 Data: PRRI. Chart: Axios Visuals Americans increasingly are calling themselves "unaffiliated" with any religion — or rejecting religion altogether — at a time when influential Republicans are leaning into evangelical priorities, Axios' Russell Contreras writes from a new survey. - The survey by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) found 26% of Americans now consider themselves unaffiliated with a religion — 5 points higher than 2013.
Why it matters: That reflects a widening gap between how citizens and lawmakers see religion's role in society.  Zoom in: The GOP is dominated by white evangelicals who have successfully pushed to limit abortion, ban books and restrict LGBTQ+ rights.
- But most people, especially younger Americans, are rapidly moving away from religions that endorse such policies.
- Just a slim majority of Americans (53%) now say religion is important in their lives, down from 72% in 2013.
- The findings suggest Republicans who focus on evangelicals are preaching to a loyal but dwindling audience.
 The big picture: Among Christian groups, Catholics as a whole continue to lose more members than they gain — and are seeing the largest declines in affiliation of any religious group.
- In 2023, 18% of Americans said they grew up as white Catholics. But one-third said they no longer identify as members of their childhood faith.
- 12% of Americans said they grew up as Hispanic Catholics. One-third of them also said they no longer identify as such.
The other side: The percentage of Americans who identify as white evangelical Protestants appears to have stabilized after years of decline. - Black Protestants and Jewish Americans have the highest retention rates of all religious groups.
Explore the data ... Keep reading. | 
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