BREAKING: Becket releases its sixth edition of the Religious Freedom Index 2024 Index shows wariness of government interference in religion and record acceptance of people of faith

WASHINGTON – In celebration of National Religious Freedom Day, Becket has released the sixth edition of the Religious Freedom Index, the nation’s only annual poll that tracks American opinion on religious freedom. The 2024 Index marked the highest overall score in the Index’s history, demonstrating that Americans are increasingly unified in supporting religious liberty for people of all faiths. This year’s poll highlighted Americans’ concerns about government interference in religion, their desire for a culture that values religious freedom, and their unity in supporting everyone’s right to live out their faith despite disagreements over abortion. 

Support for religious freedom hit its highest score ever of 70 on a scale of 0 to 100. Across a wide variety of questions, Americans expressed their wariness of government interference in religious affairs, with 80% of Americans supporting the freedom for people to run their businesses or private organization according to their religious beliefs. The 2024 polling also revealed that, despite divisions over the issue of abortion, Americans remain united in their support for everyone’s right to live out their faith freely: 70% of Americans oppose requiring religious nonprofits to cover abortions for their employees.  

“Americans drew a line in the sand in this year’s Index: government doesn’t get to push people around for keeping the faith,” said Mark Rienzi, president and CEO of Becket. “From coast to coast, we witnessed a groundswell of support for Americans to live out their faith in public, even when their beliefs cut against the grain.”   

During this pivotal presidential election year, the sixth edition of the Index posed a critical question to Americans: which branch of government has done the most to protect religious freedom? The results found that a plurality of respondents believe the courts, not Congress or the President, have been the true defenders of religious liberty. This comes as no surprise, given the Supreme Court’s key role in landmark decisions like Little Sisters of the Poor, which upheld the rights of Catholic nuns against mandates to provide contraceptives, and Agudath Israel of America v. Cuomo which defended religious freedom during COVID-19 restrictions. These rulings, along with others, highlight the judiciary’s significant impact in safeguarding the freedom of religion when other branches may fall short.  

This year’s Index also shows Generation Z’s growing support for religious freedom. Despite previous trends, Gen Z’s support for religious liberty is on the rise, with their scores climbing above average in key areas of the Index. Gen Z’s embrace of religious pluralism is particularly pronounced, with 66% completely accepting and supporting the freedom to practice one’s religious beliefs, even if they are contrary to accepted majority practices – the highest level of any generation. This reflects a growing commitment among younger Americans to protect religious freedom as an essential part of their future. It also reflects another trend among younger Americans: this year, more members of Gen Z reported attending monthly religious services than ever before (40%). Similarly, the percentage of Gen Z who identify as people of faith has risen by 15 points in the last two years to 66%. 

“Even in a time of deep division, most Americans still believe religion—and the freedom to practice it—is crucial to overcoming our disagreements,” said Rienzi. “As we celebrate Religious Freedom Day, we should take heart that our nation remains committed to forging a future where faith is a cornerstone of our culture.” 

The Religious Freedom Index is designed to give a broad overview of changes in American attitudes on religious freedom by surveying a nationally representative sample of 1,000 American adults each fall. The Index’s focus on core religious liberty principles, along with some of the year’s most pressing societal issues, provides insight into public sentiment on the intersection of law, religion, and culture.  

Heart+Mind Strategies conducts surveying and scale construction for Becket’s Religious Freedom Index: American Perspectives on the First Amendment, using an online panel assembled by Dynata. Becket contributes its broad expertise representing people of all faiths in religious liberty cases to ensure that the polling instrument and analysis broadly reflect America’s many diverse religions and the full spectrum of religious liberty issues.  

To learn more about Becket’s annual Religious Freedom Index, visit the link found here.