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Kirsten Lesage

Research Associate

Expertise:Religion and Public Life

Kirsten Lesage is a Research Associate on Pew Research Center’s Religion and Public Life team, specializing in international survey research. Her research explores religious identities, beliefs and practices around the world. She has worked on surveys examining ‘religious switching’ in 36 countries, religion and spirituality in East Asian societies, and religious tolerance. Kirsten holds a doctorate in developmental psychology from the University of California, Riverside.

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short readsJun 30, 2026

5 facts about religion in the Philippines

Nearly all Filipinos believe in God, most pray daily and 92% identify as Christian, with Catholics as the majority.
short readsJun 18, 2026

Catholics in Latin America generally have positive views of Pope Leo

In six Latin American countries surveyed, most Catholics view Pope Leo XIV favorably, though his ratings trail those Pope Francis received early in his papacy.
short readsMay 27, 2026

How much do you know about NATO? Take our quiz

Test your NATO knowledge and see how you compare to U.S. adults. Americans answer half of five factual questions correctly, on average.
decodedMay 6, 2026

How question wording affects polling on the morality of homosexuality

Americans largely don’t distinguish between the morality of “homosexuality” and “homosexual behavior,” though some subgroups may, according to a new survey experiment.
short readsApr 23, 2026

Catholicism has lost people to religious switching in many countries, while Protestantism has gained in some

Within Christianity, religious switching has affected the two largest subgroups, Catholicism and Protestantism, differently.
short readsMar 26, 2026

Many Latin Americans – especially Protestants – see a role for religion in national leadership, identity and laws

Majorities in Brazil, Colombia and Peru want leaders who stand up for their religious beliefs. Protestants are especially supportive of Christianity in public life.
reportMar 5, 2026

In 25-Country Survey, Americans Especially Likely To View Fellow Citizens as Morally Bad

Across 25 countries, Americans are the most likely to see the morality and ethics of people in their country as somewhat or very bad.
reportJan 21, 2026

Catholicism Has Declined in Latin America Over the Past Decade

Growing numbers of Latin Americans are religiously unaffiliated, but belief in God remains high across the region.
reportNov 5, 2025

People in Middle-Income Countries Say Climate Change Is Affecting Their Community

Large majorities in nine middle-income countries say global climate change is affecting their community. About half or more in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico see a great deal of impact.
reportSep 4, 2025

Many Religious ‘Nones’ Around the World Hold Spiritual Beliefs

Many religious “nones,” which include atheists and agnostics, in 22 countries hold religious or spiritual beliefs, such as in an afterlife or something beyond the natural world.