Why Do Some Americans Leave Their Religion While Others Stay?
Many U.S. adults (35%) have moved on from the religion of their youth. Yet most Americans have not, including a majority – 56% – who still identify with their childhood religion.
Religion
Sign up for our Religion newsletter
Sent weekly on Wednesday
All
Religion
Publications
-
Education of Muslim women is limited by economic conditions, not religion
Muslim societies have gained a reputation in recent decades for failing to adequately educate women. But a new analysis of Pew Research Center data on educational attainment and religion suggests that economics, not religion, is the key factor limiting the education of Muslim women.
-
Religiously, nonwhite Democrats are more similar to Republicans than to white Democrats
While white Democrats are less likely to be religious than Republicans, nonwhite Democrats more closely resemble Republicans overall on certain religious measures.
-
What Unites and Divides Urban, Suburban and Rural Communities
Despite widening gaps in politics and demographics, Americans across community types have a lot in common in key facets of their lives.
-
Most U.S. Muslims observe Ramadan by fasting during daylight hours
More Muslim adults say they fast during Ramadan than say they pray five times a day or attend mosque weekly.
-
Blacks more likely than others in U.S. to read the Bible regularly, see it as God’s word
Black adults in the U.S. are more likely than most other Americans to read scripture regularly and to view it as the word of God.
-
The number of refugees admitted to the U.S. has fallen, especially among Muslims
The number of Muslim refugees admitted to the U.S. in the first half of fiscal 2018 has dropped from the previous year more than any other religious group.
-
Key findings about Americans’ belief in God
The overwhelming majority of Americans, including a majority of the religiously unaffiliated, say they believe in God or a higher power. Read six key takeaways from a report on Americans’ belief in God.
-
When Americans Say They Believe in God, What Do They Mean?
Nine-in-ten Americans believe in a higher power, but only a slim majority believe in God as described in the Bible.
-
Black Americans are more likely than overall public to be Christian, Protestant
Nearly eight-in-ten black Americans identify as Christian, compared with 70% of whites, 77% of Latinos and just 34% of Asian Americans.
-
Video: Being Muslim in the U.S.
This video offers a look inside the beliefs and attitudes of Muslims in America; it features data from Pew Research Center’s 2017 survey, as well as the personal stories of Muslims from across the United States.
REfine Your Selection
Date
Years
Formats
Regions & Countries
Research Teams
Authors
Signature Reports
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.
47% of U.S. Adults Have a Personal or Family Connection to Catholicism
Nearly half of U.S. adults are connected to Catholicism. Read about going to Mass, Communion, confession and more.
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.
Key Findings From the Global Religious Futures Project
The Global Religious Futures (GRF) project is jointly funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and The John Templeton Foundation. Here are some big-picture findings from the GRF, together with context from other Pew Research Center studies.
