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Kelsey Jo Starr

Research Analyst

Kelsey Jo Starr is a research analyst at Pew Research Center, where she contributes to international polling projects focused on religion and national identity. Kelsey Jo received her master’s degree from George Washington University and holds a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech. She is a contributing author to Pew Research Center reports including “Being Christian in Western Europe,” “Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe” and “Israel’s Religiously Divided Society”.

Publications

short readsMay 9, 2025

Fewer Israelis support Israel taking over Gaza now than in 2024

A third of Israeli adults say Israel should govern Gaza, down from 40% in 2024.
reportMay 6, 2025

Believing in Spirits and Life After Death Is Common Around the World

Belief in an afterlife, God and spirits in nature is widespread globally. Older adults are more likely than younger adults to believe in God.
reportMar 26, 2025

Around the World, Many People Are Leaving Their Childhood Religions

In many places surveyed, 20% or more of all adults have left their childhood religious group. Christianity and Buddhism have had especially large losses.
reportSep 26, 2024

Many Catholics in the U.S. and Latin America Want the Church to Allow Birth Control and to Let Women Become Priests

Views vary on other ideas, such as recognizing same-sex marriages. Most see Pope Francis as a change in the church’s direction, and he’s broadly popular.
short readsAug 30, 2024

Korean Americans are much more likely than people in South Korea to be Christian

Korean American adults are much less likely than adults in South Korea to be religiously unaffiliated or to be Buddhist.
short readsJul 1, 2024

Rituals honoring deceased ancestors vary widely in East and Southeast Asia

Among the places surveyed, people in Japan (85%) and Vietnam (84%) are most likely to say they have a family gravesite.
reportJun 17, 2024

Religion and Spirituality in East Asian Societies

Few are religiously affiliated, but many in the region hold religious or spiritual beliefs and engage in traditional rituals.
short readsFeb 7, 2024

8 facts about atheists

Around six-in-ten U.S. atheists are men (64%). And seven-in-ten are ages 49 or younger, compared with about half of U.S. adults overall (52%).
short readsJan 16, 2024

Most people in Taiwan see themselves as primarily Taiwanese; few say they’re primarily Chinese

67% of people in Taiwan see themselves as primarily Taiwanese, compared with 3% who think of themselves as primarily Chinese.
short readsSep 15, 2023

Buddhists in South and Southeast Asia generally approve of foreign tourists visiting Buddhist sites

Majorities of Buddhists in these countries also say it is appropriate for non-Buddhist tourists to participate in Buddhist practices.

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