Once a cultural cornerstone, Christianity in America is now navigating a rapid and profound decline, as the rise of the religiously unaffiliated reshapes the nation's spiritual landscape.
Key Takeaways
- In 2021, 63% of U.S. adults identified as Christians, down from 78% in 2007
- 29% of U.S. adults were religiously unaffiliated ("nones") in 2021, up from 16% in 2007
- 1% of U.S. adults identified as Jewish in 2021
- 23% of U.S. adults attended religious services weekly in 2021, down from 36% in 2000
- 35% of U.S. Protestants attended church weekly in 2023
- 33% of U.S. Catholics attended mass weekly in 2023
- 72% of U.S. adults believe in God with absolute certainty in 2022
- 15% of U.S. adults do not believe in God in 2022
- 81% of Protestants believe the Bible is the literal word of God in 2019
- 55% of 70% Christian affiliation in 1990 dropped to 64% in 2020
- Unaffiliated rose from 5% in 1972 to 29% in 2021
- Catholic share declined from 24% in 2007 to 20% in 2021
Christian affiliation is falling while religious disaffiliation rises sharply, especially among youth.
Historical Trends
155% of 70% Christian affiliation in 1990 dropped to 64% in 2020
Verified2Unaffiliated rose from 5% in 1972 to 29% in 2021
Verified3Catholic share declined from 24% in 2007 to 20% in 2021
Verified4Protestant share fell from 51% in 2007 to 41% in 2021
Directional5Church membership dropped from 70% in 1999 to 47% in 2020
Single source6Weekly attendance fell from 42% in 2000 to 34% in 2018
Verified7Religiously important declined from 70% in 1965 to 49% in 2021
Verified8Evangelical share stable at 25% from 2007-2021
Verified9Mainline Protestant decline from 18% to 14% 2007-2021
Directional10Nones among youth rose from 10% in 1990 to 40% in 2020
Single source11Bible literalism dropped from 65% in 1981 to 20% in 2021
Verified12Belief in God fell from 98% in 1950s to 81% in 2022
Verified13Heaven belief stable at 72% from 2001-2021
Verified14Mormon growth slowed from 2% in 2007 to 1% in 2021
Directional15Muslim population tripled from 0.4% in 2007 to 1.1% in 2021
Single source16Jewish affiliation declined from 2% to 1% 2007-2021
Verified17Black Protestant stable at 7% from 2007-2021
Verified18Hispanic Catholics fell from 25% to 19% of total pop 2007-2021
Verified19White Christians dropped from 54% to 42% 2007-2021
Directional20Southern Baptist membership peaked 2006 at 16M, now 13M in 2022
Single source21Episcopal Church membership halved since 1960s to 1.6M in 2020
Verified22Attendance post-COVID dropped 10% further in 2022
Verified23Nones projected to 35% by 2030
Verified24Christians projected to 54% by 2050 from 64% in 2020
Directional2548% of 1937 Gallup poll were church members, peaked 76% in 1947
Single source26Prayer daily from 64% in 2006 to 52% in 2021
Verified2735% of adults Protestant in 1972 GSS, now 40%
Verified28Catholic self-ID stable but practice down 20% since 1980s
VerifiedHistorical Trends Interpretation
While a nation built on prayer is finding more reasons to send thoughts than kneel for them, the data suggests America's religious landscape isn't so much collapsing as it is undergoing a dramatic, quiet renegotiation where the pews are emptying but the pew-sitters are holding their ground.
Religious Affiliation
1In 2021, 63% of U.S. adults identified as Christians, down from 78% in 2007
Verified229% of U.S. adults were religiously unaffiliated ("nones") in 2021, up from 16% in 2007
Verified31% of U.S. adults identified as Jewish in 2021
Verified41% of U.S. adults identified as Muslim in 2021
Directional521% of U.S. adults identified as Protestant in 2023
Single source624% of U.S. adults identified as Catholic in 2023
Verified75% of U.S. adults identified as non-Christian faiths in 2023
Verified824% of U.S. adults had no religious preference in 2023
Verified940% of Americans aged 18-29 were religiously unaffiliated in 2021
Directional1011% of Americans aged 65+ were religiously unaffiliated in 2021
Single source1144% of U.S. adults identified as evangelical Protestants in 2014
Verified1214% of U.S. adults identified as mainline Protestants in 2014
Verified1320% of U.S. adults identified as Catholics in 2014
Verified142% of U.S. adults identified as Orthodox Christians in 2020
Directional151.1% of U.S. adults identified as Buddhist in 2020
Single source1669% of Americans identified as Christian in 2014
Verified1726% of Americans were unaffiliated in 2018 per ARIS
Verified1876% of Americans identified with a religion in 2018 per GSS
Verified194% of U.S. population was Jewish in 2020
Directional203.6 million Americans identified as Mormon in 2014
Single source211.7% of U.S. adults were Hindu in 2021
Verified220.9% of U.S. adults were Sikh in 2020 estimates
Verified2355% of U.S. Christians identified as Protestant in 2022
Verified2435% of U.S. Christians identified as Catholic in 2022
Directional2510% of U.S. Christians identified as other denominations in 2022
Single source2628% of Generation Z Americans were religiously unaffiliated in 2020
Verified2717% of Baby Boomers were religiously unaffiliated in 2020
Verified282.4% of U.S. adults identified as Unitarian Universalist in 2014
Verified290.4% identified as Jehovah's Witnesses in 2014
Directional300.7% identified as Quaker in 2014
Single sourceReligious Affiliation Interpretation
America's religious landscape is undergoing a quiet but profound reformation, where the rising tide of the "nones" suggests that while God isn't dead, a growing number of Americans are respectfully taking a sabbatical from organized religion.
