It is shrinking.
There is no other way to put it. If you walked down a busy street in 1970 and started counting, nine out of every ten people you passed would have likely identified as Christian. Today? You might not even get to seven. According to recent data from the Pew Research Center, the percentage of america that is christian currently hovers around 63%. That is a massive slide from the 90% mark we saw just fifty years ago.
But numbers are cold. They don't tell you about the empty pews in rural Methodist churches or the explosion of "coffee shop" non-denominational plants in suburban warehouses. People aren't just leaving; they are shifting.
The Great Dechurching and the Rise of the Nones
Why is this happening? Honestly, it isn't just one thing. It's a messy cocktail of politics, scandals, and a genuine cultural shift in how we define "belonging."
The fastest-growing group in the United States isn't a specific religion. It's the "Nones." These are the people who check the box for "religiously unaffiliated." They aren't all atheists. In fact, many of them are quite spiritual. They just don't want the label. They’re tired of the baggage.
Ryan Burge, a political science professor and a pastor himself, has written extensively about this. He notes that the percentage of america that is christian is being squeezed by a generational handoff that is, frankly, failing. Older generations—the Builders and Boomers—are staying put. They are the bedrock of the 63%. But Gen Z? They are walking away at rates we’ve never seen before.
It’s a lopsided reality.
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In some parts of the Bible Belt, you wouldn't even know a shift is happening. Life still revolves around the church calendar. But move to the Pacific Northwest or New England, and being an active Christian makes you a statistical outlier.
Does "Christian" Even Mean the Same Thing Anymore?
This is where it gets tricky. If you ask a researcher about the percentage of america that is christian, they rely on self-identification.
If someone says they are Christian because their grandma was and they go to church on Christmas Eve, they count. They are in the 63%. But if you look at "practicing Christians"—people who attend service at least once a month and say their faith is very important—that number drops off a cliff.
The Barna Group defines practicing Christians as a much smaller subset, often landing closer to 25% of the population. That is a staggering gap. It means millions of Americans are "culturally" Christian but functionally secular. They like the holidays. They like the morals, maybe. But the actual pews? They’re empty.
Projections for the Future: Where Are We Heading?
If current trends continue, the United States might not be a majority-Christian nation by 2045 or 2050. Pew modeled several scenarios, and even the most "stable" one shows a steady decline.
- The Steady State: If switching stops entirely (unlikely), the percentage stays in the 60s.
- The Accelerated Decline: If more young people leave as they hit their 20s, the number could dip below 50% in just a few decades.
It feels weird to imagine an America where Christianity is a minority faith. For centuries, the two have been culturally synonymous. But we are watching a divorce in real-time.
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The Immigration Factor
Here is something people often miss: immigration is actually propping up the numbers.
While native-born Americans are leaving the faith, many people moving to the U.S. from Latin America and parts of Sub-Saharan Africa are devoutly Christian. Without this influx, the percentage of america that is christian would be falling much, much faster. Specifically, the growth of the Hispanic Catholic and Pentecostal communities has acted as a massive shock absorber for the decline seen in mainline Protestant denominations like the Episcopalians or Presbyterians.
Mainline churches are in trouble. They are aging out.
Evangelical churches are holding on a bit better, but even they have seen their first real "downward" ticks in the last decade. It’s no longer just a "liberal church" problem. It’s an across-the-board reality.
The Cultural Ripple Effect
What happens when the percentage of america that is christian drops?
Social capital changes. Historically, churches were the "third place"—the spot where you met neighbors, found babysitters, and organized food drives. As that disappears, we are seeing a rise in loneliness. People are trying to find that community elsewhere, but CrossFit and Facebook groups aren't exactly the same as a thousand-year-old tradition.
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There is also the political angle. We can't ignore it. The "Christian Vote" is still a powerhouse, but its influence is becoming more concentrated and, arguably, more defensive. When a group feels its majority status slipping, it tends to vote differently. It becomes about preservation.
Real Talk: Is Christianity Dying?
No. That's a dramatic oversimplification.
It’s refining.
The people staying are often more committed than the "cultural" Christians of the 1990s. We are seeing the death of "Social Christianity"—the kind where you joined a church because it was good for your business reputation. Now, there’s no real social benefit to being Christian in most major cities. In some circles, it’s actually a liability.
So, the people left in the 63%? They generally want to be there.
Actionable Insights for Understanding the Data
If you are trying to make sense of these statistics for a project, a sermon, or just out of personal curiosity, keep these points in mind to avoid being misled by headlines.
- Look for the "Nones": Whenever you see a study on the percentage of america that is christian, immediately look for the growth of the religiously unaffiliated. That is the "inverse" number that tells the real story.
- Differentiate by Denomination: The "Christian" umbrella is too big. Catholic numbers stay steady due to immigration, while Mainline Protestants (Methodists, Lutherans) are declining rapidly.
- Check the Age Brackets: The national average is 63%, but among people over 70, it’s likely 80%+. Among people under 25, it might be closer to 40%. The future is in the youth data, not the aggregate.
- Geography Matters: Don't apply national percentages to local markets. A business or nonprofit in Mississippi faces a completely different religious landscape than one in Seattle.
The data is clear: the American religious landscape is being terraformed. We are moving toward a pluralistic society where Christianity is a large piece of the pie, but no longer the whole pie. Understanding this shift isn't just about religion—it's about understanding the future of American community, politics, and identity.
To stay informed on this, track the biennial "Religious Landscape Study" updates from Pew. They provide the most granular look at how these shifts actually manifest in day-to-day American life.