There has been a significant increase over the past year in the percentage of Americans who believe the influence of religion on public life is growing, according to a recent Gallup poll. In the May 2024 survey, one-fifth (20%) of respondents said religion is increasing its influence. In the survey administered in May of this year, the rate had jumped to 34%.
This was the most significant jump in beliefs about religious influence in the U.S. since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw 38% of Americans in April 2020, believing religious influence was growing in the country, up from 19% in December 2019.
Although self-identified liberals (43%) and Democrats (41%) are most likely to believe that religious influence is growing nationwide, around a third of most other subgroups share the same view. This includes 35% of Republicans and 31% of Independents.
At 28%, senior adults aged 65 and older are the least likely generational demographic to believe that religious influence is increasing, with 19- to 29-year-olds, the youngest demographic surveyed, being the most likely at 40%.
Religious identification had little impact on whether respondents perceived an increase in the influence of religion. Among Christians, 33% of Protestants and 35% of Catholics believe religion plays a growing role in public life. Those who claim no religion are only slightly more likely to hold this belief, at 36%.
More information on the Gallup poll, including methodology and a link to topline results, can be found here.
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