New findings from the Pew Research Center reveal that childhood experiences significantly influence whether Americans remain in their faith or leave it behind.
Why do some individuals remain committed to the religion in which they were raised, while others choose to abandon their faith altogether? A recent report from the Pew Research Center sheds light on this question, suggesting that the answer often lies in childhood experiences—specifically, whether those experiences were nurturing or harmful.
Utilizing data from Pew’s 2023–24 U.S. Religious Landscape Study and a nationally representative survey of 8,937 adults conducted in May 2025, researchers identified a clear trend: positive early religious experiences are strongly correlated with lifelong religious affiliation, while negative experiences are closely linked to disaffiliation or switching religions later in life.
As noted by the study’s authors, “The nature of people’s religious experiences as children—whether they were mostly positive or negative—plays a significant role in whether they stay in their childhood religion as adults.”
According to the report, 86% of Americans were raised in a religious environment, and 56% still identify with that same faith today. However, religious change is prevalent, with 35% of U.S. adults having switched religions, including 20% who now identify as having no religion at all. Additionally, 9% of respondents reported being raised without a religion and remain unaffiliated today.
For the purposes of the study, switching between denominations within Protestantism did not count as changing religions. The divide between those who remain in their faith and those who leave is stark. Among Americans who described their childhood religious experiences as positive, 84% continued to identify with their childhood faith as adults. In contrast, 69% of those who reported negative childhood religious experiences now identify as religiously unaffiliated.
Family environment also plays a crucial role in religious retention. Americans raised in “highly religious” households were significantly more likely to maintain their faith (82%) compared to those raised in homes with low levels of religiosity (47%).
Retention rates varied notably by religious tradition. Among different faiths, the following percentages of individuals remained affiliated with their childhood religion:
Hindus: 82%
Muslims: 77%
Jews: 76%
Protestants: 70%
Catholics: 57%
Latter-day Saints: 54%
Buddhists: 45%
Interestingly, 73% of those raised without religion remained unaffiliated as adults.
The report also highlights that religious identity is often established early in life. Of those who changed religions, 85% did so before the age of 30, with 46% switching during childhood or their teenage years. Among Americans who were raised religious but now identify as religiously unaffiliated—often referred to as the “nones”—53% left their faith by age 18. Approximately three in ten individuals who switched religions reported that the change occurred during their teenage years.
These findings reinforce previous research indicating that adolescence and young adulthood are critical periods for shaping religious identity.
For those who remain in their childhood faith, the reasons are largely personal and experiential rather than social or political. According to the study, 64% cited their faith’s beliefs as a key reason for staying, while 61% indicated that their faith meets their spiritual needs. Additionally, 51% stated that their religion gives their life meaning.
Only 32% of respondents mentioned social or political teachings as important reasons for maintaining their faith. Protestants (70%) and Catholics (53%) were more likely than Jews (45%) to cite doctrine and beliefs as central to their continued affiliation. In contrast, Jews were more inclined to emphasize community (57%) and tradition (60%) as reasons for remaining Jewish.
Notably, relatively few Americans reported staying in their faith out of obligation. Just 33% of Jews, 30% of Catholics, and 24% of Protestants identified religious duty as a major factor in their continued affiliation.
For those who left religion entirely, belief—or the loss of it—was a central theme. Among former believers who now identify as religiously unaffiliated, 51% stated they stopped believing in their faith’s teachings, while 44% indicated that religion was no longer important to them. Additionally, 42% reported that they gradually drifted away from their faith.
Other contributing factors included dissatisfaction with social or political teachings (38%), scandals involving religious leaders (34%), and unhappiness with how their religion treats women (29%). When asked more broadly about their reasons for being religiously unaffiliated, respondents frequently mentioned that they felt they could lead moral lives without religion (78%), questioned religious teachings (64%), or did not need religion to be spiritual (54%). About half of the respondents expressed distrust in religious organizations (50%) or religious leaders (49%).
Despite decades of change, the proportion of Americans identifying as religiously unaffiliated has stabilized at around 30% since 2020, according to Pew.
The study also uncovered a small but notable countertrend: approximately 3% of Americans raised without religion now identify with a faith. Their reasons for embracing a religion closely mirror those of lifelong believers, including the desire to embrace the faith’s beliefs (61%), have their spiritual needs met (60%), and find meaning in life (55%).
Pew also surveyed parents regarding their children’s religious practices. Just under half of parents with children under 18 reported that their kids pray at night (46%), say grace at meals (43%), read religious stories (43%), or attend services at least once a month (43%).
Protestant parents were the most likely to report regular service attendance (61%), while religiously unaffiliated parents were the least likely (7%). The study found that mothers are approximately twice as likely as fathers to play the primary role in teaching children about religion.
In conclusion, the findings suggest that religion persists not through pressure or obligation, but through meaning, trust, and positive early experiences. As Pew’s data indicates, faith that nurtures tends to endure, while faith that wounds often does not, according to Pew Research Center.










