Americans are expressing their strongest support for religious freedom in at least seven years, according to new data released by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.

Becket�s latest Religious Freedom Index scored public support at 71 out of 100 � the highest level recorded since the nonprofit began publishing the index in 2019. The findings are based on a nationwide survey of 1,000 American adults.

The report also found a notable shift in attitudes toward public expressions of faith. In 2025, 57 percent of respondents said religious freedom is �inherently public� and that Americans should be free to share their beliefs openly in public spaces. That figure represents a five-point increase since 2020, according to Becket.

�It�s encouraging to see that a growing number of Americans reject the idea that faith belongs behind closed doors,� said Mark Rienzi, president and CEO of Becket. He added that the nation�s founders viewed public religious expression as a strength rather than a liability.

�Our nation is stronger when we allow our neighbors to bring their beliefs into the public square without fear, even when those beliefs cut against the grain,� Rienzi said.

Beyond public expression, the index found increased support for school choice policies and for recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings involving religious liberty � issues that have become flashpoints in broader cultural and political debates.

Becket said the data points to religious freedom remaining a unifying value despite polarization elsewhere in American politics.

�Year after year, the index has made clear that religious liberty remains one of our most cherished values,� Rienzi said. �Even amid deep divisions, our nation still believes that our first freedom belongs at the heart of our culture � not as a source of conflict, but as a foundation for overcoming it.�

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