by Jorge Gomez • 3 minutes
The decline of Christianity in America is slowing, according to a Pew Research report released this week.
“After many years of steady decline, the share of Americans who identify as Christians shows signs of leveling off—at least temporarily—at slightly above six-in-ten,” the Religious Landscape Study, Pew’s largest single survey of 36,908 U.S. adults.
The study notes that for the last five years, the share of Christians has been relatively stable, hovering between 60% and 64%. It also found that since 2020, religiosity has remained relatively stable across all generations, young and old.
It’s been well documented that young adults exhibit far lower levels of religiousness than older adults. But this study reveals some encouraging trends. Millennials and Gen Z appear to be equally involved in living out their faith.
“Americans born in 2000 through 2006… are just as likely as those born in the 1990s… to identify as Christians, to say religion is very important in their lives, and to report that they attend religious services at least monthly,” Pew notes.
Other Pew reports in recent years echo the beginning of a shift in America when it comes to religious liberty and expression.
In 2024, Pew found that a strong majority of Americans—57%—believe that religion has a positive influence on public life. What’s more, nearly 50% of Americans think the decline of religious influence in our country is a bad thing. Less than 20% view religion negatively. And an even smaller share—only 13%—view the decline of religion as a good thing.
Pew isn’t alone in documenting a changing religious landscape. According to the General Social Survey, in 2000, 27% of people ages 18-34 were Protestant or Orthodox Christians. In 2022, that number remained nearly the same at 28%. This remarkable stability over 20 years reveals that religiosity among our youth remains high in many faith traditions.
Ryan Burge, an associate professor at Eastern Illinois University and a leading expert on religion in America, argues that the share of non-religious Americans has hit a plateau.
Burge released statistics and analysis based on Harvard’s Cooperative Election Study. He also cross compared data from the General Social Survey and Pew Research Center, adding to the credibility of his findings.
“I made a graph that tracked the rise of the nones over time. And, it has become crystal clear to me now: the share of non-religious Americans has stopped rising in any meaningful way,” Burge said. “From a pure statistical standpoint, I don’t know if we can say with any certainty whether there’s a larger share of nones in the United States today than there was in 2019.”
We have seen a decline in religion for many decades. Those statistics can’t be ignored. Still, Burge agrees that this is a special moment in history and possibly the start of a major turnaround for faith.
“I don’t want to be too hyperbolic. But I am a preacher and it runs through my blood. This really may be the end of an era in American religious demography,” Burge added. “The trend lines might have reached an inflection point, and we can demarcate religious history around this time period.”
These findings offer significant hope for the future. They show us that we can change the direction of our country. So, what’s is driving what appears to be a revival of faith and religious freedom?
We think it may have something to do with the seismic shift in favor of religious freedom taking place in the law and the courts. First Liberty’s many recent Supreme Court victories have led to increased religious freedom for all Americans, more than they’ve had in over 50 years. There’s no denying our First Freedom is on a winning streak, and this momentum—as the numbers show—may be changing the broader culture.
“We’re living in one of the most special moments in American history,” says First Liberty President, CEO and Chief Counsel Kelly Shackelford. “As an attorney and constitutional expert who’s been fighting for religious freedom for 30+ years, I believe we’re at the start of the biggest legal and cultural shift for religious freedom we’ve seen in our lifetime.”
And the best part? We’re only at the beginning. We can continue to impact the future of religious freedom as new doors and opportunities open in front of us. Yes, there are many challenges ahead and attacks on religious freedom continue to intensify. But if we stay the course, together we can secure the blessings of liberty for our children and grandchildren.
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