According to the Christian Post's report on the study, 70% of Americans surveyed in 2026 said they identify with a religion, compared with 71% in 2020. The share who said they pray held steady at 47%, against 48% in 2020, while 44% said religion is very important in their lives, compared with 45% in 2020.
Attendance also showed recovery from the pandemic period, according to Baptist News Global's report on the same study. It said 45% of adults reported attending religious services in the previous month in person, online or on television in 2026, up from 41% in 2021, while in-person attendance alone rose from 13% to 34% over that period.
Younger adults were an exception to the overall stability. According to Baptist News Global, 41% of adults aged 18 to 22 reported attending at least once a month, but only 27% of those aged 23 to 26 did so — the lowest of any age group reported.
Researchers described the overall picture as one of strength and stability rather than continued decline, though the age gap suggests churches and other faith communities will be watching younger adults closely in future surveys.