Morality Survey: Thou Shalt Not Cheat – But Abortion? That Depends.

According to Gallup’s May 1–18, 2025 Values & Beliefs survey, only 8% of Americans believe adultery is morally acceptable. But abortion? 49% said abortion is morally acceptable. The good news, though, is that percentage is a drop from 54% in 2024.

The following are considered morally acceptable in the survey:

• Birth control (90%)
• Divorce (75%)
• Sex between unmarried men and women (68%) • Having a baby outside of marriage (67%)
• Gay or lesbian relationships (64%)
• Gambling (63%)
• Human embryonic stem cell research (63%)
• Buying/wearing animal fur clothing (61%)
• Death penalty (56%)
• Doctor-assisted suicide (53%)

Issues with closely divided views, but fall below being morally acceptable are:

• Abortion (49%)
• Medical testing on animals (47%)

And “morally wrong”:

• Sex between teenagers (51%)
• Changing one’s gender (54%) • Pornography (60%)
• Cloning animals (59%)
• Polygamy (74%)
• Suicide (71%)
• Cloning humans (87%)
• Married men and women having an affair (89%)

And it’s no shock that Republicans and Democrats diverge sharply on moral issues like abortion, gender identity, and divorce. Just 20% of Republicans believe abortion is morally acceptable, compared to 78% of Democrats. On gender changes, only 9% of Republicans find it acceptable, while 71% of Democrats do. Divorce also sees a big gap, with higher acceptance among Democrats, though 54% of Republicans still consider it morally acceptable. One area of common ground? Birth control –approved by 96% of Democrats and 85% of Republicans.