Religious Beliefs
172% of U.S. adults believe in God with absolute certainty in 2022
Verified215% of U.S. adults do not believe in God in 2022
Verified381% of Protestants believe the Bible is the literal word of God in 2019
Verified428% of Catholics believe the Bible is literal word of God in 2019
Directional574% of Americans believe in heaven in 2021
Single source659% of Americans believe in hell in 2021
Verified733% of religiously unaffiliated believe in God
Verified892% of evangelicals believe in God with certainty
Verified963% of mainline Protestants believe Satan exists
Directional1058% of Americans believe Jesus was God incarnate in 2021
Single source1126% of Americans believe in reincarnation in 2021
Verified1269% of Black Americans believe in God with certainty
Verified1380% of white evangelicals oppose abortion in most cases
Verified1460% of Catholics support legal abortion
Directional1547% of Americans believe creationism over evolution
Single source1689% of Latter-day Saints believe the Bible is literal
Verified1783% of Muslims believe in sharia as divine law
Verified1868% of Jews believe in afterlife
Verified1955% of Hindus believe in karma
Directional2029% of unaffiliated believe in spiritual energy
Single source2138% of Americans say religion is very important
Verified2275% of weekly attenders say religion very important
Verified2311% of nones say religion very important
Verified2440% of Americans believe angels and demons are active
Directional2565% of Republicans believe Bible is literal
Single source2614% of Democrats believe Bible literal
Verified2750% of Americans under 30 believe in God
Verified2876% of Americans over 65 believe in God
Verified2985% of Southerners believe in God with certainty
DirectionalReligious Beliefs Interpretation
The statistics paint a picture of a nation that is, in many ways, a theological mosaic held together by the stubborn glue of certainty, where the lines of scripture, doctrine, and personal conviction are drawn with wildly different pens—some in permanent marker, others in faint pencil, and a few with the enthusiastic but blurry crayon of spiritual-but-not-religious energy.
Worship Attendance
123% of U.S. adults attended religious services weekly in 2021, down from 36% in 2000
Verified235% of U.S. Protestants attended church weekly in 2023
Verified333% of U.S. Catholics attended mass weekly in 2023
Verified425% of Americans prayed daily in 2021
Directional549% of evangelicals attended services weekly in 2021
Single source633% of mainline Protestants attended weekly in 2021
Verified724% of Catholics attended weekly in 2021
Verified881% of weekly attenders considered religion very important in 2023
Verified915% of religiously unaffiliated attended services weekly in 2021
Directional1037% of Americans read the Bible outside religious services at least monthly in 2021
Single source1165% of Black Protestants attended weekly in 2021
Verified1245% of Latter-day Saints attended weekly in 2021
Verified1339% of Jews attended services monthly or more in 2020
Verified1442% of Muslims attended mosque weekly in 2017
Directional1552% of Hindus engaged in daily prayer in 2014
Single source1662% of Buddhists meditated daily or weekly in 2014
Verified1720% of Americans attended religious services almost never in 2023
Verified1858% of Republicans attended weekly or nearly weekly in 2023
Verified1931% of Democrats attended weekly or nearly weekly in 2023
Directional2075% of weekly churchgoers are married
Single source2122% of Gen Z attended monthly or more in 2020
Verified2238% of Millennials attended monthly or more in 2020
Verified2348% of U.S. adults feel a deep sense of spiritual peace weekly
Verified2427% of non-religious Americans feel spiritual peace weekly
Directional2568% of Southerners attended religious services weekly in 2021
Single source2620% of Northeasterners attended weekly in 2021
VerifiedWorship Attendance Interpretation
While the Sunday morning pews are getting noticeably roomier across America, the core congregation—evangelicals, Black Protestants, and the faithfully married—are still holding the doors open, suggesting religion is not so much collapsing as it is condensing into a more intense, committed, and politically polarized core.
Sources & References
- Reference 1PEWRESEARCHpewresearch.orgVisit source
- Reference 2NEWSnews.gallup.comVisit source
- Reference 3PRRIprri.orgVisit source
- Reference 4NORCnorc.orgVisit source
- Reference 5THEARDAthearda.comVisit source
- Reference 6GSSgss.norc.orgVisit source
- Reference 7BARNAbarna.comVisit source
- Reference 8CARAcara.georgetown.eduVisit source