A notable increase in the public's trust in the church as an institution in the United States after a three-year period of stagnation. Currently, "36% of Americans now saying they have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in it," showing a rebound from previous lows.
Confidence in the church had declined to 31% in 2022 and hovered around 32% over the following two years, nearing its lowest levels recorded by Gallup since they began tracking the trend in 1973. At that time, trust in the church was at 66%, reaching a peak of 68% in 1975.
The only other significant rebound in recent decades occurred in 2001, post-9/11, when confidence temporarily rose to 60%, marking the last time the institution garnered such widespread support, according to Lifeway Research. The latest figures suggest the American church is regaining ground, matching levels last seen in 2021 when confidence stood at 37%.
The recent increase is particularly prominent among Republican voters, with trust jumping from 49% in 2024 to 64% this year. This shift correlates with broader gains in institutional confidence among Republicans following President Donald Trump’s reelection.
Conversely, confidence among Democrats experienced a slight decline from 22% to 21%. Confidence among independents rose modestly from 28% to 30%.
Gender differences in trust levels narrowed, with women's confidence increasing by eight points to 36%, closing the previous gender gap.
Young adults aged 18 to 37 experienced the largest increase, rising from 26% to 32%. Those aged 38 to 54 increased three points to 31%, and Americans aged 55 and older grew from 39% to 42%.
In terms of racial demographics, 31% of Black Americans and 33% of Hispanic Americans expressed high confidence in the church, compared to 37% of White Americans. Overall, confidence among all non-white respondents in 2024 stood at 30%.
Educational attainment and income also influenced confidence levels, with those having some college education but no degree showing an 11-point rise to 36%. Households earning less than $50,000 per year saw confidence grow from 31% to 39%, while those earning over $100,000 experienced an increase from 29% to 36%.
Despite the upward trend, the church’s trust ranking remains behind small businesses (70%), the military (62%), and science (61%). It is situated in the middle tier alongside police (45%), higher education (42%), and the medical system (32%).
Megan Brenan from Gallup observed that “institutional trust tends to shift dramatically depending on which party holds power,” adding, “...Partisans’ confidence is easily restored when their political party controls the institution. The flip side, of course, is that the confidence of the other party’s supporters declines when their party loses power.”
