In advance of the celebration of the fall of Roe v. Wade, Students for Life of America’s Demetree Institute for Pro-Life Advancement has released our nationwide survey, conducted early in January 2026. The evaluation of registered youth voters (ages 18 to 45) looks at their opinions on issues dominating debates today, such as their impressions of self-described “abolitionists” or support for ongoing pro-life policy. The poll explores the crumbling facade of Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion vendor, along with a new look at how those impacted by the death of Charlie Kirk view violence when it erupts after free speech events.
With more than 1,600 groups in all 50 states and a nationwide network of more than 225,000 trained activists, Students for Life of America and Students for Life Action lead daily with this demographic, now almost HALF (48.5%) of the electorate. We are the Pro-Life Generation. And we vote.
As Gallup reported last year, pro-life identification in young adults is rising. And it’s well known that voter intensity — defined as the likelihood that a person will vote — is higher among pro-life people.
As we have previously reported, in the last election, when offered the choice of the most radical pro-abortion ticket in U.S. history, this demographic did not embrace Kamala Harris. She lost ground as 46% of voters aged 18-29 voted for Donald Trump, according to the Tufts University CIRCLE analysis. Millennials also shifted toward Trump compared to 2020, noted Deseret News, as Trump “did better among Millennial voters, closing in on Harris, who was ahead by only 1 percentage point.”
Youth voters are a coveted part of the political community because they are usually believed to be less likely to vote, making them a rich pool of potential new constituents. It is in this environment that SFLAction engages with that most dedicated kind of voters — those who vote “P” for pro-life over party affiliation. And what we know, from years of campus activism and regular polling, is that the abortion views of younger voters are not locked in favor of more unregulated, dangerous, taxpayer-funded abortion, no matter what the media reports.
For both Republicans and Democrats, there are clear takeaways from this poll about how to protect life in law and where to engage in discussion if they want to build a bridge to the largest bloc of voters in the United States.
METHODOLOGY:
From January 6-10, 2025, Vinea Research worked with SurveyUSA to survey 1,107 registered voters between the ages of 18-45 (Gen-Z and Millennials) via a seven-minute online survey. Respondents were matched to a sampling frame on gender, age, race, and education. The margin of error for this study is ± 3.1%.
Hans Plate, President of Vinea Research, was the research liaison, working closely with Students for Life of America, the Demetree Institute for Pro-Life Advancement, and SurveyUSA in all aspects of the research. To contact Hans for questions on methodology, survey design, and results, send an email to [email protected].
2026 KEY FINDINGS:
- Most registered youth voters want less abortion. Almost seven in 10 support laws limiting abortion.
- The Democratic Party’s Platform is rejected by almost all registered youth voters. Fewer than one in 10 (8%) supports the Democratic Party position of abortion without limits, up to and including infanticide for a baby who has survived a botched abortion. Meanwhile, nine in 10 believe that help should be given to a baby born in those circumstances.
- The courts can’t play God. ZERO percent of registered youth voters said that courts dictate when human rights begin.
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The Overton window shifted for Life, as there was a 7-point change in favor of abortion limits IF families got the help they needed. Overall, three in 10 youth voters (34%) would be more willing to accept limits on abortion if they knew that the state and federal government offered increased support for mothers, children, and families.
- The GOP must protect the environment. Almost nine in 10 (89%) youth voters support studies on the potential environmental impact of waste and drugs related to abortion, with 30% saying it is “extremely” important. Only 10% say it’s not important for the government to investigate abortion water pollution.
- The FDA needs to get busy. A massive 94% of youth voters said a federal review of Chemical Abortion Pill policy was important, with 31% calling it “extremely” important. Only 6% said it is “not at all” important.
- Planned Parenthood will fall if there is a thorough review and discussion. With a little education, Gen Z and Millennials’ support for Planned Parenthood dropped by 13 percentage points.
- Less than one in four (22%) registered youth voters found Planned Parenthood vital. In fact, 50% of registered youth voters believe Planned Parenthood can be replaced with the massive number of real health care providers that offer all the health care that Planned Parenthood claims to sell — except abortions.
- The loss of Charlie Kirk has not resulted in a loss of support for free speech, but young voters are worried for those who speak up. More than nine in 10 (92%) are concerned about violence directed at those exercising their free speech rights.
- Schools should invest in protecting free speech. When asked about whether colleges and universities should prioritize and financially support free speech, more than nine in 10 (93%) registered youth voters said yes.
SFLA-Demetree 2026 Poll Full Report
SFLA-Demetree 2026 Poll Top Line Results