A new study released yesterday (2-26-2025) by the Pew Research Center shows the decline of Christianity in the US has slowed and may have stabilized. The survey of 36,908 Americans, conducted in 2023 and 2024, found that almost 85% of US adults believe in God or a universal spirit, with 62% identifying as Christian—40% as Protestant and 19% as Catholic.
The news comes after years of steady decline, with previous studies showing 78% of US adults identified as Christian in 2007 and 71% in 2014. The study also found that 29% of Americans are religiously unaffiliated, including atheists, agnostics, and those identifying as “nothing in particular.”
Significant age gaps persist, with only 46% of adults younger than 25 identifying as Christian, compared to 80% of those older than 74. Non-Christian religious groups make up 7.1% of the population, up from 4.7% in 2007.
Unfortunately, in the area where we work, Vermont and New Hampshire, are the states with the highest percentage of people who say religion is not important. About 25% of people in this are take that view.
More Religious Statistics
In the February 2025 Christian Courier Jared Jackson reported these recent facts. “In many places, church attendance is on the decline among younger generations, particularly Gen Z (age 13-28), who are twice as likely to identify as atheists compared to previous generations. Yet, a new Barna study offers hope: 52% of American teens are “very motivated” to learn more about Jesus, showing there’s spiritual interest among today’s youth.” He also gave stats showing that on their website in 2024 the age group of 18-24 included 38,271 active users with a 55.46% engagement rate. (Engagement meant reading more than one article). He closed with this statement:
“These statistics reveal younger readers are open to exploring faith, while older generations remain deeply engaged. We should be encouraged – teens and young adults are searching for truth, and the Christian Courier is reaching them. Now is the time to engage, answer tough questions, and proclaim the gospel to all generations.”
Part of the problem is that many of these people have never seen what the New Testament church is really like. Let’s do our part to invite them to worship with us and let’s live so that they can see true Christianity.
Wayne Burger
