination, compared to 54% of Republicans. Similarly, 90% of Democrats say Hispanic people face discrimination, versus 54% of Republicans, and 83% of Democrats say Asian people are discriminated against, compared to 51% of Republicans.
Conversely, Republicans are more likely than Democrats to see discrimination against White people (55% vs. 21%), evangelical Christians (57% vs. 31%), men (42% vs. 27%), and people who are religious (63% vs. 51%).
“Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say that 15 of 20 groups included in the survey face a lot of or some discrimination. These are the widest differences: People who are gay or lesbian (90% of Democrats vs. 50% of Republicans), Black people (94% vs. 54%), immigrants who are in the U.S. legally (84% vs. 45%), Hispanic people (90% vs. 54%), women (80% vs. 47%),” the Pew Research Center noted.
Both parties agree, however, that immigrants in the U.S. illegally face discrimination, though Democrats are about twice as likely as Republicans to say they face “a lot” (75% vs. 37%).
Declining Perceptions of Discrimination—Driven by Republicans
The Pew survey finds that, over the past year, the share of Americans who say the country’s largest racial and ethnic groups face at least some discrimination has declined. This trend is driven primarily by Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, whose perceptions dropped by about 10 percentage points for each major group between 2024 and 2025:
Black people: 66% in 2024, 54% now
Hispanic people: 66% in 2024, 54% now
Asian people: 66% in 2024, 51% now
White people: 66% in 2024, 55% now
By contrast, the views of Democrats and Democratic leaners have remained essentially unchanged over the same period.
“Declining shares of Americans say the country’s largest racial and ethnic groups face at least some discrimination, and this decline is driven primarily by Republicans,” Pew Research Center reported.
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Perceptions
The survey also reveals significant differences in how various racial and ethnic groups perceive discrimination against themselves and others. Black adults (70%) are far more likely than Hispanic (40%), Asian (39%), or White (28%) adults to say Black people face “a lot” of discrimination. Similarly, Hispanic and Black adults see higher amounts of discrimination against Hispanic people than White and Asian adults do.
Asian Americans are more likely to say Asian people experience discrimination (82% say a lot or some) than Black (69%), Hispanic (66%), or White Americans (64%). In contrast, relatively few Americans say White people face at least some discrimination, though 45% of White adults say this—higher than the shares among Hispanic (27%), Black (24%), and Asian adults (20%).
Religion: Muslims and Jews Seen as Discriminated Against, Evangelicals Less So
The Pew survey finds that 74% of Americans say Muslims face at least some discrimination, while 72% say the same for Jews. Roughly a third say there is “a lot” of discrimination against each group. Evangelical Christians are less likely to be seen as discriminated against, with only 43% saying they face a lot or some discrimination.
There is little to no partisan gap in perceptions of discrimination against Jews: 77% of Democrats and 69% of Republicans say Jews in the U.S. face at least some bias, including about three-in-ten in each party who say Jews face a lot of discrimination.
Older People and Rural Residents
A much larger share of the public says older people (59%) than younger people (40%) face at least some discrimination in the U.S. Fewer than half of Americans say that people living in rural areas or city dwellers face a lot or some discrimination. Still, a larger share say rural residents are subject to at least some discrimination (41%) than say this about people living in cities (33%).
Discrimination’s Impact and Ongoing Policy Debates
The Pew findings echo previous research showing that discrimination remains a prominent and harmful issue in American life, affecting health, well-being, and access to opportunity. Studies by Harvard, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and NPR have documented widespread experiences of discrimination in housing, employment, policing, and healthcare, especially among Black, Latino, and Asian Americans.
Recent policy debates have intensified the discussion. Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union have highlighted ongoing racial disparities in the criminal justice system, with Black people imprisoned at three times the rate of White people, and Black women at 1.7 times the rate of White women. Meanwhile, efforts to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs at the federal level have sparked concern among civil rights advocates, who warn that such moves risk exacerbating existing inequities.
“US President Donald Trump wasted no time trying to destroy efforts to end racial discrimination in the United States. In his early flurry of executive orders, three targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI),” reported Human Rights Watch in January 2025.
Deep Divisions and the Path Forward
The 2025 Pew survey underscores that, while Americans broadly recognize discrimination as a persistent problem, they remain deeply divided over which groups are most affected and how serious the problem is. These divisions are closely tied to political affiliation, race, gender, and other demographic factors.
As national debates over civil rights, DEI policies, and social justice continue, policymakers and advocates will need to bridge these divides and address the underlying causes of discrimination in American society. The Pew Research Center’s findings suggest that public opinion remains in flux, shaped by political developments, social movements, and the lived experiences of millions of Americans.
“These are among the key findings of a national Pew Research Center survey of 3,589 U.S. adults conducted April 7-13, 2025,” the Pew Research Center concluded