A staunch belief in the existence of God is shared only by about half of Americans, new findings revealed.
34 percent of Americans never even cross the threshold of a church, according to the 2022 General Social Survey, released by NORC, a research organization at the University of Chicago. This figure is the highest recorded in five decades of surveys, it was added.
According to surveys going back to 2008, over 60 percent were unwavering in their belief in God, but now the US is facing an increasingly non-religious population. Church membership, attendance, and belief in God have all declined, scholars say. The same General Social Survey in earlier years found that 29 percent of Americans were not religious in 2021. That was up from 5 percent of those who did not embrace any religion in 1972.
The survey has been conducted by NORC since 1972. Its goal, as per the website, is to "monitor societal change and study the growing complexity of American society," observing how "the public's attitudes and opinions may have shifted in recent years."
How Many Americans Are Atheist?
Another report appeared to corroborate these findings on religion in the US. 27 percent of Americans claimed no religion in 2022 - up from 16 percent in 2006. As for the importance of religion, only 16% of Americans said that it was the most important thing in their life. Meanwhile, back in 2013, surveyed Americans were more likely to say that religion was either the most important thing in their life (20%) or one among many important things (43%).
Screenshot of report from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) tracking importance of Religion in the United States.
© Photo : Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), / Religion and Congregations in a Time of Social and Political Upheaval
According to researchers, church congregations in the US have been dwindling. About 4,500 Protestant churches closed in 2019, with about 3,000 new churches opening, according to Lifeway Research. According to Lifeway survey, in 2017, seven out of 10 young adults aged between 18 and 22 who had previously attended church regularly had stopped doing so.
"The younger generation just doesn’t feel like they’re being accepted in a church environment or some of their choices aren’t being accepted," Scott McConnell, of Lifeway Research, stated.
Some scholars believe the declining faith trend is more of a generational one, as surveys reveal the share of Americans claiming no religion rises with younger age groups progressively, according to data from the Survey Center on American Life.