European countries that have mandatory church taxes are about as religious as their neighbors that don’t
In general, Western European countries that have a mandatory church tax aren’t any less religious than those that don’t have such a tax.
‘New Age’ beliefs common among both religious and nonreligious Americans
Many U.S. Christians – as well as the religiously unaffiliated – hold “New Age” beliefs, which include belief in reincarnation and astrology.
U.S. adults are more religious than Western Europeans
American adults – both Christian and unaffiliated – are considerably more religious than their European counterparts by a variety of measures. For instance, about two-thirds of U.S. Christians pray daily, compared with a median of just 18% of Christians across 15 European countries.
From the Solidly Secular to Sunday Stalwarts, a look at our new religious typology
Most American adults identify with a religion, describing themselves as Protestants, Catholics or Jews, to name just a few examples. But a new Pew Research Center analysis looks at beliefs and behaviors that cut across many religious identities, producing a new and revealing classification, or typology, of religion in America that sorts U.S. adults into seven cohesive groups.
Key findings about Americans’ belief in God
The overwhelming majority of Americans, including a majority of the religiously unaffiliated, say they believe in God or a higher power. Read six key takeaways from a report on Americans' belief in God.
Meditation is common across many religious groups in the U.S.
Substantial shares of Americans of nearly all religious groups – as well as those who have no religious affiliation – say they meditate at least once a week.
5 facts about Christmas in America
Read five facts about Christmas in America and how people celebrate the holiday.
Facts on Foreign Students in the U.S.
The U.S. has more foreign students enrolled in its colleges and universities than any other country in the world. Explore data about foreign students in the U.S. higher education system.
A growing share of Americans say it’s not necessary to believe in God to be moral
Most U.S. adults now say it is not necessary to believe in God to be moral and have good values, up from about half who expressed this view in 2011.
More Americans now say they’re spiritual but not religious
About a quarter of U.S. adults now say they think of themselves as spiritual but not religious, up 8 percentage points in five years.
