The explosive growth of the religiously unaffiliated (1972–2024)
What distinguishes this trend from historical patterns is that having no religious affiliation has become "stickier." In the past, young adults often drifted away from religion in their 20s and returned when they married and had children. Today, a declining percentage of people raised without religion convert later in life, and those who leave are less likely to return. The religious marketplace has become essentially a one-way street: for every person who converts to Christianity, several leave to join the ranks of the unaffiliated.