What religiously unaffiliated Americans expect after death
Percent of nones (atheist, agnostic or no religious preference), 2026 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: No one really knows what will happen (48%). Lowest: Will go to hell (1%).
- No one really knows what will happen: 48%
- Will cease to exist anywhere: 18%
- Will return in another life form: 9%
Source: Lifeway Research, Religiously Unaffiliated Americans Not Completely Irreligious · Online survey of 2,001 U.S. adults who are atheist, agnostic or have no stated religious preference. Article published 2026-02-24.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: No one really knows what will happen (48%). Lowest: Will go to hell (1%). No one really knows what will happen: 48%. Will cease to exist anywhere: 18%. Will return in another life form: 9%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2026. Source: Lifeway Research, Religiously Unaffiliated Americans Not Completely Irreligious (https://research.lifeway.com/2026/02/24/religiously-unaffiliated-americans-not-completely-irreligious/).
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About this data
Leader Insights collects statistics about U.S. churches from published research by organizations such as Lifeway Research, Barna Group, Springtide, the American Bible Society and PRRI. Every number is checked against the wording of the original source before it is published, and each statistic links back to the study it came from. Figures are reproduced from the publishers named above; see the source for full methodology.