Share of Americans who believe in God 1944-2022

Belief in God has historically been a persistent aspect of American society, with 96 percent of surveyed Americans saying that they believed in God in 1944. However, the share of Americans who believed in God has decreased steadily over time after reaching a peak of 98 percent in the 1950s and 60s. As of 2022, the share of Americans who believed in God had fallen to 81 percent.

Religious participation and practice

There has been a significant reduction in participation within religious organizations in the United States, with Americans found less likely to attend church or become members of a church. While 70 percent of Americans belonged to a church, synagogue, mosque, or temple in 1999, this number dropped to 47 percent by 2021. This decline in church membership may have contributed to Americans’ waning belief in God, as continuous religious practice has been attributed to greater faith and religious conviction. 74 percent of Americans who attended religious services weekly believed that God hears prayers and intervenes, in comparison to 28 percent of Americans who seldom or never attended religious services.

Younger Americans less likely to believe

While most U.S. adults still believe in God, younger Americans are less likely to share this belief. Older generations of Americans were more likely to participate in religious services while growing up, with 68 percent of the Silent Generation reporting that they attended Sunday school or another religious education program, while Generation Z were more likely to have lacked any sort of religious upbringing in the United States. In 2021, 15 percent of Gen Z said that they had never been religious.