Quarterly Update
A message from Pew Research Center President Michael Dimock · Subscribe ↗
Reflecting on our new Religious Landscape Study
Dear Friends,
I’m excited to share with you the latest findings from Pew Research Center’s newly published Religious Landscape Study (RLS). This extensive survey, conducted in 2007, 2014, and most recently in 2023-24, takes a deep dive into the religious affiliations, beliefs and practices of more than 35,000 Americans. That’s enough to paint a statistical portrait of religion and spirituality not only nationally, but also in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as in 34 of the largest metro areas.
Religion plays an important role in American life, shaping people’s values, their communities, and even their political views. Yet the U.S. Census Bureau doesn’t track religious affiliation, making studies like this essential for filling the gap. Our goal is to provide reliable, nonpartisan data that helps scholars, policymakers, religious leaders and the public make sense of religious trends.
The latest RLS uncovers some interesting shifts. The decline of Christianity in the U.S. has slowed and may have leveled off, but demographic patterns suggest that we could see further declines in religious affiliation in the years ahead. At the same time, spiritual beliefs – including that humans have a soul or spirit apart from the body – are widespread among Americans both young and old, across the whole country.
This study wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of The Pew Charitable Trusts and our valued donor partners, including the Lilly Endowment, the Templeton Religion Trust, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations and the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. Their commitment to rigorous, independent research allows us to continue to ensure that data on religion and spirituality in the U.S. is available to all.
We invite you to explore the full report and dive into our interactive database, where you can take a closer look at religious trends by state and demographic group. As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on these findings.
With appreciation,
Michael Dimock
President, Pew Research Center
Decline of Christianity in the U.S. has slowed, may have leveled off
After many years of steady decline, the share of Americans who identify as Christian shows signs of leveling off – at least temporarily – at just over six-in-ten. Our third Religious Landscape Study, a survey of more than 36,000 U.S. adults, gives a detailed picture of Americans’ religious and spiritual beliefs and how these views interact with other aspects of life.
Learn more: About the study | Methodology | Download the dataset
Explore the Religious Landscape Study data
Our newly updated interactive database breaks down our findings on religion by region, state and metro area. Explore new data on religious and spiritual beliefs and practices, as well as social and political views of different religious groups, including those who are religiously unaffiliated.
Watch: Religion and spirituality in America
Our video walks through some of the key findings from the latest Religious Landscape Study, including how the U.S. religious landscape has shifted in both the short and long term, how generational replacement is influencing these shifts, and what lies ahead.
