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America Is Losing Its Faith: Religious Nones Hit All Time Record as Fewer Than Half Say Religion Matters

A record 24% of Americans now identify as religious nones while only 47% say religion is very important in their lives.

Michael Ringer

Michael Ringer

— 3 min read
Americans in a church setting reflecting the decline of religious engagement across the United States according to Gallup polling data

Nearly 1 in 4 Americans Now Claim No Religion as Faith Hits Historic Lows Across the Nation

A new Gallup poll based on interviews with more than 13,000 U.S. adults across monthly 2025 surveys has revealed a staggering milestone: 24% of Americans now identify as religious "nones," meaning they claim no formal religious identity. This marks the highest share ever recorded since Gallup began tracking the figure at just 2% in 1948.

For the first time, fewer than half of American adults say religion is "very important" in their lives. Only 47% gave that response, a sharp decline from 58% in 2012 and a far cry from the 70% to 75% who said the same in the 1950s and 1960s. Another 25% described religion as "fairly important," while 28% said it is "not very important."

Americans' relationship with religion continues to evolve, marked by fewer adults describing religion as central to their lives, rising religious nonaffiliation and persistently low levels of religious service attendance.

Megan Brenan, senior editor at Gallup, said in the report.

Weekly church attendance has also dropped to 31%, down from 44% in 1992. A full 57% of Americans now say they seldom or never attend religious services.

Six demographic groups still maintain majority levels of religiosity, with between 55% and 67% saying faith is very important: Latter day Saints, Republicans, Protestant and nondenominational Christians, Black adults, adults aged 65 and older, and Southerners.

A separate 2025 academic study published in the journal Socius found that young people are increasingly leaving organized religion in favor of personalized spiritual perspectives that combine elements from different faiths, often in response to perceived bureaucratization within religious institutions.

Record Share of Americans Abandon Organized Religion as Church Attendance Plummets

Empty wooden church pews in a quiet sanctuary with sunlight streaming through stained glass windows, symbolizing declining religious attendance in America

The United States now lags further behind the global median for religiosity and is drawing closer to the median for other advanced economies. Since 2007, few countries have measured larger declines in religious engagement, according to Gallup's global comparison data.

The trend is especially pronounced among younger Americans, with 61% of young adults saying they seldom or never attend religious services. The data paints a picture of a nation undergoing its fastest religious shift in modern history, with an estimated 15,000 churches expected to close their doors this year alone.

The Crusader's Opinion

Let these numbers burn into your conscience. Nearly one in four Americans now say they belong to nothing. No church. No faith. No anchor. And the culture cheers this as "progress." Meanwhile, 73 million unborn are slaughtered globally each year and the world shrugs. The emptying of our pews is not some natural evolution. It is the fruit of decades of relentless cultural assault on Christianity, from our schools, our media, our courts, and yes, even from within our own lukewarm congregations. The West was built on the rock of Christ. Without that foundation, it will crumble. Every closed church door is a victory for the enemy. Every "none" is a soul we failed to reach. This is not the time to retreat. This is the time to fight harder, pray louder, and plant churches in every community that has lost one.

Take Action

  • Invite someone who has left the faith to your church this Sunday. A personal invitation is the most powerful evangelism tool there is.
  • Support church planting in communities where churches have closed. Donate to North American Mission Board (NAMB) or your denomination's church planting initiative.
  • Support persecuted Christians worldwide who risk their lives for the faith we take for granted. Give at www.TheShepherdsShield.org or Open Doors USA.
  • Engage your children and grandchildren in conversations about faith. Do not outsource their spiritual formation to a culture that mocks Christianity.
  • Contact your local school board about religious liberty protections. Find your representatives at USA.gov.
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