A new survey from the Pew Research Center reveals that while the number of Americans identifying as Christian has declined steadily over the years, this drop appears to be slowing down. The Religious Landscape Study found that 62% of US adults call themselves Christians, a significant decrease from 78% in 2007, but relatively stable since 2019.
The rapid rise of the religiously unaffiliated, or “nones,” has also reached a temporary plateau, with approximately 29% of US adults identifying as religiously unaffiliated.
Gregory Smith, one of the study’s co-authors, noted, “It’s striking to have observed this recent period of stability in American religion after that long period of decline. One thing we can’t know for sure is whether these short-term signs of stabilisation will prove to be a lasting change in the country’s religious trajectory.”
Despite the decline of Christianity, the US remains a spiritual nation, with 83% believing in God or a universal spirit and 86% believing that people have a soul or spirit. However, there are signs of future religious decline, particularly among younger Americans. Pew found a significant age gap, with 46% of the youngest American adults identifying as Christian, compared to 80% of the oldest adults.
Smith explained, “These kinds of generational differences are a big part of what’s driven the long-term declines in American religion. As older cohorts of highly religious, older people have passed away, they have been replaced by new cohorts of young adults who are less religious than their parents and grandparents.”