By many measures, Americans are growing less religious: Since 2007, for example, the percentage of people who pray daily has dropped, while the “unaffiliated” have grown to 29%. But those numbers can distract from just how much faith still matters in American public life – much more so than in Western Europe, despite its similar religious roots.
About two-thirds of Americans consider religion “somewhat” or “very” important, compared with 56% in Italy, 40% in Spain and 36% in Germany. While about two-thirds of American Christians pray every day, only 18% of European Christians do so.
