Decline of Christianity in the U.S. Has Slowed, May Have Leveled Off
After years of decline, the U.S. Christian share now shows signs of leveling off. The new Religious Landscape Study explores trends in identity, beliefs and practices.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Jeff Diamant
Senior Writer/Editor
Jeff Diamant is a senior writer/editor at Pew Research Center, focusing on religion. He has worked on reports about the faith of Black Americans, Muslim Americans and Europeans. He has a doctorate in history from the CUNY Graduate Center, was a fellow in the Scholars-in-Residence program at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and received a bachelor’s degree from Yale University in political science and international studies. Prior to joining the Center, he also worked as a journalist for newspapers including the Newark Star-Ledger and the Charlotte Observer.
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Pope Francis and public opinion: Key findings from our surveys
At least 80% of Catholics have expressed a favorable opinion of Pope Francis in 10 of the 15 U.S. surveys in which we have asked about the pope since 2013.
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Faith on the Hill
Christians will make up 87% of voting members in the Senate and House of Representatives, combined, in the 2025-27 congressional session.
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What the data says about abortion in the U.S.
The U.S. abortion rate has generally declined since the 1980s, but there have been slight upticks in the late 2010s and early 2020s.
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The pope is concerned about climate change. How do U.S. Catholics feel about it?
71% of Hispanic Catholics see climate change as an extremely or very serious problem, compared with 49% of White, non-Hispanic Catholics.
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Under Pope Francis, the College of Cardinals has become less European
Pope Francis’ picks for the College of Cardinals have tilted the leadership structure away from its historic European base and toward countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
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One-in-six Americans have taken steps to see less of someone on social media due to religious content
17% of U.S. adults have unfollowed, unfriended, blocked or changed their settings to see less of someone on social media because of religious content the person posted or shared.
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Online Religious Services Appeal to Many Americans, but Going in Person Remains More Popular
About a quarter of U.S. adults regularly watch religious services online or on TV, and most of them are highly satisfied with the experience. About two-in-ten Americans (21%) use apps or websites to help with reading scripture.
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Why the U.S. census doesn’t ask Americans about their religion
The Census Bureau has collected data on Americans’ income, race, ethnicity, housing and other things, but it has never directly asked about their religion.
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Anti-Jewish harassment occurred in 94 countries in 2020, up from earlier years
Incidents against Jewish people in 2020 ranged from verbal and physical assaults to vandalism of cemeteries and scapegoating for the pandemic.
