Christianity’s decline in America has hit the brakes, with 62% of U.S. adults still identifying as Christians despite predictions of continued erosion in religious affiliation.
Quick Takes
- After years of steady decline, the Christian share of the U.S. population has stabilized at around 62%, down from 78% in 2007 but holding steady over the past five years
- The growth of religiously unaffiliated Americans (the “nones”) has plateaued at about 29% of the population
- A significant age gap exists in religious identification, with only 46% of young adults identifying as Christian compared to 80% of older Americans
- Despite declining organized religion participation, 83% of Americans still believe in God or a universal spirit
- The religious decline is most pronounced among political liberals, with 51% claiming no religious affiliation
Christianity Finds Stable Ground After Years of Decline
A massive new survey from Pew Research Center reveals that Christianity’s presence in America has stabilized after decades of decline. The study, which surveyed nearly 37,000 adults across all 50 states, shows that about 62% of Americans still identify as Christians. While this represents a significant drop from the 78% who identified as Christian in 2007, the rate has remained relatively stable between 60% and 64% over the past five years. This stabilization challenges previous predictions that suggested Christianity would continue its rapid decline in American society.
The religiously unaffiliated now make up 29% of the U.S. adult population. This group includes atheists, agnostics, and those who describe their religion as “nothing in particular.” The growth of this segment has been one of the most significant religious trends in recent decades. However, like Christian identification, the percentage of this demographic appears to have plateaued in recent years, suggesting a possible new equilibrium in America’s religious landscape rather than a continued secularization trend.
The drop in the number of Americans who identify as Christian appears to be slowing down in recent years after a long period of a higher level of decreases, according to a Pew Research Center survey published on Wednesday. https://t.co/KDddgtwtXd
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) February 26, 2025
American Spirituality Remains Strong Despite Institutional Changes
The survey reveals that while formal religious identification may be changing, spiritual beliefs remain widespread among Americans. A remarkable 83% of U.S. adults believe in God or a universal spirit, and 86% believe in a soul or spirit. These high percentages suggest that even as traditional religious institutions face challenges, the underlying spiritual foundations of American society remain strong. Additionally, rates of daily prayer and monthly religious service attendance have been stable since 2020, indicating that religious practices continue to play an important role in many Americans’ lives.
Non-Christian faiths, including Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, continue to grow in the United States but still represent a relatively small portion of the population at 7%. This growth reflects America’s increasing religious diversity, largely driven by immigration patterns and changing demographics. Meanwhile, both Protestant and Catholic denominations have seen their numbers decrease since 2007, but these declines have leveled off in recent years—Protestants since 2019 and Catholics since 2014.
Age and Politics: Key Factors in Religious Identification
Age represents one of the most significant factors in religious identification. The survey reveals a substantial generation gap, with only 46% of young adults identifying as Christian compared to 80% of the oldest Americans. Younger Americans demonstrate lower rates of Christian identification, daily prayer, and religious service attendance than their older counterparts. This suggests potential long-term challenges for Christian institutions as demographic shifts continue, despite the current overall stabilization.
Political orientation also strongly correlates with religious identification. The decline in Christianity and rise of the religiously unaffiliated is most pronounced among political liberals, with 51% claiming no religious affiliation. This stark divide highlights how religion has become increasingly aligned with political identity in America. However, Black Americans maintain high religious involvement despite a majority identifying as Democrats, demonstrating that the relationship between religion and politics remains complex and multifaceted in American society.
