Research Claims America is More Atheist than Ever Before

Carrie Dedrick | Updated: May 12, 2015

Research Claims America is More Atheist than Ever Before

A new study by the Pew Research Center claims that the number of Americans who do not affiliate themselves with any religion has grown to 56 million, an all-time high. The group, called the “nones,” is now the second largest group in the United States; evangelicals are the largest religious group. 

The AP reports that the nones group contains 31 percent atheists, a rise from 25 percent in 2007. The nones also include people who say they believe in God but do not associate with any religion, as well as those who consider themselves “spiritual” but do not believe in God. 

Greg Smith, Pew research director, said the survey findings “point to substantive changes” among those who do not affiliate with any religion. Non-affiliated people have grown increasingly organized as they fight to keep religion separated from public life through lawsuits. 

Pew’s research says that Christianity remains the dominant religion in the Unites States, with 7 in 10 Americans identifying as Christians. However, Christianity is in decreasing in the nation; Christians dropped from 78 percent of the population in 2007 to 71 percent in 2014. 

Publication date: May 12, 2015



Research Claims America is More Atheist than Ever Before