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White, Married Christians Decline in U.S.

Recent analysis conducted by PRRI reveals a precipitous decline in the percentage of white, married Christians in the country.

PRRI conducted trend analysis of General Social Survey findings and PRRI’s American Values Atlas, one of the largest collections of survey data on religion and demographics in existence. As the table below demonstrates, the percentage of the U.S. population who is white, married, and Christian has dropped by more than half over the last four decades—from a high of 62 percent in 1974 to 28 percent in 2015. This decline is fueled by a variety of factors, including an aging white population, immigration patterns, and the delay in marrying as well as religious disaffiliation among young people.

Percent of US Population Who is White, Married, Christian by Year

Screen Shot 2016-03-28 at 6.02.23 PMThe decline in white, married Christians echoes the broader findings in PRRI CEO Robert P. Jones’s forthcoming book, The End of White Christian America, which places these findings in the context of the decline of white Christian institutions and influence in politics and culture. The book is currently available for pre-order and will be published by Simon & Schuster on July 12.