PRRI released its 2020 Census of American Religion. The part that was most interesting to me was the year-over-year drop in the percentage of Americans who are white evangelicals:
Since 2006, white evangelical Protestants have experienced the most precipitous drop in affiliation, shrinking from 23% of Americans in 2006 to 14% in 2020. That proportion has generally held steady since 2017 (15% in 2017, 2018, and 2019).
Not only are there fewer white evangelical Protestants than ever, but they are also older than any other category:
White evangelical Protestants are the oldest religious group in the U.S., with a median age of 56, compared to the median age in the country of 47.
As white evangelical Protestants die of old age, they won't be replaced by many newborn white evangelical Protestants. That's why so many states in the South want to replace science-based school curriculums with stories from the Bible.
The 14% of the country who remain white evangelical Protestants overwhelmingly voted for Trump, because they believed he would give them power over the 86% of Americans who aren't white evangelical Protestants. And they still cling to the hope that he will return to the White House to fulfill his promise.
