Declining Religiosity

Gallup reports:

A slim majority of Americans (55%) say religion can answer all or most of today's problems. Although this percentage has declined substantially over time, it has been relatively stable over the past year and a half and is up from the all-time low of 51% in May 2015.

The current results are based on Gallup's May 3-7 Values and Beliefs poll.

In 1957, a time of greater religious commitment in the United States, 82% of Americans said that religion could answer all or most of the day's problems. As recently as 2002, 66% of U.S. adults expressed the same sentiment. But the measure has declined since then, reaching 51% -- the all-time low -- in May 2015. However, Americans' views on religion's relevance in answering problems have since stabilized in the 53% to 55% range. The broad trend aligns with declines in church attendance and fewer Americans saying they believe in God or a creationist viewpoint.

Meanwhile, the 34% of Americans who today say religion is "largely old-fashioned and out of date" is up from 7% in 1957 and near the all-time high of 35% for this view. The remaining 10% of Americans today have no opinion on whether religion can solve today's problems.