Xinhua International: Survey Shows an Increasing Global Trend of Atheism

[The Christian Science Monitor website, August 15, 2012] Title: Global Atheism on the Rise

A new global survey has found that the number of atheists in the United States and other regions is increasing, while the number of religious believers is declining.

A survey conducted by the Swiss branch of Gallup International found that Americans identifying as religious believers dropped from 73% in 2005 to 60% today, while those identifying as "convinced atheists" increased from 1% to 5%. Additionally, 33% of Americans stated they consider themselves "not a religious person."

Ryan Cragun, a sociologist at the University of Tampa who studies religion, expressed skepticism regarding whether the number of American atheists has truly increased as sharply as the survey indicates. Cragun suggested that some people simply feel more comfortable identifying themselves as atheists than they did previously.

This perspective appears consistent with a study by the Pew Research Center. Data released by the center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life in 2009 showed that while 5% of Americans said they did not believe in God or a universal spirit, only 24% of non-religious individuals actually called themselves atheists.

The new Gallup survey interviewed more than 50,000 people across 57 countries. It asked respondents: "Irrespective of whether you attend a place of worship or not, would you say you are a religious person, not a religious person or a convinced atheist?"

The United States remains low on the list of atheistic countries. China tops the list with 47% "convinced atheists," followed by Japan (31%), the Czech Republic (30%), France (29%), and South Korea (15%).

According to the survey, the top ten most religious countries are: Ghana (96% religious), Nigeria (93%), Armenia (92%), Fiji (92%), Macedonia (90%), Romania (89%), Iraq (88%), Kenya (88%), Peru (86%), and Brazil (85%).

The survey shows that the countries with the fewest religious believers are China (14% religious), Japan (16%), the Czech Republic (20%), Turkey (23%), Sweden (29%), Vietnam (30%), Australia (37%), France (37%), and Austria (42%).

[The Washington Post website, August 14, 2012] Title: Survey Shows Atheism on the Rise in the United States

According to a newly conducted global survey, the number of religious believers in the United States is decreasing, while the number of atheists is rising.

The survey, titled the "Global Index of Religiosity and Atheism," found that the number of Americans saying they are "religious" is declining, with the proportion dropping from 73% in 2005 to 60%.

Ryan Cragun, the University of Tampa sociologist who studies religious issues, said: "Clearly, this is a manifestation of the New Atheist movement."

However, he does not believe the survey indicates that more people are becoming atheists per se. In his view, it means more people are willing to describe themselves as atheists.

He stated: "For a long time, religious faith was a primary characteristic representing American identity. But looking at the survey results, this situation is changing. People are no longer as inclined as they once were to label themselves as religious in order to fit the image of a 'good person'."

Another possible factor may be the organized campaigns launched by American atheist organizations, encouraging those who do not believe in God to go public with their stance.