A new report from the Pew Research Center examines Americans’ views on morality and religion. The report, released March 5, 2026, draws on data from 25 countries, ranging from the US and Mexico to Japan and Australia.

In certain countries, like Indonesia and India, most people believe that belief in God is necessary for morality (99% and 85%, respectively). In other countries, however, the percentage of respondents who believe that belief in God is necessary for living a moral life is relatively low. In the US, 31% hold this belief, along with Greece (30%), the UK (22%), and Germany (21%).

Pew has asked this question about God and morality before, since 2002. Until 2012, there was no clear majority of Americans who believed that belief in God was either necessary or unnecessary for living a moral life. But after 2014, the majority swung towards the “unnecessary” response. And since 2020, over 60% of Americans have responded that belief in God is unnecessary to living morally.

Another Pew report, drawing on the same data, reveals how Americans compare with other countries. Pew examined issues traditionally addressed in Christian moral teaching, as well as the moral teachings of other major religions. Respondents were asked questions about homosexuality, extramarital affairs, marijuana use, gambling, abortion, and divorce.

Overall, Americans tend to disapprove of issues like extramarital affairs—around nine in ten Americans believe that it is morally wrong. Compared to other countries, Americans are quite moderate with the percentage who believe that abortion is morally wrong (47%) or homosexuality (39%). They are also relatively approving of other issues like contraceptives and marijuana use, with 8% and 23% viewing these practices as morally wrong, respectively.

The study noted other findings on how American Christians compare with Christians worldwide on these issues. In the US, like in Africa and Latin America, the majority of Christians view abortion as morally wrong. Among European Christians, 40% or lower hold the same view. Yet, 59% of American Christians view abortion as morally unacceptable compared with Christians in Mexico (64%), Brazil (75%), Kenya (81%), and Nigeria (85%).

There are also differences in how different kinds of Christians respond to moral issues. In several countries, Protestants are more likely than Catholics to consider homosexuality morally unacceptable. In the US, this difference is most pronounced, with 34% of Catholics compared to 59% of Protestants.

One question left unresolved by Pew’s reports is what Americans believe is necessary for morality if not belief in God. Pew’s most recent Religious Landscape Study found that 83% of Americans still believe in God, even as Christianity has just stabilized after years of decline. This leaves a notable gap between the 83% who believe in God and the 31% who say such belief is necessary for moral behavior.

One explanation might be that Americans simply do not view many issues as morally right or wrong. Instead, they view certain things as morally neutral. Recall that 39% of Americans view homosexuality as morally unacceptable. This does not necessarily mean that the remaining portion of Americans view homosexuality as morally right. Rather, 23% of Americans believe that homosexuality is morally acceptable, while 37% do not believe that homosexuality is a moral issue at all.

Yet this explanation is not all-encompassing. Americans still demonstrate a vivid moral imagination around issues such as pornography or marital infidelity. This raises a deeper question: what kind of moral framework are Americans adopting, and where do they believe it originates if not from God?

In popular discourse, many influencers and public figures have suggested that moral relativism (the view that morality is dependent upon culture) or subjectivism (the view that morality is dependent upon the individual) are becoming prevalent in American life.

However, Pew has additional findings suggesting that Americans consider objective measures important for moral decision-making. In February 2025, Pew found that 93% of US adults view practical experience and common sense as important for moral deliberation. The same is true for logic and reason (92%) and science (75%).

Even as Americans’ religious views evolve, their sense of right and wrong does not appear to be dissolving into relativism. Instead, many continue to rely on what they understand to be objective moral truths—though not always tied directly to God or formal religion.