More Americans identify as Democrats than Republicans by a margin that hasn't been seen in a decade, according to a report released by Gallup.

More Americans identify as Democrats than Republicans by a margin that hasn't been seen in a decade, according to a report released by Gallup on Wednesday.

An average of 49% of adults age 18 and older reported Democratic Party affiliation or said they are independent with Democratic leanings throughout the first quarter of 2021, the pollster reported.

Party identification is asked on every survey Gallup conducts, according to senior editor Jeff Jones, who also authored the report.

The passing of the COVID-19 relief package in March, a decline in new infections and deaths from the coronavirus and the push for mass vaccinations preceded a rise in affinity for the Democratic Party, according to Gallup.

The bump in Democratic affiliation following Biden's inauguration mirrors that of former President Barack Obama's first term, Jones said.

"That was really the high point that we've seen; kind of the 2006-2009 period, when really the majority of Americans either identified as Democrats outright or were independents but they leaned toward the party," he said. "Our data on this only goes back to the '90s, but it's pretty much the only time we consistently had one party with the majority of Americans on their side.".

Whether the Republican Party can regain advantage during the 2022 midterm elections may rely on the successes of the Biden administration, according to Jones

If things get better with the coronavirus and the economy bounces back and a lot of people expect Biden can keep relatively strong approval ratings, then that will be better for the Democrats," Jones said. "But if things start to get worse — unemployment goes up or coronavirus gets worse — then his approval is going to go down