Most Americans who leave the religion they were raised in do so before the age of 30, often because they no longer believe its teachings, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center.
The report, published on 15 December and titled Why Do Some Americans Leave Their Religion While Others Stay?, draws on survey data from nearly 9,000 adults collected in May, alongside findings from Pew’s 2023 to 2024 Religious Landscape Study.
Pew found that 56 per cent of US adults still identify with the religion of their childhood. Around 35 per cent say they have left their childhood faith, while a further 9 per cent were not raised in any religion and remain unaffiliated.
Catholics show lower retention rates than most other major religious groups. Only 57 per cent of those raised Catholic still identify as such in adulthood. This compares with much higher retention among Hindus (82 per cent), Muslims (77 per cent), Jews (76 per cent) and Protestants (70 per cent). About 13 per cent of US adults are former Catholics.
Among Americans raised Catholic, 14 per cent have become Protestant, making up around 4 per cent of the total adult population. Others have joined the growing group known as religious “nones”, who identify as atheist, agnostic or having no particular religion.
The most common reason former Catholics gave for leaving the Church was no longer believing in its teachings, cited by 46 per cent. Other frequently mentioned reasons included scandals involving clergy or church leaders (39 per cent), disagreement with Church positions on social and political issues (37 per cent), and gradually drifting away from religious life (35 per cent).
More than one-third said religion had stopped being important to them or that their spiritual needs were not being met. Smaller but notable numbers pointed to dissatisfaction with the Church’s treatment of women or described Catholicism as out of date. Very few said they left because they married someone of another faith.
Age was a strong factor in religious retention. Among those aged 65 and over, nearly three-quarters still follow the religion they grew up with. By contrast, only 55 per cent of adults under 30 do so, with more than one-third now identifying with no religion.
Political identity also played a role. Adults who identify as Republican or lean Republican were more likely to retain their childhood religion than those who identify as Democrat or lean Democrat.
Pew also found clear differences between former Catholics who became Protestant and those who became religiously unaffiliated. Those who joined Protestant churches were more likely to say they felt called to a new faith or that their spiritual needs were better met. Those who became “nones” were more likely to say they stopped believing religious teachings altogether and felt they could live moral or spiritual lives without organised religion.
Childhood religious experience emerged as one of the strongest indicators of whether people remain religious as adults. Lifelong Catholics were far more likely to report positive religious experiences growing up, including regular Mass attendance and religious practices at home.
Former Catholics who are now Protestant were more likely to have had an active religious upbringing than those who are now unaffiliated. Pew found that frequent worship, prayer at home and conversations about faith during childhood were all linked to higher rates of adult religious involvement.
The study also noted that Protestant parents are more likely than Catholic parents to describe their households as highly religious and to involve their children in regular religious activities.
Overall, Pew concluded that leaving religion is far more common than joining it later in life. Only about 3 per cent of US adults moved from having no religion in childhood to identifying with one as adults, usually because they came to believe its teachings or found meaning and spiritual fulfilment through faith.
Adapted from NCR.
