Political Polarization Particularly Strong in the U.S.

The share of people who consider themselves on the far left or far right of the political spectrum is particularly high in the United States, according to a survey by Statista Consumer Insights. Among U.S. respondents surveyed between January and December 2025, 12 percent placed themselves on the far left (0 on a 10-point scale) and 20 percent on the far right (10 out of 10). By comparison, only 7 percent of Germans place themselves at either extreme of the scale. Identifying as centrist is also more common in Germany, with 24 percent doing so compared with 17 percent in the United States.

In France, centrism is less prevalent, with just 12 percent identifying as such, while 10 percent place themselves on the left and a notable 19 percent on the right. It is also worth noting that 25 percent of surveyed French adults preferred not to answer, compared with 14 to 18 percent in the other countries studied. While similar shares of French and U.S. respondents identify with the left and right overall, positions at the far ends of the spectrum are slightly more pronounced in the United States, with France trailing somewhat behind. Attitudes in the United Kingdom broadly mirror those in Germany, though with a more pronounced shift toward the far-right end of the spectrum.