Dissecting PRRI’s Census of American Religion
Last week, PRRI (Public Religion Research Institute) released its latest Census of American Religion, confirming some trends and revealing others in the religious landscape of the United States. Notably, secular individuals continue to represent a significant portion of the population, accounting for 28% of U.S. adults. While this figure shows no major change from the previous year, there have been some notable shifts in American secularism since the first iteration of the study in 2013.
Overall trend 2013-2025
When comparing the latest findings to those from over a decade ago, the nonreligious cohort has grown from 21% to 28%. In real numbers, the secular adult population increased from about 51 million in 2013 to 75 million in 2025 based on the size of the U.S. adult population at the time. That seven-percentage-point growth in 12 years translates to a 47% growth in real numbers.
Young women are key to secularism’s growth
A closer look at age groups reveals consistent trends: the proportion of secular individuals among those under 30 has increased from 32% in 2013 to 39% in 2025. Though the media focuses on the supposed boom in Christianity among young men, women have a more interesting … and measurable trend. In 2013, 35% of men and 29% of women identified as nonreligious. Looking ahead to 2025, it appears that while men have maintained their level of secularism (35%), women have become less religious (43%), a nearly 50% increase. Young women are more secular than young men.
A core Democratic Party constituency
The political affiliations of the nonreligious also illustrate an evolving landscape. In 2013, only 22% of self-identified Democrats were nonreligious, while that number has risen to 34% in 2025. Conversely, Republican support remains limited, with just a slight increase in nonreligious identification among this group from 10% to 13% of Republicans identifying as nonreligious.
Conclusion
The report is consistent with other surveys, finding that secularism is not in retreat. Though stories of young Christian men are dominating the news, it is in fact the declining religiosity of young women the only measurable religious trend among young people. In the next few weeks, I will be commenting on the findings of the PRRI Census of American Religion as it concerns the secular cohort. I will focus especially on the report’s political trends, as well as demographic aspects, including a deeper dive into race, gender, and sexuality.
