A new survey shows the Rise of the ‘nones,’ and a decline of ‘white Christians’ is slowing.
The Washington, D.C.-based Public Religion Research Institute finds that the share of Americans who identify as religiously unaffiliated has declined slightly. However, more Americans still describe themselves as religiously unaffiliated than affiliate with any particular religious tradition.
PPRI as its known released its first-ever Census of American Religion last week, which provided detailed information about the religious demographics of the United States.
One of the biggest takeaways from the survey is that “the Rise of the ‘Nones’” has slowed.
The term “nones” describes Americans who do not identify with a particular religion and includes atheists and agnostics.
25% of Americans identified as religiously unaffiliated in in 2018. The number fell to 23% in 2020.
The Census of American Religion found that “the decline of white Christian America” has also slowed.
After the share of Americans who identified as white Christians reached a low of 42% in 2018, the percentage of white Christians increased to 44% in 2020.
The Census of American Religion believes it provides the most detailed estimates of American religious affiliation since the U.S. Census Bureau last collected religious data in 1957.