Gallup: 78 Percent of Americans Identify as Christians, Continuing Decline

According to a new Gallup poll, 78 percent of Americans identify with some form of Christian faith, continuing a significant decline in religious identification over the past 50 years. In 1948, 91 percent of Americans described themselves as Christians, while only 2 percent said they had no religious identity. In 2009, the number identifying as non-religious has risen to 13 percent.

"The percentage of Americans who in theory could celebrate Christmas this week as a specific component of their religious faith is down significantly from where it was 50 or 60 years ago," Gallup explains. "This suggests that one of the major patterns of religious transition in America in recent decades has been the shift from identification as Christian to the status of having no specific religious identification."

Despite this movement, the number of Americans who say religion is very important to them has remained nearly constant -- even rising slightly -- since the late 1970s.

"The United States remains a dominantly Christian nation," the report says.