Global trend: Why more people are leaving their childhood religions

In a sweeping new report, the Pew Research Center has documented the numbers on the millions of people around the world who no longer identify with the religion in which they were raised. Based on surveys conducted in 36 countries, the study reveals a clear global trend: disaffiliation is growing — particularly among those who were raised as Christians or Buddhists.

The phenomenon, called religious switching, doesn’t just include conversions between faiths. More often, it refers to people leaving religion altogether. Many who were raised in religious households now identify as atheists, agnostics, or simply as “nothing in particular.” In countries like Sweden, South Korea, and Japan, the trend is especially visible.

In Sweden, for instance, nearly three in 10 adults say they were raised Christian but now claim no religious affiliation. Similarly, in Japan, 23% of adults who were raised as Buddhists now say they belong to no religion.

South Korea, which is religiously diverse, shows both patterns: 13% have left Buddhism, while 6% of adults who had no religious upbringing now identify as Christian.

While the shift varies by region, it’s most pronounced in parts of Western Europe, East Asia, and the Americas. Half of South Korean adults, over a third of Dutch citizens, and more than a quarter of Americans say they no longer belong to the religion of their childhood. In contrast, religious retention is extremely high in countries like India, Israel, Nigeria, and Thailand, where 95% or more of people say they’ve stayed in the religion they grew up with.

The report also highlights which groups are losing the most members. Christianity shows the largest net losses in many countries. In Germany, for example, the ratio is nearly 20 to 1 —meaning 20 people have left Christianity for every one who has joined. Buddhism follows, with significant losses especially in Japan and South Korea, though not at the same scale.

By contrast, the religiously unaffiliated — often referred to as “nones” — have experienced the largest net gains. In Italy, for every one person who adopted a religion after growing up with none, almost 29 people left a religion behind. The appeal of a religiously unaffiliated identity appears to be rising, especially among younger and more educated populations.

Age plays a role, though not uniformly. In some countries, like Spain and Colombia, younger adults are significantly more likely to have switched religions compared to those over 50. But in places like Singapore and Australia, age makes little difference. The report notes that it’s unclear whether younger people will remain unaffiliated as they age, or if some may return to religion later in life.

Education appears to be a modest factor in switching. In the Netherlands, for example, 42% of university-educated adults have changed religions, compared to 29% of those with less education. Gender differences are generally minimal, though in a handful of countries, men are slightly more likely to have switched than women.

It’s worth noting that Islam, Hinduism, and Judaism have seen much smaller changes. In places like India and Israel, religious identities remain notably stable across generations.

For Christians, especially, the findings raise pastoral and cultural questions: Why are so many leaving? And how can churches respond meaningfully in a time when religious identity feels increasingly fluid?

While the answers may vary by context, the data point to a clear challenge — and opportunity — for faith communities around the world.