The rise of the religious “nones” is continuing, according to new data, with the percentage of Americans who consider religion “very important” to their lives now dipping below 50%.
Newly published data from Gallup found that, in 2025, the share of U.S. adults who identified as “nones” — those with no religious affiliation at all — reached a record high of 24%, up from 21% and 22% the previous four years. Additionally, 28% said religion is “not very important” in their lives.
The just-released study showed less than half (47%) of American adults say religion is “very important” to their lives, while another 25% described it as “fairly important” to them.
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Over the years, Americans have steadily viewed religion as less valuable to their lives. In the 1950s and 60s, it was “very important” for 70% to 75% of U.S. adults, then, in 2012, it dropped to 58%.
Only six demographic groups remain highly religious today, with more than 50% saying religion is “very important” to them. Those groups are Latter-day Saints, Republicans, Protestant or nondenominational Christians, black adults, those ages 65 and older, and Southerners.
“While religion remains deeply important to major segments of the population … the long-term trajectory shows a steady decline driven largely by generational replacement,” said Megan Brenan, a senior editor at Gallup. “Younger adults are both less likely to identify with a religion and less likely to attend services, reshaping the nation’s religious landscape as they constitute a growing share of the population.”
The shift comes as a greater number of Americans are abandoning organized religion for syncretism, an amalgamation of different religious ideas and philosophies.
Jude 4 could be seen as a warning against such trends: the blending of counter-biblical ideas while suggesting compatibility with Christianity.
The passage reads, “I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (NLT).
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