Religion Is on the Decline as More Adults Check ‘None’

UNITED STATES
Wall Street Journal

October 17, 2019

By Ian Lovett

Less than half of American adults attend church regularly, while 26% claim no religious affiliation

Religiosity in the U.S. is in sharp decline.

Less than half of American adults attend church regularly, while 26% claim no religious affiliation, according to a study released by the Pew Research Center on Thursday, with the ranks of people who don’t adhere to any faith growing fast while church attendance has fallen steeply.

Christians make up 65% of the U.S. adult population, according the 2018-2019 study, down from 77% in 2009. At the same time, those who don’t identify with any religion—often known as “nones”—now make up more than a quarter of the population, compared with 17% a decade ago. Only 45% of adults said they attended church at least once a month, down from 52% in 2009.

The data reflect a…