WASHINGTON, D.C., September 2, 2025 (pewresearch.org): Over the past decade, the share of people affiliated with a religion has fallen by at least five percentage points in 35 countries, including drops of 17 points in Australia and Chile, and 13 points in the United States. The article explains this pattern by drawing on a recent study published in Nature Communications, which adopts a “secular transition” framework. The framework suggests that as societies develop, religious change unfolds in three sequential stages: first a drop in religious participation (such as attending worship), then a decline in the personal importance of religion, and finally a decline in formal religious belonging or affiliation.
The pattern varies by region: many African countries are in the early stage of the transition—young adults attend worship services substantially less than their elders, but most still identify with a religion and consider it very important. Countries with different religious backgrounds tend to be at different stages of the secular transition.
Among countries in the medium or late stage, the largest religion is typically Christianity or Buddhism. Muslim-majority countries and Hindu-majority India are in the early stage, and it’s not yet clear whether they will continue the process or stay as they are for a long time.
In contrast, many European countries are in the late stage: attendance and importance of religion are low across generations, but younger adults are much less likely than older ones to identify with any religion. The article also notes exceptions to the pattern—such as post-communist nations with nationalist religious revivals, or countries like Israel where demographics disrupt the typical age‐gap decline in religiosity.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/09/02/how-religion-declines-around-the-world/