Faith on the Decline: The Changing Religious Landscape of the U. S.

The U. S. is seeing a big drop in how important religion is to people's daily lives. Over the last ten years, the percentage of adults who say religion is a big part of their life has fallen by 17%. In 2015, 66% of adults felt this way, but by 2025, that number dropped to 49%. This change is one of the biggest Gallup has seen in any country over a decade. The U. S. has always been seen as a religious country, but now it's starting to look more like other advanced nations that are less religious. This shift is happening because younger generations are less religious, and society is becoming more secular. Gallup's survey asked people in 160 countries about the importance of religion. Around the world, about 81% of people say religion is important in their daily lives. But in the U. S. , only 49% feel this way. Only 14 out of the 160 countries surveyed had a bigger drop in religiosity than the U. S. The U. S. is now in a unique spot. It has a medium-high Christian identity but is less religious compared to global norms. This trend matches other research. Pew Research Center found that many people who were raised Christian no longer identify as Christian. Only 83% of adults who were raised Christian still identify as Christian. This is a lower retention rate than for Muslims or Hindus. Most people who leave religion don't join a new faith; they become unaffiliated. Younger Americans are driving this change. Only 46% of Americans born after 1990 still identify as Christian. Young adults are much more likely to say they have no religion compared to older generations. This trend is happening all over the U. S. , except in South Dakota. States like New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Utah have seen the biggest growth in people who say they are religiously unaffiliated. Researchers say the U. S. no longer fits neatly into any global religious category. The country has a medium-high Christian identity but middling religiosity. The decline in religiosity is largely due to people shedding their religious identity after being raised in a religion. The future of religiosity in the U. S. is uncertain. While the decline may be slowing down, it's not clear what will happen next. Researchers and religious leaders will be watching to see if this trend continues as younger, less religious generations become a bigger part of the population.