Poll: Americans with no religious identification up 10 points in 60 years

In 1948, 2% of Americans interviewed by Gallup volunteered that they had “no religion.” The number stayed in that range until about 1970. By 1972, Gallup had measured 5% with “no religion.” Gallup trends show the percentage gradually increasing since that time, with a very modest decline from an average of 8% in the early 1990s to 6% from 1993-1995, and then some fluctuation in the late 1990s, with the percentage settling in the 9% to 12% range since 2002. (Additionally, in 2008, an average of 3% of Americans did not answer the question on religious identity. Whether these people truly do not have a religious identity, or were confused or had several religious identities, is unknown.)