Belief in God is at its lowest level since Gallup first started asking poll respondents if they have faith in 1944, according to poll results released Friday.
From 1944 through the 1960s, a steady 98% of respondents said they believed in God – which in general refers to a monotheistic deity or higher power. Though most people today (81%) still said they believe in God, the percentage of people who claim to be believers slipped by six percentage points compared to polls conducted from 2013 through 2017.
By 2011, 92% of Gallup survey respondents said they believed in God and the number slipped below 90% in 2013. Overall, 17% of people who responded to the recent poll said they do not believe in God.
Compared to polls conducted from 2013 to 2017, the most recent poll found that the percentage of liberals and younger people who believed in God had an even steeper decline, dropping 10 points or more.
In 2018, a Pew Research Center survey of more than 4,700 U.S. adults finds that one-third of Americans said they do not believe in the God of the Bible.
Recent Gallup results showed that 62% of liberals believe in God, along with 68% of young adults and 72% of people who identify as Democrats.
On the other side of the political spectrum, 94% of Conservatives said they believe in God, as well as 92% of people who identify as Republicans.
While most Americans believe in God, less than half (42%) actually think God hears prayers or can intervene in human life. Just 30% of young adults believe God hears prayers and can intervene.
Results are based on telephone interviews conducted from May 2 to May 22 with random sample of 1,007 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and Washington D.C.
Furthermore, Gallup research has shown that people are participating less with organized religion.
“Gallup has documented steeper drops in church attendance, church membership and confidence in organized religion, suggesting that the practice of religious faith may be changing more than basic faith in God,” said the analytics company.
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