The United States is facing a serious decline in religious belief. The number of Americans who believe in God has dropped to the lowest level in the 78 years Gallup has asked the question, per a recent poll.
Driving the news: 81% of U.S. adults say they believe in God — down 6 points from 2017.
- Belief in God dropped the most among young adults, liberals and Democrats, with these groups showing a drop of 10 or more percentage points compared to an average of polls from 2013 to 2017, Gallup found.
More than 90% of Americans believed in God between 1944 and 2011.
- Conservatives and married adults experienced little change in beliefs, and other subgroups, including education level and ages, experienced but a modest decline.
By the numbers: 62% of liberals, 68% of young adults and 72% of Democrats say they believe in God. These groups experienced the largest declines in beliefs, Gallup notes.
- Belief in God is highest among political conservatives, with 94% saying they believe in God, and Republicans, with 92% saying so.
Between the lines: While the decline in religious belief means the percentage of Americans who believe in God is down over the last five years — and down even more when compared to the last several decades — a majority of Americans still believe in God, Gallup found.
