8 in 10 Americans Say Religion Is Losing Influence in Public Life
Most Americans say religion's influence is shrinking, and about half (48%) see conflict between their own religious beliefs and mainstream American culture.
Most Americans say religion's influence is shrinking, and about half (48%) see conflict between their own religious beliefs and mainstream American culture.
The most common kinds of government restrictions on religion in 2021 included harassment of religious groups and interference in worship.
In 2021, government restrictions on religion – laws, policies and actions by state officials that limit religious beliefs and practices – reached a new peak globally. Harassment of religious groups and interference in worship were two of the most common forms of government restrictions worldwide that year.
For more than a decade, Pew Research Center has been tracking global patterns in restrictions on religion – both those imposed by governments and hostilities committed by individuals and social groups.
Majorities of White Christian groups say the large number of migrants seeking to enter at the border with Mexico is a “crisis” for the United States.
As a shop that studies human behavior through surveys and other social scientific techniques, we have a good line of sight into the contradictory nature of human preferences. Here's a look at how we categorize our survey participants in ways that enhance our understanding of how people think and behave.
Around six-in-ten U.S. atheists are men (64%). And seven-in-ten are ages 49 or younger, compared with about half of U.S. adults overall (52%).
Americans overwhelmingly see small businesses as having a positive effect on the way things are going in the country. By contrast, their views of large corporations are broadly negative. And most people – including identical shares in both parties – are critical of the impact of banks and financial institutions.
28% of U.S. adults are religiously unaffiliated, describing themselves as atheists, agnostics or “nothing in particular” when asked about their religion.
Although it’s possible that the “nones” have leveled off, it’s also possible that their growth has continued, but at a gradual pace that is difficult to see in the data.
The Global Religious Futures (GRF) project is jointly funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and The John Templeton Foundation. Here are some big-picture findings from the GRF, together with context from other Pew Research Center studies.
Indians see religious tolerance as a central part of who they are as a nation. Across the major religious groups, most people say it is very important to respect all religions to be “truly Indian.”
Today, most Black adults say they rely on prayer to help make major decisions, and view opposing racism as essential to their religious faith.
The Christian share of the U.S. population is declining, while the share of Americans who do not identify with any organized religion is growing. These changes affect all regions in the country and many demographic groups.