Americans Say Religion Gaining Influence In Society — And Most Say It’s A Good Thing
NEW YORK — American attitudes about religion’s role in public life are shifting as a growing share of adults saying religion is gaining influence in society — and most view that trend positively, according to a new study.
Between February 2024 and February 2025, the percentage of U.S. adults who believe religion is gaining influence in American life jumped from 18% to 31%, according to a Pew Research Center survey released on Monday.
While still a minority view, Pew said it marks the highest level in 15 years and a sharp reversal from 2024, when the share was at its lowest in more than two decades. At the same time, the share of Americans who said religion is losing influence dropped significantly — from 80% in 2024 to 68% in 2025.
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The survey, conducted between Feb. 3-9 among 9,544 U.S. adults, found that these changing perceptions are widespread. Increases of at least 10 percentage points were recorded across political lines (among both Democrats and Republicans), all age groups and most major religious affiliations.
The study specifically asked on Americans’ view of Christianity’s influence on American life. Pew found that 48% of Americans said Christianity’s influence on American life is decreasing. By contrast, 27% said Christianity’s influence is increasing.
The findings suggest a growing openness — or perhaps a desire — for religion to play a more visible role in American public life, even as cultural tensions around faith appear to be rising. There are, however, sizable differences across demographic groups.
‘Gaining influence’
Overall, nearly seven-in-10 U.S. adults said religion is “losing influence in American life,” while about three-in-10 believe “religion is gaining influence.”
“The view that religion is losing influence in American life is a majority position across most large religious groups, political parties and age groups, and it has been for many years,” the 30-page report said.
Jewish Americans, the survey found, are “the only group in this analysis without a clear majority saying religion is losing influence”: 55% said religion is losing influence, which is not significantly greater than half once the survey’s margins of error are taken into account.
The report added: “Nevertheless, between 2024 and 2025, nearly all large U.S. religious groups have become more likely to say religion is gaining influence. This shift can be seen — to varying degrees — among religiously affiliated and unaffiliated Americans, Republicans and Democrats, and younger and older Americans.”
More Americans also appear to view religion’s influence in a positive light. Asked whether the increasing or decreasing influence of religion is a good or bad thing, 59% of respondents expressed a positive view — either because they see religion gaining influence and welcome it or because they see it declining and lament the change.
Only 20% expressed a negative view of religion’s role in society, and the remaining 21% were neutral or unsure.
These attitudes mark a significant shift over the past five years. The share of Americans with a positive view of religion’s influence is now noticeably higher than it was in both 2019 and 2022.
Conflict with mainstream culture
About nine-in-10 White evangelical Protestants (92%) have “a positive view of religion’s role in public life,” followed by majorities of Black Protestants (75%), Catholics (71%) and White Protestants (67%).
Pew also found a generational divide on the question.
“On average, older Americans are more likely than young Americans to express a positive view of religion’s influence in public life,” the report added. “For example, 71% of adults ages 65 and older express a positive view of religion, compared with 46% of 18- to 29-year-olds.”
But Pew also found that a majority if Americans feel a conflict between their religious beliefs and secular mainstream culture.
“For the first time since we began asking this question in 2020, a majority of U.S. adults (58%) say they feel at least some conflict,” the report said. “That’s up 10 percentage points from February 2024 and up 16 points from February 2020.”
The Pew report added: “This view is held by roughly half or more of Americans in both political parties and all age groups — and in every religious group analyzed, with the exception of those who say their religion is ‘nothing in particular.’”
Clemente Lisi is executive editor of Religion Unplugged.