A new survey demonstrates that a majority of Americans support gay marriage, climbing over 20 percentage points in the past 10 years, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The poll conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute, which included 4,509 participants, said that 53 percent of Americans approve of gay marriage, up from just 32 percent in 2003 after Massachusetts became the first state to legalize it. 

The institute also discovered that fewer religious Americans disapprove of gay marriage. Additionally, for 31 percent of people ages 18 to 33, negative church teachings about gay people or treatment of gay couples was a significant factor in leaving their religion. 

"This new research provides further evidence that negative teachings on this issue have hurt churches' ability to attract and retain young people," said Robert Jones, chief executive of the institute. 

Out of all religions, Jews supported gay marriage the most at 83 percent, followed by white Roman Catholics at 58 percent and Hispanic Catholics at 56 percent. For Hispanic Protestants, 46 percent favored legalizing gay marriage and 49 percent disapproved of doing so.

However, 59 percent of black Protestants and 69 percent of white evangelical Protestants do not support same-sex marriage. 

Of religiously unaffiliated Americans, 73 percent supported allowing gays and lesbians to marry. 

A total of 17 states and the District of Columbia have legalized same-sex marriage.