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Short-form data and analysis from Pew Research Center writers and social scientists. To view all our reports and publications, visit our main Publications page.

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Stockton, Alabama, USA - April 22, 2023: Montpelier Methodist Church is pictured in Baldwin County Bicentennial Park in Stockton, Alabama. The church was built in 1895.

How religion declines around the world

Religion in a country tends to decline in three transitional stages that unfold across generations, a new paper using Center data proposes.

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  • short reads

    Econ 101

    More Americans know the unemployment rate than the level of the Dow.

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    Losing Journalists

    The Project for Excellence in Journalism estimates that one out of every five journalists working for newspapers in 2001 no longer does so.

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    Do U Txt?

    Ambivalent Networkers — the 7% of Americans most dedicated to their cell phones — are always connected but don’t always love to hear their phone ring, vibrate or play a downloaded song.

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    Surfing Online, but Staying Put

    Even though they may love the internet, six-in-ten Americans are not on board with mobile devices.

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    The Second Coming of Jesus

    Fully 79% of Christians in the U.S. say they believe that Christ will return to Earth someday.

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    A Bare Majority of Protestants

    The number of Americans who report that they are members of Protestant denominations now stands at 51%.

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    Switching Religions

    About 44% of U.S. adults have switched religious affiliation including dropping any connection to a specific religious tradition.

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    Nevada the ‘Magnet’ State

    Nevada is the nation’s most “magnetic” state in that fully 86% of its adult residents were born in a different state.

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    Renew U.S.-Cuba Ties

    A narrow majority of Americans believes that the United States should re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba.