Index Updated — America Scores 75/100 — Crisis Zone Active
Live Tracking — 8 Social Indicators
Is America’s Moral Foundation
Crumbling?
The Moral Decay Index tracks eight key social and cultural indicators to give Americans an honest, data-driven score of the nation’s ethical health — updated regularly.
out of 100
⚠ Crisis Zone
Decaying
Stable
Warning
Indicators
8 Indicators We Track
Each indicator is scored on real data from verified government and academic sources.
Decay
Church Attendance
Weekly attendance dropped from 44% (2000) to 22% (2024). Faith communities are hollowing out across America.
Decay
Marriage Rate
The marriage rate hit a historic low of 6.2 per 1,000 people, while divorce and cohabitation continue rising.
Decay
Family Structure
40% of births now occur outside of marriage — the highest rate in American history.
Warning
Violent Crime
Homicide rates surged 30% in major cities between 2019–2022, with mixed signals in more recent data.
Decay
Media & Civic Trust
Only 32% of Americans trust the media. Institutional confidence is near all-time lows across the board.
Decay
Civic Literacy
Two-thirds of Americans cannot pass a basic citizenship test. Civic knowledge is in freefall.
Decay
Drug Overdose Crisis
107,000 Americans died from overdoses in 2023 — the deadliest year on record. Fentanyl drives the surge.
Stable
Social Trust
Social trust has declined but shows early signs of stabilizing. Community volunteering remains resilient.
Signals Tracked
Overdose Deaths / Year
Births Outside Marriage
Weekly Church Attendance
Recent Research & Articles
Deep dives into the data behind each indicator.
The Marriage Collapse: America’s Most Dangerous Unreported Crisis
Marriage rates have hit historic lows. We examine the data, the cultural forces driving the collapse, and what it means for America’s future.
The Empty Pew: How America Lost Its Faith
Church attendance has been cut in half over two decades. The ripple effects — on family, community, and civic life — are only beginning to show.
107,000 Dead: The Overdose Crisis No One Is Stopping
Fentanyl claimed more American lives last year than the Vietnam War. Yet the crisis barely registers in national political discourse.
Our Mission
The Moral Decay Index exists to cut through the noise and give Americans clear, honest, data-driven insight into the social health of their nation — without a political agenda.
Data-Driven
Regularly Updated
Non-Partisan
Free Access
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