(RNS) — Since the mid-2000s, the fastest-growing religious group in America has been the so-called nones.The percentage of Americans who claim no religious affiliation nearly doubled from 2007 (16%) to 2022 (31%), becoming a force in American culture and one of the largest segments of the religious landscape, according to Pew Research.
But all things pass. And the skyrocketing growth of the nones may be fading.
“They are not growing as fast as they used to,” said Ryan Burge, associate professor of political science at Southern Illinois University and author of “The Nones: Where They Came From, Who They Are, and Where They Are Going.”
Burge, known for his popular graphs depicting religion trends, told Religion News Service in an interview that the growth of the nones appears to be waning. He pointed to data from Pew, the General Social Survey and the Cooperative Election Study, all of which appear to show a slowdown in the percentage of Americans who claim no religion.
Pew’s most recent published data found that 28% of Americans did not identify with a religion in 2023, a slight dip from the previous year. The CES data, the latest of which was released in May, showed that from 2020 to 2023, the percentage of nones was relatively stable. In 2020, the CES found that 34% of those surveyed were nones, while in 2021 and 2023, that percentage was 36%. (In 2022, 35% of those surveyed were nones.)
“The Rise of the Nones, 2008-2023” (Graphic courtesy Ryan Burge)
“From a pure statistical standpoint, I don’t know if we can say with any certainty …
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But all things pass. And the skyrocketing growth of the nones may be fading.
“They are not growing as fast as they used to,” said Ryan Burge, associate professor of political science at Southern Illinois University and author of “The Nones: Where They Came From, Who They Are, and Where They Are Going.”
Burge, known for his popular graphs depicting religion trends, told Religion News Service in an interview that the growth of the nones appears to be waning. He pointed to data from Pew, the General Social Survey and the Cooperative Election Study, all of which appear to show a slowdown in the percentage of Americans who claim no religion.
Pew’s most recent published data found that 28% of Americans did not identify with a religion in 2023, a slight dip from the previous year. The CES data, the latest of which was released in May, showed that from 2020 to 2023, the percentage of nones was relatively stable. In 2020, the CES found that 34% of those surveyed were nones, while in 2021 and 2023, that percentage was 36%. (In 2022, 35% of those surveyed were nones.)
“The Rise of the Nones, 2008-2023” (Graphic courtesy Ryan Burge)
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