Definition
Religious decline refers to the weakening of religion's role in a society, measured by falling rates of belief and worship, shrinking institutional power, and the spread of secular alternatives. It is the broad process often described as secularization.
The term most commonly describes developments in modern Western societies, though patterns of religious change vary widely across the world.
Why it matters
How it works
Religious decline tends to follow social and intellectual changes associated with modernity. The growth of science offered alternative explanations of the natural world; the separation of church and state reduced religion's official power; and rising prosperity, education, and social security lessened reliance on religious institutions. Yet decline is not universal or irreversible. Some societies have experienced religious revival, and globally the religiously affiliated population continues to grow, making religious change a complex and regionally varied process rather than a single trend.