According to the latest Gallup survey, public confidence in the church has seen a notable uptick, rising to 36% of Americans expressing a great deal or quite a lot of trust in this institution. This increase marks the first significant rebound since 2020 and comes after a prolonged period of stagnation, where trust levels hovered around 31% to 32% in recent years.
Historically, Gallup has tracked trust in the church since 1973, when it stood at a robust 66%. The highest recorded confidence came in 1975 at 68%. The last major spike occurred in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in 2001, when trust surged to 60%. The recent data, however, suggests that the American church is regaining ground, matching levels last observed in 2021.
Interestingly, the rise in trust is particularly pronounced among political conservatives. Among Republicans, confidence in the church jumped significantly from 49% in 2024 to 64% this year. This increase aligns with broader trends of institutional trust among Republican voters, especially following the reelection of former President Donald Trump. Conversely, trust among Democrats has seen a slight decline, dropping from 22% to 21%, while independents have edged up from 28% to 30%.
This partisan divide in confidence mirrors broader political trends. Gallup’s findings reveal a staggering 73-point increase in Republican confidence in the presidency, juxtaposed with a 58-point drop in Democratic trust. This suggests that political affiliation plays a significant role in shaping public perception of institutions, often more than the institutions’ actual performance.
Demographic trends also reveal some encouraging news for the church. Women, younger Americans, and lower-income households have all reported increased trust. Women’s confidence rose eight points to 36%, effectively closing the previous gender gap. Among younger Americans aged 18 to 37, trust surged from 26% to 32%. Those aged 38 to 54 also saw a modest increase, while the oldest demographic, 55 and older, climbed from 39% to 42%.
While trust levels among Black and Hispanic Americans remain lower than among their white counterparts, all groups have shown modest gains. Currently, 31% of Black Americans and 33% of Hispanic Americans express high confidence in the church, compared to 37% of white Americans. Notably, individuals with some college education but no degree reported a significant 11-point increase in trust, now standing at 36%. Additionally, those earning less than $50,000 annually saw their confidence rise from 31% to 39%.
Despite this positive trend, the church still lags behind other institutions in terms of public trust. Small businesses lead the pack at 70%, followed by the military at 62% and science at 61%. The church finds itself in the middle tier alongside the police at 45% and higher education at 42%. Institutions with lower confidence levels than the church include the presidency at 30%, banks at 30%, and public schools at 29%.
Megan Brenan from Gallup highlights that shifts in institutional trust are often closely tied to which political party holds power. "Partisans’ confidence is easily restored when their political party controls the institution," she notes. This cyclical nature of trust underscores the challenges faced by institutions like the church in maintaining public confidence across diverse political landscapes.
Overall, while the increase in trust is encouraging, it’s clear that the church has a long way to go to regain the levels of confidence seen in previous decades. As public sentiment continues to evolve, it will be crucial for church leaders and communities to engage authentically with their congregations and address the concerns that shape public perception.
For more insights into trends in public trust and confidence in institutions, you can visit credible sources such as Gallup’s official website or Lifeway Research for comprehensive studies on faith and public opinion.