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About half of Democratic voters are Christian, down from nearly three-quarters in 2008

The religious landscape of the United States has undergone major changes since 2008. As the share of registered voters who are religiously unaffiliated has increased, the share who identify as Christian has declined. Today, Christians make up about half of Democratic voters (52%); in 2008, about three-quarters of Democrats (73%) were Christians. Over that same period, religious “nones” have doubled as a share of Democratic voters, from 18% to 38%. The changes among Republicans have been far more modest: Christians constitute 79% of Republican voters, down from 87% in 2008.

In addition, the partisan leanings of certain religious groups have shifted. White evangelical Protestants have seen one of the largest moves toward the GOP over the past 25 years – 78% now identify as Republican, up from 61% in 1994 – and white Catholics also have become more heavily Republican. Meanwhile, religiously unaffiliated voters have been trending steadily toward the Democratic Party over the past few decade, and two-thirds are now Democrats.

Same-sex marriage around the world

In May 2020, Costa Rica became the first Central American country to legalize same-sex marriage. For a full listing of countries where same-sex marriage is legal, see our updated fact sheet.

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