The United States’ religious makeup continues to shift, as nearly a third of Americans now identify as religiously unaffiliated, which could include describing oneself as atheist, agnostic, or simply “nothing in particular.”
According to the recent Pew Research Center findings, the number currently stands at about 28 percent, which is actually lower than what was found in recent years – in 2022, the estimate stood at 31 percent.
However, even with the slight dip in year-to-year numbers, the long-term trend is stark: Since 2007, the number of Americans identifying as religiously unaffiliated has grown from 16 percent in 2007 to the 28 percent we see today. As Pew notes, it’s perhaps more telling the stability of this rise rather than the slight drop in a short-term window. The fact is that a significant number of Americans have zero religious affiliation whatsoever, which has helped to completely reshape how the country views and approaches religion in everyday life.
Much of this shift began with the Millennial generation. Both old and young members of the generation have helped drive the increase in religious “nones,” with about 35 percent of adult Millennials identifying as religiously unaffiliated. From the early looks at it, this number will only increase with Gen Z, with some surveys suggesting nearly half of that generation identifies as a religions “none.” Is it any surprise now why no one wants to be a nun these days?
This will continue to effect a major shift in American culture and politics moving forward. The attempts to separate church and state have been in vain in many respects, so what will the United States look like when it’s no longer driven by purely Christian ideology, or no religious ideology whatsoever? At the very least, you probably won’t get that weird pregame prayer before Oklahoma City Thunder games anymore.
