Oct. 21 (UPI) — A new survey finds that the number of U.S. adults with a positive view of religion is on the rise.
A Pew Research Center poll, conducted earlier this year with results released Monday, showed a 13% jump in the number of Americans who answered “yes” when asked whether religion is gaining influence in American life.
Last year, Pew recorded its lowest level for positive views of religion in more than 20 years, with only 18% of U.S. adults expressing a favorable opinion in the survey conducted in February 2024. However, that percentage rose sharply to 31% in February 2025 — marking the highest response rate in 15 years.
“Americans’ views about religion in public life are shifting,” Pew Research wrote Monday in a post on X. “From February 2024 to February 2025, there was a sharp rise in the share of U.S. adults who say religion is gaining influence in American life.”
While still a minority, the rise in positive views on religion is significant. Pew noted gains of at least 10 percentage points across political lines — among Democrats and Republicans alike — as well as among adults of every age group.
In addition to asking whether religion was gaining influence, the survey combined several questions to assess whether U.S. adults overall have a positive or negative view of religion. According to Pew, 59% of respondents expressed a positive view of religion’s influence, 20% expressed a negative view, and the remaining 21% said religion “doesn’t make a difference.”
Among those who said religion is gaining influence, 58% reported feeling significant conflict between their religious beliefs and American culture.
The findings were compiled from a nationally representative Pew Research Center survey of 9,544 U.S. adults.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2025/10/21/religion-survey-pew-research/2701761015330/