Majority Oppose Universal Basic Income

Universal Basic Income (UBI) was thrown into the public spotlight during businessman and entrepreneur Andrew Yang’s campaign for the Democratic presidential primary election. It’s also gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic crisis, with people suggesting UBI would be an ideal way to keep people home from work and still be able to live comfortably. A new survey, however, shows a majority of Americans are still against the federal government providing UBI to all U.S. adults.

A new survey from Pew Research Center shows 54 percent of U.S. adults either strongly or somewhat oppose a UBI of $1,000 to all adult citizens. A majority of those that oppose UBI are above the age of 30, with two-thirds of those between the ages of 18-29 in favor of a $1,000 UBI in the country. In regard to race and ethnicity, 64 percent of white Americans oppose UBI compared to 73 percent and 63 percent of Black and Hispanic Americans in support of UBI. Politically, a vast majority of Republicans oppose UBI and a vast majority of Democrats support UBI, however younger members of both parties were more likely to endorse basic income.