Around the World, Many People Are Leaving Their Childhood Religions
In many places surveyed, 20% or more of all adults have left their childhood religious group. Christianity and Buddhism have had especially large losses.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
In many places surveyed, 20% or more of all adults have left their childhood religious group. Christianity and Buddhism have had especially large losses.
About three-in-ten are “cultural” or former Catholics, or have other ties to the faith. Read about these groups and why some say they left the religion.
Most Americans say religion’s influence is shrinking, and about half (48%) see conflict between their own religious beliefs and mainstream American culture.
The gender gap in American religion is shrinking. Historically, women have been more religious than men. But the gap is smaller than it once was.
Large shares of adults in most of the 36 countries we surveyed say religion helps society rather than harms it.[2. numoffset=”2″ In the U.S., we previously asked very similar questions about the impact of religion on society using a slightly different scale. For more, read the 2023 report “Spirituality Among Americans.”] Most also say religion […]
Read about how adults’ average number of kids vary by religious group, and how many parents pray with their kids, opt for a religious education and more. Religious Landscape Study by Pew Research Center.
By some measures, the world’s most religious countries are mostly in the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.
Across religious groups, majorities see America’s openness to others as essential to national identity. But views on rising immigration are more mixed. Religious Landscape Study by Pew Research Center.
Across the 36 countries surveyed, people’s views on the importance of religion to national identity vary widely. Large shares in middle-income countries say being a member of the historically predominant religion in their country is very important to truly sharing the national identity – for example, to being truly Filipino or truly Nigerian. In high-income […]
Explore how adults in the U.S. and 35 other countries compare religiously and spiritually when it comes to affiliation, prayer, afterlife beliefs and more.
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