Church Trust Rises Among Americans, Gallup Poll Reveals

Americans’ trust in the institution of the church has increased for the first time since 2020. Thirty-six percent of respondents to a recent Gallup poll said they have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in the church.

Gallup has tracked this trend annually since 1973, when trust stood at 66 percent, reaching a high of 68 percent in 1975. Although still far from majority support, the increase is notable across several demographics, particularly among political conservatives.

Among Republicans, trust in the church jumped from 49 percent in 2024 to 64 percent this year. By contrast, confidence in the church fell slightly among Democrats, from 22 percent to 21 percent, and rose modestly among independents, from 28 percent to 30 percent.

The divide along party lines follows political patterns in other institutions. Gallup recorded a 73 point increase in Republican confidence in the presidency, while Democrats’ trust dropped 58 points. Gallup noted that partisan control of institutions plays a central role in public trust, noting that confidence often correlates more with political affiliation than with institutional performance.

Women, younger Americans and lower-income households showed marked increases in trust toward the church over the past year. Women’s confidence rose eight points to 36 percent, closing the previous gender gap. Americans aged 18 to 37 experienced the largest increase, rising from 26 percent to 32 percent. Those aged 38 to 54 increased three points to 31 percent, and Americans 55 and older grew from 39 percent to 42 percent.

Trust among black and Hispanic Americans remained lower than among white Americans, but all groups showed modest gains. Thirty-one percent of black Americans and 33 percent of Hispanic Americans expressed high confidence in the church, compared to 37 percent of white Americans. In 2024, the figure for all non-white respondents stood at 30 percent.

Those with some college education but no degree reported one of the steepest increases, up 11 points to 36 percent. People earning less than $50,000 per year also grew from 31 percent to 39 percent in confidence, while those in households earning more than $100,000 rose from 29 percent to 36 percent.

However, despite the increase, the church still ranks behind small businesses (70 percent), the military (62 percent),and science (61 percent) in terms of public trust. It falls in the middle tier alongside the police (45 percent), higher education (42 percent) and the medical system (32 percent).

–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice