Millennials, the generation of young adults born after 1980, are significantly more likely than older adults to say they are unaffiliated with any particular religion. Roughly a quarter of all Millennials (26%) are unaffiliated, compared with 20% of current Gen Xers, 13% of Baby Boomers and very few older Americans. Millennials are also far less religious than were the young adults of previous generations. When they were young adults, members of Generation X (late 1990s) and the Baby Boomers (late 1970s) were no more likely to be unaffiliated than they are today (20% and 13% respectively). Today’s young adults also attended religious services less often and are less likely to say religion is important to them than are older adults. Still, in other ways, such as praying daily, beliefs about life after death and the existence of heaven, hell and miracles, Millennials remain fairly traditional in their religious beliefs and practices. Read More

Russell Heimlich  is a former web developer at Pew Research Center.