Trends in American Religious Identity: Stability, Shifts, and Political Alignments

The long-term decline in the number of Americans identifying as Christian appears to have largely stabilized. Simultaneously, the steady rise in those who consider themselves "religiously unaffiliated" has also plateaued.

These insights come from a Pew Research Center survey released on Wednesday.
Originally launched in 2007, Pew’s Religious Landscape Study provides a broad view of religious affiliation in the U.S., showing an increasingly secular society—especially among younger generations—while also highlighting the strong connection between religious beliefs and political leanings. Notably, for the first time, a greater percentage of liberals now identify as religiously unaffiliated than as Christian.

Christianity’s Decline Has Slowed
At present, 62% of Americans identify as Christian, a figure that has remained relatively consistent over the past five years but has decreased from 71% in 2014 and 78% in 2007. The latest survey reports that 40% of U.S. adults identify as Protestant, 19% as Catholic, and 3% as members of other Christian denominations.

Meanwhile, 29% of Americans now identify as religiously unaffiliated. While this number has held steady in recent years, it marks a notable increase from 23% in 2014 and 16% in 2007.

Among those who do not associate with any religion, 6% identify as agnostic, 5% as atheist, and 19% describe themselves as having "no particular" religious affiliation.
One major factor influencing these trends, according to the report, is “generational replacement.” As older generations, who tend to be more religious and predominantly Christian, pass away, they are being succeeded by younger cohorts who are significantly less religious, with lower rates of Christian affiliation and higher numbers of religious "nones."

Increasing Diversity in Religious Identity
The percentage of Americans adhering to non-Christian religions has risen to 7%, up from 5% in 2007. As in previous Pew studies, 1.7% of Americans identify as Jewish.
Meanwhile, the number of people identifying as Muslim, Buddhist, or Hindu has also grown. The share of Muslims in the U.S. population has risen from 0.4% in 2007 to 1.2% in 2024. Buddhists now make up 1.1% of the population, up from 0.7% in the same period, while the Hindu population has increased from 0.4% to 0.9%.

A Majority of Americans Hold Spiritual Beliefs
Despite shifts in religious identification, a vast majority of Americans maintain spiritual beliefs. Nearly 90% believe in the existence of a soul or spirit in addition to the physical body. Around 70% believe in concepts such as heaven and hell, while more than 80% believe in God or a universal higher power.

According to Pew, spirituality appears to be growing stronger for many individuals, with more Americans stating that their spiritual beliefs have deepened rather than weakened over time.

Religion and Politics Remain Closely Connected
The study also highlights a strong link between religious belief and political affiliation. Generally, individuals with strong religious convictions are more likely to align with the Republican Party and hold conservative views. Conversely, those with weaker religious ties are more inclined to support the Democratic Party and adopt liberal positions.

For example, highly religious Americans are more likely than those with minimal religious engagement to support restrictions on abortion, oppose same-sex relationships, favor traditional gender roles in parenting, and express concerns about environmental regulations impacting the economy. Many also believe that excessive openness to immigration could threaten national identity.

Liberals Are Moving Away from Christianity
Among self-identified liberals, only 37% now identify as Christian, down from 62% in 2007—a significant 25-point decline. Meanwhile, the proportion of liberals who claim no religious affiliation has risen to 51% in 2024, up from 27% in 2007.

According to Pew, this marks a major shift: for the first time, religiously unaffiliated individuals now outnumber Christians among liberals.

Moderates have also seen a decrease in Christian identification, with 61% now identifying as Christian—a drop of 16 points since 2007.

Although conservatives remain the most likely group to identify as Christian, there has still been a slight decline in their religious affiliation. Today, 82% of conservatives identify as Christian, compared to 89% in 2007.

Younger Generations Are Less Religious
Young adults in the U.S. are considerably less religious than their older counterparts. Those aged 18 to 24 are far less likely than Americans over 74 to identify as Christian, attend religious services regularly, or engage in daily prayer. Younger generations also report higher levels of religious disaffiliation.

Additionally, younger adults today are less likely to have been raised in religious households compared to previous generations. However, when it comes to broader measures of spirituality, the differences between age groups are less pronounced.

Immigrant Religious Identity Trends
Among foreign-born U.S. residents, 58% identify as Christian, compared to 63% of those born in the country. Both figures have declined since previous surveys conducted in 2007 and 2014.

Immigrants are more likely to practice a non-Christian faith than those born in the U.S.—14% of foreign-born individuals identify with a religion other than Christianity, compared to 6% of U.S.-born adults. Meanwhile, religious disaffiliation rates are similar, with 26% of foreign-born adults and 30% of native-born Americans identifying as religiously unaffiliated.

Gender and Religious Beliefs
Historically, women in the U.S. have been more religious than men, reporting higher levels of religious identification, prayer, and belief in God. While this trend remains, the gap between men and women in terms of religious engagement appears to be narrowing.
According to the Pew report, in every generational group, women are at least as religious as men—and often significantly more so.

Events and Comments (SLHA)
27 February 2025