Religious Americans less likely to believe intelligent life exists on other planets
In the U.S., highly religious adults are much more skeptical about the possibility of extraterrestrial life than those who are less religious.
Spirituality Among Americans
Overall, 70% of U.S. adults describe themselves as spiritual in some way, including 22% who are spiritual but not religious. An overwhelming majority of U.S. adults (83%) say they believe that people have a soul or spirit in addition to their physical body. And 81% say there is something spiritual beyond the natural world, even if we cannot see it.
Religion Among Asian Americans
A rising share of Asian Americans say they have no religion (32%), but many consider themselves close to one or more religious traditions for reasons such as family or culture. Christianity is still the largest faith group among Asian Americans (34%).
In Their Own Words: Cultural Connections to Religion Among Asian Americans
Read about some of the ways focus group participants with ties to different faith traditions explain the complex relationship of religion and culture in their lives.
Chinese Communist Party promotes atheism, but many members still partake in religious customs
Despite the Chinese Communist Party's ban on religion, some 6% of party members formally identify with a religion.
Is China a religious country or not? It’s a tricky question to answer
Based on formal religious identity, China is the least religious country in the world - with just 10% of Chinese adults self-identifying with a religion.
Measuring Religion in China
Only one-in-ten Chinese adults formally identify with a religion, but surveys indicate that religion plays a much bigger role in China when the definition is widened to include questions on spirituality, customs and traditional beliefs.
One-in-six Americans have taken steps to see less of someone on social media due to religious content
17% of U.S. adults have unfollowed, unfriended, blocked or changed their settings to see less of someone on social media because of religious content the person posted or shared.
Many people in U.S., other advanced economies say it’s not necessary to believe in God to be moral
Most Americans say it’s not necessary to believe in God in order to be moral and have good values, according to a spring 2022 survey.
Religious ‘switching’ patterns will help determine Christianity’s course in U.S.
Whether the U.S. will continue to have a Christian majority in 2070 will depend on many factors, including religious “switching.”
Modeling the Future of Religion in America
Since the 1990s, large numbers of Americans have left Christianity to join the growing ranks of U.S. adults who describe their religious identity as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular.” If recent trends in religious switching continue, Christians could make up less than half of the U.S. population within a few decades.
