WASHINGTON — The steady decline of Christianity in the U.S. appears to be stabilizing, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. While the share of Americans identifying as Christian has dropped significantly over the past two decades, the latest findings suggest the pace of that decline has slowed.
The Religious Landscape Study reports that 62% of U.S. adults now identify as Christian—a sharp decline from 78% in 2007, but relatively unchanged since 2019. Meanwhile, the rise of the religiously unaffiliated—often referred to as the “nones”—has also plateaued at 29%. This group includes atheists (5%), agnostics (6%), and those who describe their religion as “nothing in particular” (19%).
“It’s striking to see this period of stability after years of decline,” said Gregory Smith, co-author of the study. “But whether this is a lasting trend or a temporary pause remains to be seen.”
Young Americans Are Driving Religious Decline
Young Americans are leaving religion, meaning Christianity, and not returning to it as they get older. Raising a new generation with no religious background.https://t.co/eSEAaPSvAh
— Dr David Frawley (@davidfrawleyved) December 13, 2019
Despite overall religious stability, Pew’s data highlights a generational divide that signals potential future declines. Only 46% of young adults identify as Christian, compared to 80% of the oldest Americans. Younger generations are also three times more likely than their elders to be religiously unaffiliated.
“These generational shifts have fueled the long-term religious decline in America,” Smith explained. “Highly religious older generations are being replaced by younger cohorts who are much less religious.”
Historically, religious engagement has been linked to major life milestones, such as marriage and parenthood. However, Michele Margolis, a political scientist at the University of Pennsylvania, notes that Pew’s long-term research does not indicate Americans are becoming more religious as they age.
“For the decline to stop, something would need to change—either young people returning to faith later in life, or future generations being more religious than their parents,” Smith added.
Religion and Politics: A Growing Divide
While the decline of Christianity and the rise of the religiously unaffiliated have been widespread across demographics, political ideology plays a growing role. The survey found that 51% of political liberals now claim no religion—a 24-point increase since 2007—while only 37% of liberals identify as Christian, down from 62%.
However, the trend is not universal among all Democratic voters. Black Americans, who overwhelmingly vote Democrat, continue to show high levels of religious engagement.
Around 70% of Black Protestants say religion is “very important” in their lives, a rate comparable to Evangelicals (70%) and Latter-day Saints (73%), who tend to align with the Republican Party.
“Religious identity has become closely tied to political beliefs, particularly when it comes to views on traditional family structures and gender roles,” said Penny Edgell, a sociologist and expert adviser for the Pew study.
Christianity Still Dominates, But Other Faiths Are Growing
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Despite the long-term decline, Christianity remains the dominant religion in the U.S. Protestants makeup 40% of Christian adults, while Catholics account for 19%. Smaller groups, including Latter-day Saints, Orthodox Christians, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, make up the remaining 3%.
Religious diversity is increasing, with 7% of Americans now belonging to non-Christian faiths. This includes Jews (2%), Muslims (1%), Buddhists (1%), and Hindus (1%).
In contrast, countries in South America tend to have more homogenous religious landscapes, with Catholicism still being the dominant faith.
The survey also found that 58% of immigrants arriving in the U.S. identify as Christian, but a growing number (25%) report no religious affiliation.
The Southern Baptist Convention and United Methodist Church remain the largest Protestant denominations, though both have seen substantial membership declines since 2007.
Survey Methodology
The Pew Religious Landscape Study was conducted between July 2023 and March 2024, surveying 36,908 respondents across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The survey was conducted in English and Spanish and has a margin of error of ±0.8 percentage points.