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Religious Affiliation

Individuals identify with particular religious traditions for theological, doctrinal, cultural or other reasons. Explore Pew Forum publications—including public opinion polls, demographic reports, research studies, event transcripts and interviews—about various faiths and their members.

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The Global Religious Landscape
A country-by-country analysis of data from more than 2,500 censuses, surveys and population registers finds that 84% of adults and children around the globe are religiously affiliated. The study also finds that the median age of two major groups – Muslims (23 years) and Hindus (26) – is younger than the world’s overall population (28), while Jews have the highest median age (36).

 

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ANALYSIS June 19, 2008
Global Anglicanism at a Crossroads
When leaders of the worldwide Anglican Communion gather in Canterbury, England, in mid-July for their decennial Lambeth Conference, they will deliberate over the future of a church that is experiencing deep, and perhaps irreconcilable, internal conflicts.
ANALYSIS May 6, 2008
During U.S. Papal Visit, Media Focused on the Shepherd and His Flock
More than One-Third of Coverage Focused on Sex Abuse Scandal; Few Mentions of 2008 Campaign Pope Benedict XVI speaks to members of the press on board his flight to the United States on April 15, 2008. May 6, 2008 Before the pope's plane - dubbed &...
ANALYSIS May 1, 2008
Religion in China on the Eve of the 2008 Beijing Olympics
According to a 2006 survey by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, 31% of the Chinese public considers religion to be very or somewhat important in their lives, compared with only 11% who say religion is not at all important.
ANALYSIS April 3, 2008
On Eve of Visit, Pope Benedict Still Unknown to Many Americans
Two weeks before his first visit to the United States as spiritual leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI continues to be viewed favorably by a majority (52%) of Americans, which is virtually unchanged from August 2007 (50%).
ANALYSIS March 27, 2008
A Portrait of American Catholics on the Eve of Pope Benedict's Visit to the U.S.
When Pope Benedict XVI arrives in the United States on April 15, he will find a Catholic Church that is undergoing rapid ethnic and demographic changes, and whose flock is quite diverse both in their religious practices and levels of commitment, as well as in their social and political views.
ANALYSIS December 12, 2007
Presidential Election in South Korea Highlights Influence of Christian Community
The upcoming presidential election in South Korea on Dec. 19 is drawing attention to the growing presence of Christianity in a country that as recently as 1960 had fewer than a million Christians.
ANALYSIS December 4, 2007
How the Public Perceives Romney, Mormons
Recent polling from the Pew Research Center finds that Romney, more than any other presidential candidate (Republican or Democrat), is viewed as very religious by the public.
ANALYSIS November 7, 2007
Religious Groups' Presidential Candidate Preferences
As the races for the 2008 presidential nominations heat up, two recent surveys make it possible to examine how the candidates in both political parties are faring among a variety of religious groups.
ANALYSIS October 30, 2007
Widespread Negativity: Muslims Distrust Westerners More than Vice Versa
In 2006, the Pew Global Attitudes Project set out to explore religious tensions, examining how non-Muslims in the West and elsewhere view Muslims, as well as how Muslims think about people in western nations.
ANALYSIS September 28, 2007
Young White Evangelicals: Less Republican, Still Conservative
White evangelical Protestants have been one of the most faithful Republican constituencies in presidential elections in recent years, voting overwhelmingly for GOP candidates.
ANALYSIS September 6, 2007
Clinton and Giuliani Seen as Not Highly Religious; Romney's Religion Raises Concerns
So far religion is not proving to be a clear-cut positive in the 2008 presidential campaign.
ANALYSIS August 21, 2007
Religion and the Presidential Vote: A Tale of Two Gaps
For the presidential candidates and the pundits who write about them, one concern in the 2008 campaign is the "religion gap" - shorthand for the religious differences between Republican and Democratic voters.
ANALYSIS July 6, 2007
How Muslims Compare With Other Religious Americans
Although Muslims constitute a small minority in the United States, and their holy book and many of their religious rituals are distinctly their own, Muslim Americans are by no means "the other" when it comes to religious life or politics in the United States.
ANALYSIS May 30, 2007
A Six-Day War: Its Aftermath in American Public Opinion
For six days, beginning June 5, 1967, Israel battled Egypt, Jordan and Syria. As a result of the fighting, Israel won control of the Sinai desert, the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Golan Heights.
ANALYSIS May 16, 2007
Public Views of Presidential Politics and Mormon Faith
Surveys by the Pew Research Center and other national polling organizations show strong public misgivings about the religion as well as about any presidential candidate who also belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
ANALYSIS May 4, 2007
Can Secular Democracy Survive in Turkey?
By nominating an observant Muslim for the Turkish presidency, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan inadvertently highlighted deep-rooted tensions about the role of religion in the nation's political life.
ANALYSIS April 19, 2007
Pope to Visit 'Pentecostalized' Brazil
Survey Shows Growing Movement Threatens Catholic Dominance Pope John Paul II travels through a shower of confetti in his popemobile during a 1980 visit to Brazil. Photo: RNS April 19, 2007 Updated: May 9, 2007 by Luis Lugo, Director, Pew Forum on ...
ANALYSIS April 3, 2007
Presidential Preferences of White Non-Hispanic Catholics
Key Swing Vote in Recent Elections April 3, 2007 by John Green, Senior Fellow, Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life White non-Hispanic Catholics have become a key swing vote in recent national elections. According to the 2004 exit polls, 56% of...
ANALYSIS April 3, 2007
Giuliani Leads Among White Mainline Protestant Republicans; Four Have Double-Digit Support Among Mainline Democrats
April 3, 2007 by John Green, Senior Fellow, Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life White mainline Protestants have been divided politically in recent national elections. According to the 2004 exit polls, 55% of this group voted for George W. Bush...
ANALYSIS April 2, 2007
Giuliani, McCain Lead Among Evangelical Republicans
23% Still Undecided April 2, 2007 by John Green, Senior Fellow, Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life One of the largest religious groups in the U.S., representing about one-fifth of the electorate, white evangelicals are a strong Republican con...
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