Americans’ belief in God hits new low, poll finds. Who’s driving the change?
Fewer Americans than ever believe in God compared with recent years, though some are clinging to their faith more than others, a new survey suggests.
The Gallup Values and Beliefs poll found that 81% of U.S adults believe in God, marking a new low after slipping 6 percentage points from 87% in 2017. In contrast, about 17% of Americans said they don’t believe in a higher being.
Young adults (18-29) and political liberals saw the largest decline in faith, falling “10 or more percentage points” compared with previous Gallup polls, according to the survey published June 17. About 62% of liberals said they believe in God, compared with 68% of young adults and 72% of Democrats.
Belief in God has remained steady and was highest among conservatives (94%) and Republicans (92%), the poll showed. Most other groups saw a modest decline in faith, though it has remained largely unchanged among conservatives and married adults.
A little less than half of Americans (42%) also said they believe God hears prayers and can intervene compared with 11% who said they believe God does neither.
The poll results are based on phone interviews conducted from May 2-22, using a random sample of 1,007 adults aged 18 and older from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., according to the methodology. The margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Americans’ faith in a higher power began to fall after holding steady at 98% during the 1950s and 1960s, Gallup’s poll shows. It dipped to 92% in 2011 and fell again in 2013, holding at 87% through 2017.
“Still, the vast majority of Americans believe in God, whether that means they believe a higher power hears prayers and can intervene or not,” researchers wrote. “And while belief in God has declined in recent years, Gallup has documented steeper drops in church attendance, church membership and confidence in organized religion.”
The company’s Values and Beliefs poll was first published in 1944 and has been used to measure people’s belief in God, according to its website. Similar surveys have been done in recent years, showing a growing number of U.S. adults are turning away from religion.
A 2021 poll by Pew Research Center found that 3 in 10 American adults considered themselves as “either atheist, agnostic or ‘nothing in particular,’ ” McClatchy News reported. That number nearly doubled from 16% in 2007.
Millennials and Gen X’ers seem to be driving “dramatic changes” in beliefs and lifestyles in the U.S., according to the results of a Arizona Christian University survey released in May 2021. Younger Americans are embracing other beliefs, such as horoscopes, over organized religion and traditional biblical teachings, the survey showed.
This story was originally published June 17, 2022 at 9:49 AM with the headline "Americans’ belief in God hits new low, poll finds. Who’s driving the change?."