Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder. This report is a collaborative effort based on the input and analysis of the following individuals. Find related reports online at pewresearch.org/religion. Primary researchers Patricia Tevington, Research AssociateGregory A. Smith, Senior Associate Director, Religion Research Research team Alan Cooperman, Director, Religion ResearchBecka A. Alper, Senior ResearcherBesheer Mohamed, Senior ResearcherChip Rotolo, Research AssociateJustin Nortey, Research AnalystAsta Kallo, Research Assistant Methods team Ashley Amaya, Associate Director, Survey MethodsAndrew Mercer, Senior Research MethodologistCourtney Kennedy, Vice President, Methods and InnovationDorene Asare-Marfo, Panel Manager Dana Popky, Associate Panel ManagerAnna Brown, Research…
Author: Jcoleman
A fortune teller arranges tarot cards on table. (Prathan Chorruangsak/Getty Images) How we did this Pew Research Center conducted this study to gauge Americans’ experiences with astrology, tarot cards and fortune tellers, and the role they play in people’s lives. For this analysis, we surveyed 9,593 U.S. adults from Oct. 21 to 27, 2024. Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), a group of people recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses who have agreed to take surveys regularly. This kind of recruitment gives nearly all U.S. adults a…
Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder. This report is a collaborative effort based on the input and analysis of the following individuals. Find related reports online at pewresearch.org/religion. Primary researcher Chip Rotolo, Research Associate Research team Alan Cooperman, Director, Religion ResearchGregory A. Smith, Senior Associate Director, Religion Research Becka A. Alper, Senior ResearcherBesheer Mohamed, Senior ResearcherPatricia Tevington, Research AssociateJustin Nortey, Research AnalystAsta Kallo, Research Assistant Methods team Ashley Amaya, Associate Director, Survey MethodsAndrew Mercer, Principal MethodologistCourtney Kennedy, Vice President, Methods and InnovationDorene Asare-Marfo, Senior Panel Manager Dana Popky, Associate Panel ManagerAnna…
How Americans decide what ‘news’ means to them – and how it fits into their lives in the digital era May 13, 2025 Table of ContentsTable of Contents Table of ContentsTable of Contents Measuring people’s news habits and attitudes has long been a key part of Pew Research Center’s efforts to understand American society. Our surveys regularly ask Americans how closely they are following the news, where they get their news and how much they trust the news they see. But as people are exposed to more information from more sources than ever before and lines blur between entertainment, commentary…
Spiritual and religious practices vary around the world. Some activities, such as prayer, are widespread across many societies. Other practices, such as fasting and lighting incense or candles, are common in some places and rare in others. Within countries, some religious groups are particularly likely to engage in the practices we asked about. For example, in places with enough Muslims to report on, Muslims often are much more inclined than others to say they fast during holy periods. Religiously unaffiliated people – those who say they are atheist, agnostic or have no religion in particular – engage in religious and…
“How important is religion in your life?” and “What is your current religion?” are two survey questions that have long been used to measure religiousness in individuals and societies. By these benchmarks, the world’s most religious countries are mostly in the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. For example, about nine-in-ten adults in Kenya and Sri Lanka say religion is very important in their lives, and virtually all adults in both places identify with a religion. Meanwhile, societies in Europe, East Asia, Australia and Canada tend to show lower levels of religiousness. In Japan, for…
Americans hold largely unfavorable opinions of China and Chinese President Xi Jinping, but ratings of both have improved slightly since 2024. Views of China are mostly negative More than three-quarters of Americans (77%) have an unfavorable opinion of China. Though a sizable majority, this reflects a decrease from 81% in 2024. It also marks the first time in five years we’ve measured a significant year-over-year decline in the share of Americans with an unfavorable view of China. The change is even greater when it comes to the share of those with a very unfavorable view of China: Today, 33% of…
Most Americans say China’s international influence has been growing stronger in recent years. Still, Americans tend to say the U.S. – not China – is the world’s top economic and military power. Americans see China’s global influence getting stronger A 73% majority of Americans say China’s influence in the world has been getting stronger in recent years. A similar share (71%) held this view in 2024. About two-in-ten (19%) say China’s influence has stayed about the same, while 6% say it’s getting weaker. Views by party Unlike many other opinions related to China, there are no significant differences between Republicans…
Americans tend to believe the U.S.-China trade relationship benefits China more than the U.S.: 46% hold this view, while a quarter say both countries benefit equally and 10% say the U.S. benefits more. Nonetheless, Americans are skeptical that increased tariffs on Chinese imports will have a positive effect on the country or on their own lives. (The survey was conducted March 24-30, 2025, after President Donald Trump implemented tariffs on China in February and again in early March, but before further tariffs were imposed in April. China responded with tariffs on the U.S. both before and after the survey was…
Fewer now consider China an enemy or say it’s the country posing the greatest threat to the U.S. A shipping crate from China awaits inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at a Los Angeles freight facility in 2022. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images) How we did this Pew Research Center conducted this study to understand how Americans see China and its relationship with the U.S. The report gauges American views of China in terms of both economics and national security. This analysis builds on previous Center research on Americans’ opinions of China and on the most pressing foreign…