Mar 31, 2021 08:00:00

For the first time in the last 80 years, the percentage of 'people who belong to the church' falls below 50%

When a Christian is baptized in a church, a 'church register' is created in that church. And those who have church registration will be called 'church members'. The proportion of church members in the United States has been declining so far, but on March 29, 2021, it was found that the proportion of church members fell below 50% for the first time in 80 years since the polls began. ..

US Church Membership Falls Below Majority for First Time

https://news.gallup.com/poll/341963/church-membership-falls-below-majority-first-time.aspx

Gallup, which conducts polls, has been investigating the proportion of church members in American adults since 1937. There were 73% of church members in 1937, but it has been particularly declining since 2000, reaching 50% in 2019 and finally falling below 50% to 47% in 2020. became.

An increasing number of people in the United States are not expressing their religious choices, and a 1998-2000 survey showed that the percentage increased from only 8% to 21% between 2008 and 2010. .. Part of the decline in the proportion of church members is believed to be related to this tendency. On the other hand, it is believed that an increasing number of people are not official members of the Church, despite their religious choices.

There is also a big difference between generations, 66% of the generations born before 1946 are members of the church, and 58% of the baby boomer generations born by 1964 are members of the church, but the X generation born by the early 1980s. In the case of, 50%, and 36% of millennials born by the mid-1990s. Generation Z, born after mid-2020, has not yet reached adulthood, but Gallup said it was close to millennials in terms of adulthood.

In particular, millennials and Gen Z have a marked increase in the proportion of people who do not have a religion. Millennials have increased by more than 10% in 10 years.

Also, especially among millennials, the percentage of people who become members of the Church has decreased significantly, even if they recognize that they belong to a particular religion.