Striking findings from 2025
Here’s a look back at 2025 through 12 of our most striking research findings.
Publications
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Religion Holds Steady in America
Analysis of our polls and other data shows no clear evidence of a religious revival among young adults. Read more about religiousness by age and gender.
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Many religions are heavily concentrated in a few countries
Half of the world’s population lives in just seven countries. But some of the world’s religious groups are even more concentrated than that.
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As Democrats’ anger spikes, Americans’ feelings about the federal government grow more polarized
Frustration is common across the political spectrum regardless of which party holds the presidency.
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Public Trust in Government: 1958-2025
While trust in government has been low for decades, the current measure is one of the lowest in the nearly seven decades since the question was first asked by the National Election Study, and it is lower than it was last year (22%).
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A smaller share of older U.S. adults live alone today than in 1990
26% of U.S. adults ages 65 and older lived alone in 2023, the most recent year with available data. That’s down from 29% in 1990.
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Americans are following the news less closely than they used to
In 2016, 51% of U.S. adults said they followed the news all or most of the time, but that share fell to 36% in 2025.
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Young Adults and the Future of News
U.S. adults under 30 follow news less closely than any other age group. And they’re more likely to get (and trust) news from social media.
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Key facts about Black Americans and religion
Most Black Americans are Christian, though the share who identify as such has fallen since 2007.
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People who trust others tend to support international cooperation more than those who don’t
In many countries outside the U.S., those with higher levels of social trust are also more likely to view several international organizations positively.
