{"id":277102,"date":"2025-10-20T13:50:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T17:50:11","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-05-31T18:50:48","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T22:50:48","slug":"growing-share-of-us-adults-say-religion-is-gaining-influence-in-american-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/10\/20\/growing-share-of-us-adults-say-religion-is-gaining-influence-in-american-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Growing Share of U.S. Adults Say Religion Is Gaining Influence in American Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
About this research<\/summary>\n

This Pew Research Center report examines Americans\u2019 views on religion\u2019s role in public life, including questions about religion\u2019s influence in society, conflict between religious beliefs and mainstream culture, the importance of loving one\u2019s country as part of one\u2019s religious identity, and whether multiple religions may be true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why did we do this?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Center conducts high-quality research to inform the public, journalists and leaders. Studying Americans\u2019 views about religion\u2019s role in public life is a key part of the Center\u2019s long-standing research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about Pew Research Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did we do this?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This report includes findings from a survey of 9,544 U.S. adults who are part of the Center\u2019s American Trends Panel (ATP)<\/a>. The survey was conducted from Feb. 3 to 9, 2025, and has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 1.3 percentage points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This report also includes findings from a separate ATP survey of 8,937 U.S adults conducted from May 5 to 11, 2025. The May survey has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 1.4 percentage points. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the questions used for this report<\/a>, along with the topline<\/a> and survey methodology<\/a> for the February 2025 survey. Here are the questions<\/a>, topline<\/a> and survey methodology<\/a> for the May 2025 survey.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

For our latest survey data about views of religion\u2019s role in public life,\u00a0read our 2026 report,\u00a0\u201cHow Americans Feel About Religion\u2019s Influence in Government and Public Life<\/a>.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Americans\u2019 views about religion in public life are shifting. From February 2024 to February 2025, there was a sharp rise in the share of U.S. adults who say religion is gaining influence in American life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this remains a minority view, it is increasingly held by adults across several demographic groups \u2013 with gains of at least 10 percentage points among Democrats and Republicans, adults in every age category and in most large religious groups.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Line<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The new survey also finds that in recent years, a growing share of the public takes a positive view of religion\u2019s role in society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a February 2024 Pew Research Center poll<\/a>, 18% of U.S. adults said religion was gaining influence in American life. That was the lowest level we had seen in more than two decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A year later, in a February 2025 survey, 31% of U.S. adults said religion was gaining influence in American life \u2013 the highest<\/em> figure we\u2019ve seen in 15 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be sure, most Americans continue to say that religion\u2019s role in society is declining. But the share who take this position fell sharply from 80% in 2024 to 68% in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After answering the question about whether religion is gaining or losing influence, respondents were asked to evaluate the change they identified \u2013 for example, those who said that religion\u2019s influence is declining were asked whether that decline is a good thing or a bad thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We combined these questions to estimate how many Americans have a positive view of religion\u2019s influence in society and how many have a negative view.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n