Religious Identity & Affiliation

short readsMay 27, 2014

Mexicans, Dominicans are more Catholic than most other Hispanics

Differences exist among Hispanics’ religious affiliation when they are looked at by their country of origin: Mexicans and Dominicans are more likely than most other Hispanic origin groups to say they are Catholic.
reportMay 7, 2014

The Shifting Religious Identity of Latinos in the United States
reportMay 17, 2013

The Religious Affiliation of U.S. Immigrants: Majority Christian, Rising Share of Other Faiths

A Pew Research Center report looks at how the religious makeup of legal immigrants to the U.S. has changed over the past 20 years. While Christians continue to make up a majority of new legal permanent residents, a growing share belong to other faiths
reportAug 9, 2012

The World’s Muslims: Unity and Diversity

The world’s Muslims are united in their belief in God and the Prophet Muhammad and are bound together by such religious practices as fasting during Ramadan and almsgiving to assist the needy. But they have widely differing views about other aspects of their faith, including how important religion is to their lives, who counts as a Muslim and what practices are acceptable in Islam.
reportAug 6, 2012

How Many U.S. Sikhs?

The August 5 shootings at the Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis., left six dead and many questions about the motives behind the tragedy. News coverage of the event has focused on why the alleged gunman targeted people at the Sikh Temple and has turned attention to the Sikh community, a religious group with a […]
reportOct 19, 2010

I’m BOTH Jewish and an atheist. How would you classify me in your reports?

Senior research staff answer questions from readers relating to all the areas covered by our seven projects, ranging from polling techniques and findings, to media, technology, religious, demographic and global attitudes trends.
reportNov 9, 2009

Religious Landscape Survey Data Release

Data files from the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, including interviews with a representative sample of more than 35,000 U.S. adults, are now available to the public for further study and analysis.
reportOct 28, 2009

The “Zeal of the Convert”: Is It the Real Deal?

A common perception about individuals who switch religions is that they are very fervent about their new faith. A new analysis by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life provides quantitative support for this piece of conventional wisdom often referred to as the “zeal of the convert.” The analysis finds that people […]
reportApr 27, 2009

Faith in Flux

Revised February 2011* Americans change religious affiliation early and often. In total, about half of American adults have changed religious affiliation at least once during their lives. Most people who change their religion leave their childhood faith before age 24, and many of those who change religion do so more than once. These are among […]
featureApr 2, 2009

Not All Nonbelievers Call Themselves Atheists

American Atheists, a group that advocates on behalf of atheists in the U.S., will hold its national convention later this month. According to the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life, 5% of American adults say they do not believe in God or a universal spirit, […]