Religiosity in the United States
Table of Contents
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The United States is a very diverse country with a wide range of religious beliefs and practices. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2019, around 65% of American adults identify as Christians, including 43% who are Protestants and 20% who are Catholics. This means that approximately 71% of American adults have a religious affiliation.
About 26% of Americans identify as religiously unaffiliated, including atheists, agnostics, and those who describe their religion as “nothing in particular.” The remaining 9% of Americans identify with non-Christian faiths, such as Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism.
While a majority of Americans still identify as Christian, the country has become increasingly diverse in terms of religious beliefs and practices. The percentage of Americans who identify as Christians has been declining over the past decade, while the percentage of religiously unaffiliated Americans has been increasing. Additionally, there is a growing trend of Americans who identify as “spiritual but not religious,” meaning they believe in a higher power or spiritual force but do not adhere to any specific religious doctrine or institution.
The map below shows the importance of religion in each US state by the percentage of people who are “very religious”.
The most religious states
Religiosity varies widely across different states in the United States. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, the following states are generally considered to be the most religious based on the percentage of adults who identify as “highly religious”:
- Mississippi
- Alabama
- Utah
- Tennessee
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- South Carolina
- Oklahoma
- Georgia
- Texas
In these states, a majority of adults identify as “highly religious,” meaning they attend religious services regularly, pray daily, and say that religion is very important in their lives.
It is important to note that religiosity varies within each state, and many factors can influence an individual’s level of religious commitment and practice.
The least religious states
Vermont is the least religious state in the United States .The following states are generally considered to be the least religious based on the percentage of adults who identify as “highly religious”:
- Vermont
- Massachusetts
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Oregon
- Washington
- Hawaii
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Rhode Island
In these states, a lower percentage of adults identify as “highly religious,” meaning they attend religious services less frequently, pray less often, and say that religion is less important in their lives.
How has the religiosity of the United States changed over time?
The religiosity of the United States and individual states has changed over time. Generally, the percentage of Americans who identify as Christian has been declining over the past decade, while the percentage of religiously unaffiliated Americans has been increasing.
For example, according to data from the Pew Research Center, the percentage of adults who identify as Christians declined from 78.4% in 2007 to 65% in 2019. Meanwhile, the percentage of adults who identify as religiously unaffiliated increased from 16.1% in 2007 to 26% in 2019.
The changes in religiosity have varied across different states as well. For example, some states that were historically considered to be more religious, such as Utah and Mississippi, have seen a decline in religiosity over time, while some states that were historically considered to be less religious, such as Colorado and Oregon, have seen an increase in religious diversity and the percentage of religiously unaffiliated adults.
It’s important to note that changes in religiosity can be influenced by a wide range of factors, such as demographic shifts, cultural changes, and generational differences, and that the changes can vary across different regions and populations.
