Religious ‘switching’ patterns will help determine Christianity’s course in U.S.
Whether the U.S. will continue to have a Christian majority in 2070 will depend on many factors, including religious “switching.”
Since the 1990s, large numbers of Americans have left Christianity to join the growing ranks of U.S. adults who describe their religious identity as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular.” If recent trends in religious switching continue, Christians could make up less than half of the U.S. population within a few decades.
Giving a share of one’s income to the church has been a part of European tradition for centuries. Today, several countries continue to collect a “church tax” on behalf of officially recognized religious organizations, in some cases levying the tax on all registered members.
© 2024 Pew Research Center