More Muslim Americans than Jews, Christians observe fast: Survey

In a latest survey indicating how Ramadan is respected, a new survey has revealed American Muslims are far ahead than Jews and Christians when it comes to observing fast

Thursday March 13, 2025 11:58 AM, ummid.com News Network

[Muslims gathered at Times Square in New York to break Ramadan Fast and offer Taraweeh – Special Night Prayers of the month of Ramadan on Sunday March 02, 2025]

Ramadan 2025: In a latest survey indicating how Ramadan is respected, a new survey has revealed American Muslims are far ahead than Jews and Christians when it comes to observing fast.

Observing Siyam or Roza during Ramadan is refraining from eating, drinking and other things that are normally permissible in other days from dawn to dusk is one of the five pillars of Islam.
It is obligatory on every adult Muslim men and women to observe fast during the month of Ramadan.

And like Muslims in other part of the world, American Muslims too observe fast during the month which this year started on March 01, 2025.

8 in 10 American Muslims fast

According to a Pew Research Survey conducted in February, eight in ten Muslim Americans said they fast.

This is in line with a 2017 Center survey by Pew Research which revealed that 80% of Muslims fast for Ramadan, making it a far more common practice than other Islamic traditions like praying five times a day (42%) or attending mosque weekly (43%).

Taraweeh at Times Square

Shutting down Times Square for Ramadan! pic.twitter.com/YmrxaQlYGT
— SNEAKO (@sneako) March 3, 2025

The number of American Muslims observing Ramadan fast is considerably higher than people of other faith.

Jews who fast

According to the February survey, Pew Research found about half of Jewish Americans (49%) fast for certain periods during holy times. In a 2019-2020 Center survey, 56% of Jewish adults said they fasted for all or part of the previous Yom Kippur.

Yom Kippur is a day of atonement for sins. The fast traditionally entails not eating or drinking for approximately 25 hours, from sunset on the eve of Yom Kippur until after sunset the following day.

Some Jews also fast at other times of the year, such as Tishah b’Av, which primarily commemorates the destruction of the first and second ancient Jewish temples in Jerusalem.

4 in 10 Christians fast

The number of Catholics observing fast is still less. According to Pew Research Survey in February, four in ten U.S. Catholics said they fast.

Many Catholics around the world fast during Lent, the 40-day period leading up to Easter. Lenten sacrifices often include abstaining from eating meat on Fridays and giving up something one typically enjoys – like a favorite food, drink or pastime.

Protestants also sometimes fast, with Black Protestants most likely to do so (34%). Fewer White evangelical Protestants (16%) or White non-evangelical Protestants (7%) fast, according to Pew Research.

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