86% of Americans were raised in a religion | Pew Research Center

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February 7, 2025

5. Religious upbringing and childhood education

86% of Americans were raised in a religion

86% of Americans were raised in a religion

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86% of Americans were raised in a religion

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5. Religious upbringing and childhood education
Most Americans say they were raised in a religion, grew up going to religious services at least monthly
55% of Americans who grew up in families in which religion was very important say religion is very important in their own lives today
86% of Americans were raised in a religion
Among Americans raised as Christians, 78% say they grew up going to church at least once a month
45% of Americans say religion was very important to their family growing up
Most U.S. adults say they received at least some formal religious education as a kid
35% of U.S. adults received ‘a lot’ of formal religious education as children
Compared with older U.S. adults, fewer young people say they were raised in a religion or received a lot of religious education
People who went to religious services at least monthly growing up say they go more regularly now as adults than do people who went less often growing up
Among U.S. adults who were raised Protestant or Catholic, those who grew up in religious homes are more likely to have retained their religious identity
Among U.S. adults raised in families in which religion was very important, younger ones are less likely to say religion is very important to them now
Among Americans raised as Protestants, young adults are less likely than older adults to identify as Protestant today; the same is true for Catholics
Compared with older U.S. adults, fewer young people who grew up attending religious services monthly still attend monthly as adults