Gallup: 31% of Americans Go to Church Every Week or Almost Every Week

(CNS News) — A new survey shows that 31% of Americans go to church, synagogue, or mosque every week or almost every week. However, the same poll shows that 58% seldom or never go to church.

In the survey of 2,019 adults living in all 50 states and D.C.,  Gallup asked, “How often do you usually attend church, synagogue, mosque or temple — every week, almost every week, about once a month, seldom, or never?”

In response, 22% said every week, 9% said almost every week, and 10% said about once a month.

Twenty-five percent said they seldom go to church and 33% said they never go. 

Gallup also asked, “When you were growing up, how often did you attend church, synagogue or mosque — every week, almost every week, about once a month, seldom or never?”

In response, 50% said every week and 17% said almost every week. Only 15% said seldom and 8% said never.

So, that combined 67% that went regularly to church as kids has fallen to 31% attending as adults. This suggests “the changes in church attendance have occurred within the current generation of parents and children,” said Gallup.

“The results suggest adults’ experience as children was similar to that of their parents, but today’s adults have very different religious habits,” reported Gallup. “Among adults who have children under 18, 31% regularly attend, providing an indication of the frequency with which today’s children attend — far less than children from the prior two generations.”

“These findings are consistent with prior Gallup research documenting steep declines in U.S. religiosity in recent decades,” reported the survey firm.

Also, Gallup found that, “Young adults are less likely than older adults to have a religious affiliation and, likewise, to attend church. They are also less likely to report they attended church as children.”

The polling company also discovered that few non-religious Americans are curious about exploring religion. 

For instance, with those adults who do not have a religious preference, Gallup asked, “How interested are you in exploring religion in the future — very interested, moderately interested, a little interested or not interested at all?”

In response, 75% said they were “not interested at all.” Only 3% said they were “very interested.” 

“This Christmas, the U.S. remains a religious nation, with about 80% having a religious affiliation, including about seven in 10 who affiliate with a Christian faith,” reported Gallup.  “However, the U.S. is clearly a less religious nation than it has been in the past, given steep declines over the past two decades in religious identification, church membership and church attendance.” (Emphasis added.) 

“And while a religious upbringing is associated with regular church attendance in adulthood, the majority of those who say they went to church frequently as children attend infrequently, if at all, as adults,” Gallup concluded.

To read the survey, click here. 

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