A majority of Americans say the nation would be better off if it were more religious, according to a new Gallup survey, even as fewer U.S. adults view religion as a positive force in society than they did in 2013. The survey also found Americans are split on whether the government should be involved in promoting moral values.
The survey, conducted May 1–17 among a random sample of 1,001 adults in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, found that 65% of respondents said a more religious America would be positive for society, down from 75% in 2013. Meanwhile, 22% said more religion would be a negative for society, up from 17% a decade earlier.
Gallup found declining support for religion’s societal benefits across most demographic and political groups since 2013. The sharpest declines occurred among Democrats, young adults, women and Americans with some college education.
Not every group followed that trend. The share of Republicans who said religion is good for society rose from 91% in 2013 to 94% in 2026. Support also increased among Catholics, from 80% to 85%, and among religiously unaffiliated Americans, from 24% to 27%.
One of the most notable shifts appeared among women. While the share of men who said religion benefits society declined modestly from 73% to 70%, the share of women expressing that view fell from 77% to 61%.
This finding reflects the growing disparity between the importance men and women now place on religion, particularly among young adults.
In a report released in April, Gallup found that 42% of men ages 18 to 29 surveyed in 2024 to 2025 said religion is “very important” to them. This represented a sharp rise from 2022 to 2023 data, when just 28% of men said religion was “very important.”
The share of young adult men saying religion is “very important” to them was 13% higher than the 29% of young adult women who said the same in 2024 to 2025, Gallup found.
In their most recent survey, Gallup also found that Americans are divided, mainly along party and religious lines, on whether government should promote moral values.
Nearly 70% of U.S. adults now say government policies influence moral values, reflecting an approximately 10% increase since 2006. Only 27% disagree.
“All major demographic groups are more likely than 20 years ago to believe that government policies affect people’s values. Republicans, young adults, Catholics, and those with no religious affiliation show larger increases, ranging between 17 and 19 percentage points,” researchers note. “Republicans, Catholics, young adults, and those who attend religious services weekly are also the groups who are now most likely to believe government policies can influence moral values.”
Some 50% of Americans say the federal government should not promote moral values. Another 45% believe the government should.
“More Americans think that government policies can affect moral values,” Gallup said. “The poll comes at a time when a Republican presidential administration has sought to elevate the role of religion in public life, including by establishing the White House Office of Faith, beginning government meetings with Christian prayers, and encouraging federal workers to express their faith in the workplace.
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