While I have written extensively about the rise of the religiously non-affiliated (also known as “nones”) in the United States, I have given far less attention to how this trend is impacting our neighbor to the North. Results from the 2011 National Household Survey show even as Christianity remains the dominant religion in Canada, the nones are growing quickly. More specifically, as a percentage of the population by year “nones” accounted for
- 2011: 23.9%
- 2001: 16.5%, and
- 1991: 12%.
So What?
Currently around 1 in 5 Americans and 1 in 4 Canadians are “nones.” Just twenty years ago the number of “nones” in each country was much lower: around 1 in 14 Americans and 1 in 8 Canadians. As increasing percentages of younger adults identify as religiously non-affiliated and the eldest groups of adults pass from this life, it seems reasonable to expect the percentage of the population who are “nones” will continue to rise.
- How has the rise of the “nones” impacted your local congregation?
- In your family and among your closest friends, what percentage do you estimate would likely identify as religiously non-affiliated?