Christians could make up less than 50 per cent of US population by 2070

A new study has been released which suggests that Christians could make up less than 50 per cent of the US population by 2070.

The religious makeup of the country could look very different in decades to come, as the changes that have taken place over time in US society since the 70s continue.

As the new report by Pew Research states, up to 90 per cent of US citizens identified as being Christians in 1972.

However, that number fell to 64 per cent in 2020. Meanwhile, around 30 per cent of people had no religion and around six per cent identified as being a believer in religions such as Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

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According to the new research, the trend is partly down to “religious switching” where people stop identifying with the religion they were raised with.

Christians accounted for a whopping 90 per cent of the US population in 1974iStock

The research projects that if switching continued at the rate the US is currently experiencing, Christians would account for less than 50 per cent of the population by 2070. Despite the change, Christians would still be the biggest religious group in the US.

In that scenario, people who identify as being religiously unaffiliated would be at 34 per cent.

In other possible scenarios proposed in the study, if no more religious switching was to take place, Christians would represent 54 per cent of the population. If there was to be an increase in switching levels, though, Christians could represent as few as 35 to 39 per cent.

“Though some scenarios are more plausible than others, the future is uncertain, and it is possible for the religious composition of the United States in 2070 to fall outside the ranges projected,” the report states.

“New patterns of religious change could emerge at any time. Armed conflicts, social movements, rising authoritarianism, natural disasters, or worsening economic conditions are just a few of the circumstances that sometimes trigger sudden social – and religious – upheavals.”

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