At 59%, support for same-sex marriage hits new high

“It took about 25 years for interracial marriage to get from 30 percent support to 60 percent,” he said. “It took same-sex marriage ten years.”

The share of the public backing same-sex marriage has even jumped from just two years ago, when 53 percent of Americans backed it and 42 percent did not.

That’s due in part to big increases in support among Republicans (up 13 percent since 2013), seniors (up seven percent), and Hispanics (up 18 percent).

Americans who say they have gay or lesbian family members, co-workers or acquaintances are also more likely to back same-sex marriage. Seventy-seven percent of people now report that they personally know or work with someone who is gay or lesbian, up from 62 percent in 2004. Of those who know someone who is gay, 65 percent say they favor marriage rights for same-sex couples.