The proportion of registered Democrats who have a firearm in their home has jumped significantly over the past few years, according to a recent NBC News poll, with some analysts saying rising crime in urban areas could be behind the increase.
In November 2023 the survey found 41 percent of Democrats said they live in a household with a gun, up from 33 percent in a similar survey conducted by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal in August 2019. Notably, 33 percent of Democrats also said they lived with a gun in a similar NBC survey conducted in March 2004, indicating the sharp rise has been concentrated over the past four years. The latest NBC News poll of 1,000 registered voters was conducted between November 10 and 14.
The data also showed a rise in Republicans having a gun at home, though this was much less sharp and more in line with previous trends. In November 2023, 66 percent of registered Republicans said they live with a firearm, against 64 percent in August 2019 and 57 percent in March 2004. Overall 52 percent of registered voters said their household has a gun in the latest poll, up from 46 percent in 2019.
By James Bickerton