Poll: 4 in 10 Americans Say Religion Is ‘Very Important’

Forty percent of Americans say religion is “very important” in their lives, and nearly 30 percent say they “never” attend religious services, a The Economist/YouGov Poll found.

The results of the poll — which was conducted between May 6-9 with 1,500 U.S. adult citizens at a ±2.8 percent margin of error — mirror other recent polls showing religion’s devalued role in a nation that continues to prioritize self-gratification and secular progressivism.

Eighteen percent of poll respondents say religion is “not at all important” in their lives, while 16 percent say it is “not too important,” and 26 percent say it is “somewhat important.” The percentages are similar to the Wall Street Journal-NORC poll released in March showing that only 39 percent of Americans say religion is “very important” to them.

When asked: “Aside from weddings and funerals, how often do you attend religious services?” the answer “never” had the highest percentage at 28 percent. Both “seldom” and “once a week” garnered 18 percent each, “a few times a year” received 11 percent, “once or twice a month” received eight percent, and “don’t know” was three percent. 

Interestingly, 30 percent of poll respondents report praying “several times a day.” Thirteen percent say they pray once a day or a few times a week, while 12 percent say “seldom” and 16 percent say “never.” 

Thirty-six percent of poll respondents describe themselves as “born again” or evangelical Christians, while 64 percent do not, according to the poll. Twenty percent, or one in five, say their present religion is “nothing in particular.”

Protestant (28 percent) and Roman Catholic (25 percent) were the religions most identified with. Atheists and agnostics comprised five percent each, “something else” came in at seven percent, and no other religion topped five percent.

Polls in recent years have found that Americans perceive a decrease in religious influence in the United States, and place less value on their children sharing their religious views. One found that church attendance and general belief in God has dropped in the U.S. over the past few years. Another poll this year found that a majority of Americans say faith is important to their daily lives, but they worry “too many religious institutions nowadays are watering down or abandoning their traditional beliefs.”