The Rise of the “Nones”

Who are the “nones”?

In survey research, “nones” refers to people who answer “nothing in particular,” “agnostic,” or “atheist” when asked about their religious affiliation. The term does not mean they all share the same worldview. Some nones are committed atheists. Many are agnostics. A significant number describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious.” What unites them is disaffiliation from organized religion — they do not identify with any church, denomination, mosque, temple, or religious tradition.

This distinction matters. When we talk about the rise of the nones, we are not necessarily talking about a surge in atheism (though that is part of the story). We are talking about a massive, accelerating withdrawal from religious institutions and identities. People are not just believing differently — they are opting out of the entire framework.

The numbers

The data is striking. In the United States, the share of adults who identify as religiously unaffiliated has risen from approximately 5% in 1972 (General Social Survey) to 8% in 1990, to 16% in 2007, to 26% in 2019, and to roughly 30% by 2024 (Pew Research Center). This is not gradual drift — it is one of the most rapid shifts in American religious history.

The trend is even more pronounced among younger generations. Among American adults under 30, approximately 40% identify as nones. Among Generation Z (born after 1996), some surveys put the figure closer to 45%. Each successive generation is less religious than the one before it, and — critically — people are not becoming more religious as they age, as earlier theories predicted they would.

Globally, the pattern varies by region but the direction is consistent across the developed world. In the United Kingdom, “no religion” became the single largest category in the 2021 census at 37%, up from 25% in 2011. In Australia, 39% reported no religion in the 2021 census, up from 30% just five years earlier. Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, and most of Western Europe show similar trajectories.

The generational engine

The primary driver of religious decline is generational replacement. Older, more religious cohorts are dying and being replaced by younger, less religious ones. But this is not the whole story. Individual disaffiliation — people actively leaving religions they were raised in — is also accelerating. Pew’s 2014 Religious Landscape Study found that for every person who joins a religion after being raised unaffiliated, more than four people leave the religion they were raised in. The “conveyor belt” of religious transmission is breaking down.

Several factors drive this. The rise of the internet has given people in insular religious communities access to outside perspectives for the first time. The political alignment of white evangelical Christianity with the Republican Party has driven away moderates and liberals who associate religion with positions they find morally objectionable. The clergy sexual abuse scandals in the Catholic Church and other institutions have eroded trust. Increased acceptance of LGBTQ+ people has created irreconcilable tension with traditional religious teachings for many young believers.

What nones believe

The internal diversity of nones is significant. Pew’s research shows that about 30% of nones say they believe in God or a “higher power,” even though they do not identify with any religion. About 20% say religion is at least “somewhat important” in their lives. At the other end, about 17% identify as atheist and 20% as agnostic, with the largest group — roughly 63% — choosing “nothing in particular.”

What nones share is not a unified philosophy but a rejection of institutional religion. Surveys consistently find that the top reasons people give for leaving religion are: they stopped believing in the teachings (the most common reason), they dislike organized religion, they see religious people as hypocritical, and they feel that religion is too focused on money, power, or politics.

Social implications

The rise of the nones is reshaping society in ways that are still unfolding. Religious congregations have historically served as community hubs, providing social support, volunteer coordination, and a sense of belonging. As people leave, they do not automatically replace these functions. Research by Ryan Burge and others shows that nones are less likely to volunteer, less likely to join civic organizations, and report higher rates of loneliness than their religiously affiliated peers.

This is not an argument for religion — it is a challenge for secular society. Building community, finding purpose, and supporting one another in times of crisis are human needs that religion has addressed (imperfectly) for millennia. As religion recedes, new institutions and practices will need to fill those roles. Some are already emerging: secular Sunday assemblies, philosophy meetups, volunteer networks, grief support groups, and community centers that provide belonging without requiring belief.

What this means for you

If you are questioning your faith, the data tells you something important: you are not alone, and you are not unusual. The path you are considering has been walked by tens of millions of people in your lifetime. The rise of the nones is not a sign of moral decay — it is a sign that people are thinking for themselves, prioritizing intellectual honesty, and refusing to profess beliefs they do not hold. That takes courage, and it is reshaping the world.